adminRicky Zililo in Kariba
GOVERNMENT has been challenged to set up a relevant legislative framework to facilitate the growth of a functional sports industry.
Presenting a paper on corporate governance in sport at the Sports Leaders Institute of Zimbabwe (Sliz) autumn camp here yesterday, Banny Manokora, the National Association of School Development Committees (NASDAC), said Zimbabwe is capable of having a vibrant sports industry.
The camp, whose participants are mostly tertiary and higher education institutions’ decision makers, such as principals, vice-principals, deans of students and heads of sports departments, started on Wednesday and ends today in the resort town.
“Government must play a much more pivotal role to ensure and accept that sport is an industry. The sports industry has to be supported by relevant legislative framework. It’s important to put up systems and structures in place to support a meaningful sports industry,” said Manokora.
“If you look at the productive structure of the economic side, we have systems in place that can attract investors to come and do business in Zimbabwe.
“Once the sports industry is accepted, there’s nothing stopping organisations like Zifa to borrow money and recapitalise as long as it creates business returns for financial institutions and associations.”
Topics being covered at the Kariba conference include conflict management in tertiary sport as well as continuous assessment of the new physical education and sports curriculum.
Russell Mhiribidi, the Sliz president, will today share with participants his experiences and partnership that Sliz has established with the West Virginia University of the United States.
Mhiribidi and the institute’s vice-president and head of marketing Clara Mukononyanga returned from America last month where they got an insight into how sports teams at American universities operate as well as their high levels of funding. — @ZililoR.
Online Reporter