DG’s call to arms

Tinashe Kusema

Deputy Sports Editor

SPORT and Recreation Commission director-general Prince Mupazviriho exuded an air of confidence of a man in control as he called for what he terms a “total rethink” of how sports federations will conduct business in the Covid-19 era.

Mupazviriho touched on a number of issues to do with the need to adapt to the times and opened up on the confusion surrounding the return of football.

The Sports Commission boss also clarified that neither the Government nor the regulatory body was going to fund football’s return to action as ZIFA had indicated they had the resources when they made their application for football to resume.

He also told The Sunday Mail Sport about some of the modalities involved in the return of other sporting codes.

Top of the list of Mupazviriho’s priorities, however, is the need for a rethink in how sports associations conduct business in the new normal that has been occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has bowled out spectators from sporting events.

“Given that the sports and recreation sector is one of the most affected areas, it is time that we start looking at ways of doing business.

“Going forward we must be able to rethink how we go on about our business in this new Covid-19 environment . . . the new normal, as it is now being referred to.

“Something as basic as travel for international games is no longer as simple as it was before.

“If previously, it was possible to apply without us asking for any standard operating procedures, and now it’s a must that we shift from the old ways to the new and we need to adapt,” Mupazviriho said.

He did, however, stress that the Sports Commission is also looking at ways to help ease the situation, but was not yet at liberty to shed more light.

The message, itself, comes against the backdrop of the return of football, which the SRC boss emphasised is a phased and gradual return, and took the opportunity to address some of the lingering questions surrounding the viability of the proposed bio-bubble concept.

“The approval that was given, for the gradual and phased return of football was granted on the basis of the application which the relevant football authorities (ZIFA) lodged.

“When you then look at the application which is there and the mechanisms put forward, it automatically points to a situation where they had some means (financial) with which they wanted to resume training.

“It is our belief that those means are what we apply to their return in a phased and controlled environment.

“The approval clearly indicates that in as much as we consider the plight of the athlete, training, and the need to fulfil international assignments and competitions, they had to have the resources which they intended to use,” he said.

Mupazviriho called for other sporting codes to follow suit and apply, going further as to open up on the modalities that go into the process.

“All sport codes which have not yet received any approval to start training, or return, should come forward and indicate the measures that they have put in place in terms of containing the spread of the virus.

“The process starts here with us at the SRC; where we have a committee — made up of specialists — who will look at the recommendations.

“Once they are satisfied, they will then put it on the desk of the minister for approval.

“The whole process takes no less than 30 days, and this applies to international travel and assignments.

“We implore all applications and requests to come on time, to avoid disappointment,” Mupazviriho.