Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, Zimpapers Sports Hub
DETERMINED to shake off years of underwhelming performances on the national athletics scene, Matabeleland South is launching a province-wide revival plan with training clusters and year-round competitions at its core.
The aim? To stop the steady drain of potential stars to other sporting codes and rebuild a proud legacy that once produced some of Zimbabwe’s finest athletes.
National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) technical director Phakamile Lisimati who also teaches in the province told Zimpapers Sports Hub in Botswana recently that Matabeleland South’s performances in athletics had become a cause for concern.
“The results are not pleasing. We have a legacy to build and protect,” he said. “We’re introducing year-round athletics clubs to move away from the idea of athletics being a first-term-only sport.”
Lisimati said many talented athletes are lost to other codes such as football, basketball, netball, and cricket simply because those sports offer more consistent action and travel across the school calendar. Athletics, by contrast, is often condensed into four weeks, and students who don’t progress past inter-house stage lose interest.
At the last National Primary and Secondary School Heads Championships held in Hwange and Bindura, Southern Region provinces Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Masvingo and Midlands occupied the bottom five slots.
The new plan aims to change that.
School, college, and club coaches across Matabeleland South will now work towards short, medium and long-term targets with the ultimate goal of grooming national athletes.
“One of our challenges is the vastness of the province from Ndolwane to Beitbridge East, Shangani to Beitbridge which makes regular training and competition logistically tough,” Lisimati said.
“But through this pathway, we’re tasking coaches, schools, and clubs to identify and develop athletes with support from local businesses and district-based alumni. They’ll be key to sustaining club activity and shaping tomorrow’s champions.”
Lisimati admitted that poor attendance at provincial events in Gwanda, often due to a lack of sponsorship, had forced them to think creatively.
That shift has resulted in a new plan: more training camps across the province, with qualified coaches leading technical sessions, and regular competitions in different locations to boost both participation and athlete readiness.
“Our athletes often go into national events undercooked,” he said. “Frequent local competitions will give them the competitive edge they’ve been lacking.”
He said five to seven clubs and schools would now serve as training and competition centres, each hosting full-scale athletics events.
“Ideally, we want every district Beitbridge, Bulilima, Gwanda, Insiza, Matobo, Mangwe, and Mzingwane to host at least one championship in the new athletics season. It’s about visibility and building local pride.”
Lisimati also expressed gratitude to Blanket Mine for backing the idea.
“Blanket Mine have been our torchbearers as a club and are fully on board. It’s exciting. While results may not come overnight, we believe this approach will yield fruit in the near future.”
Matabeleland South boasts a rich athletics history, having produced stars such as Elijah Nkala, Caroline Ncube, Marylene Khumalo, Victor Olonga, Zibusiso Nyoni, Collin and Collice Mutize, Chemist Siziba, and road queens Siphulwazi Sibindi and Samukeliso Moyo.
