adminColtart was reacting to weekend reports that Zimbabwe will be fielding the “smallest and probably weakest sporting team to ever compete” in the Games.
Only seven athletes including swimmer Kirsty Coventry have qualified.
Joining Coventry at the London Games, which are set to run from July 27 to August 12, will be marathon runners Cutbert Nyasango, Wirimayi Zhuwawo and Sharon
Tavengwa, triathlete Chris Felgate, rowers Jamie Frazer-Mackenzie and Micheen Thornycroft.
Although star long jumper and sprinter and strong medal hopeful Ngoni Makusha qualified, an unfortunate injury ruled him out of the London Games.
As Coltart explained the reason for this small number, “is mainly dictated to us by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)”.
“As you know they set qualifying times and athletes have to meet those times, otherwise they are not accepted to the Olympics. So unfortunately we have these seven or so who have qualified.
“It’s not necessarily (quantity) the nation should be looking at. Think back to the 2008 Olympics, Zimbabwe also had a very small team but we came away with way
more medals than South Africa who went with a team of over 200 and so we shouldn’t really be looking at the quantity, we need to look at quality,” he said.
Asked whether the Government was responsible for the deterioration in sporting standards Coltart said: “There is no doubt that education and sport in the last two
decades has been under-funded and tied into that is the collapse of the economy in the last 10 to 12 years.
“That has meant some of our best athletes have left the country or their talent has not been identified and nurtured.”
He said because of this crisis Zimbabwe did not have as many athletes going through its system and excelling, as was the case in the past.
The misconception is that it’s the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee’s responsibility to identify and nurture athletes ahead of major international championships like the Olympics.
The reality is that the onus is on the local national sports associations to manage the identification and nurturing of their athletes.
ZOC only comes in at the end game when a team has already been picked and the final preparations for the Olympic Games are in full swing.
Meanwhile, the final Team Zimbabwe for the London Olympic Games is expected to be named tomorrow with the first batch of athletes and officials scheduled to leave the country for the world’s biggest sporting showcase on Sunday.
Coltart will also be travelling to London as the head of the Zimbabwean delegation, which will include the principal director of Sport, Arts and Culture, Paul Damasane and the Sports Commission chairman, Joseph James.
Seasoned female sports administrator Busi Chindove, who is one of the two ZOC vice-presidents, is the chef de mission of Team Zimbabwe for the London Games.
Chindove, who is scheduled to leave for the London Games on Friday, will be assisted in looking after the team by fellow seasoned female sports administrator Kathy Lobb.
At the London Games, Lobb, who is also a top swimming coach and administrator, will be in charge of the Zimbabwe rowing team of Thornycroft and Mackenzie, and their coach Rachel Davies.
Female journalist Imelda Shoko will be the Press attache of Team Zimbabwe at the London Games.
She takes over this role from fellow journalist Lovemore Banda.
Shoko, who will leave for London with the bulk of the Zimbabwe team on Sunday, is the Group Communications Manager for Dairibord Holdings, who are one of the main partners of ZOC.
She has served as a volunteer on the ZOC Marketing and Public Relations Commission since 2009. — AllAfrica.com/Sports Reporter.
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