adminGrace Chingoma
Senior Sports Reporter
LOW-RISK sport codes are excited they can finally resume activities, following Government’s move, to lift some restrictions.
On Wednesday, the Sports Commission gave the green light to 24 codes, which were previously allowed to resume sport last year, to again return to action.
However, the national sport of football, isn’t one of those disciplines.
The football debate had been expected to spill into parliament yesterday.
However, the Parliamentary Committee Portfolio on Sport, were forced to adjourn the virtual meeting, on sport resumption, to a later date, after the online session experienced serious network challenges
The Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, and the Sports Commission, were expected to present oral evidence, on their preparedness, to resume sporting activities, in the country before the legislators.
However, just a few legislators managed to access the online meeting and then proposed to adjourn the indaba to prepare for a physical session, observing social distance.
A number of legislators such as Mathias Tongofa, Mbondiah Memory, Trevor Saruwaka, Gift Banda and Omega Sibanda sit on the parliamentary committee on sport.
Officials from the Sports Commission, including board chairperson Gerald Mhlotswa and acting director general Sebastian Garikai, were expected to make their presentations.
They had already joined the meeting before it was cancelled.
The SRC statement, on Wednesday night, revealed the codes which can now resume their activities.
“Pursuant to the Cabinet approval, and the publication of the Statutory Instrument 61 of 2021 this Wednesday 3rd March, 2021 as read with Statutory Instrument 200 of 2020, the Sports and Recreation Commission advises that it has now been formally notified by the Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation (Kirsty Coventry) that the following National Sports Associations (NSAs) may resume their activities as outlined in their previously approved Covid-19 protocols taking into account National and World Health Organisation guidelines,” read the statement.
Archery, aquatics, badminton, angling, bass, athletics, cricket, cycling, chess, equestrian, rowing, drafts, polo, polocrosse, golf, shooting, tennis, motorsport, swimming, triathlon, lawn bowls, woodball, horse racing and table tennis have been given the greenlight to resume their activities.
Yesterday, National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe president, Tendai Tagara, said the move was a positive development, which will afford them time to push for more competitions, so that they qualify for the World Junior Championships, in Kenya, in August.
“The return of athletics is a positive move, I know athletes were eagerly waiting for this,’’ said Tagara.
“As an association, we are ready.
“Provinces are working out because, the more competitions they attend, the more chances to qualify for world juniors, in Kenya, in August.
“So, we are calling all our junior athletes to attend.
“We are also looking at ways of organising campsm for both juniors and seniors, we would like to tour regional countries like Zambia, Botswana and South Africa, chasing qualifying times.’’
Athletes, who are bidding to qualify for the Tokyo Games, have been training during lockdown, on their own.
Cycling Zimbabwe president, Norman Bourne, said he could barely wait for the resumption of their activities.
“They have given us the greenlight but, until I get the official letter, I can’t comment,’’ he said.
‘’Yes, Government has put a general notice, with 22 sport codes, but l am still anxiously waiting for the letter.’’
Zimbabwe Archery Association secretary-general, Iona Bartosz, said they were also excited to be back in action.
“We have one athlete trying to get a scholarship for archery,” she said.
The Sports Commission stressed that the low-risk sport should adhere to the health regulations.
“The NSAs listed above, have been advised contemporaneously by separate, and direct email, requiring that they acknowledge and accept the said correspondence and the health protocols and other conditions reiterated therein. “If any of the above activities are played at a sports club, bars and changing rooms are to remain closed and, any available restaurants authorised to operate, are to only accept takeaway orders,” read the statement.
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