adminAugustine Hwata Sports Reporter
THE National Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation of Zimbabwe have been thrown into disarray following the resignation of interim president Otis Goredema – just a year after taking over the hot seat.Goredema said his business and family commitments have forced him to resign from the post. He had been the secretary of the previous interim executive led by Pro-Fitness owner Shamim Hussein, who also threw in the towel along the way, in similar fashion.
Goredema had been at loggerheads with some members of the fraternity who were accusing him of taking small steps in regularising their status with the Sports and Recreation Commission.
“I have no idea what the federation will do because I have moved away for now. There is still a structure in place and maybe the people around will find ways of dealing with the situation, just like when Shams left.
“Right now I have got more commitments that require my attention in business and family than administering the sport. I have been involved in bodybuilding for over 20 years and I am not indispensable,” said Goredema.
He feels he revived the Mr Zimbabwe contest after five-year absence from the scene.
“For me I look back with pride at the achievements we made over the year. I managed to bring back the Mr Zimbabwe, we had the Mr Novice and the Mr Iron Man in Kadoma was a successful event.
“One thing that I am also proud of was that I managed to bring the old-timers back to the sport and gave them due recognition,” said Goredema.
The Harare-based fitness instructor said he consulted the Sports Commission before his resignation.
It was also during his tenure that Victor Hungwe became the first Zimbabwean athlete to win a world championship title, albeit under controversial circumstances.
“It had been quite some time since I wrote to the SRC handing them my resignation but they asked me to reconsider it. Now they have accepted it and I can move on.
“For me it’s a chapter that I have closed but it’s not like I am closing the whole book,” said Goredema.
And as Goredema quits, the federation have announced that they will hold an all-stakeholders meeting in Harare this weekend at which a new interim-leadership will be elected.
It appears Kenny Murungweni, who was the interim-vice president, will take over from Goredema until a new executive is put in place in line with association’s constitution.
According to Quiet Shangai, a stakeholder, the federation is operating with a leadership vacuum for now.
“The national association, therefore, does not have a substantive president and the executive members are requesting all members of the bodybuilding family to come in numbers at Body-Tech Gym to select a new President this Saturday.
“There should also be a selection of sub committees which are the organising committee, finance and resource mobilisation committee, disciplinary committee, marketing and public relations committee and the judges committee.
“So we need all stakeholders and heads of provinces so that we put our house in order by December 31, 2014,” said Shangai.
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