adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
JUDO Association of Zimbabwe’s schools programme got a major boost after the mother body secured 500 judo suits from the international federation.
The consignment arrived in March, as part of support from the International Judo Federation, and JAZ finally got the suits, with help from the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, in clearing the consignment.
“We just received 500 children judo suits towards the judo in schools programme,’’ said JAZ president, Smart Deke.
“The consignment was donated from IJF after we signed an agreement last year.
“It arrived end of March, we were processing the duty clearance, with help from the Ministry of Sport.
“It took long because of the current situation because of Covid-19. It has been at Zimra warehouse.
“This support is very important to our federation and it will help make it easier for us to conduct our programme.
“Our sport involves a lot of gripping, so this is going to make it much easier for the programme to run.’’
Grassroots development remain a key component, in any sporting discipline, as it lays a strong foundation for the future.
The programme got underway early in the year in Harare and the national association is expecting to take the sport to at least one school in each province.
“We have already started as we introduced the programme at Vainona Primary School, which had about 300 student interested in the sport,’’ said Deke.
“We are targeting all schools but with the equipment that we have so far, we are targeting one school from each province.
“The equipment that have been donated will cover 10 schools so far.
“Our main goal, with the judo values, is to bring up a better society that is disciplined.
“And, as an association we are targeting that by 2030, with this programme, judo will be well established in Zimbabwe and we will be able to produce champions or more podium performance athletes.
“At the moment we have 13 international qualified coaches here in Zimbabwe that will cover at least our targeted 10 provinces with, at least, one school to start with.’’
Qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are now scheduled to take place in 2021.
“With the current communication from our international federation we are looking forward to resuming international competition end of October.
“But, the international federation is also still waiting to be guided by the World Health Organisation regulations, and Sports Ministries, in countries who will volunteer to host.
“There is still a lot to be considered in this development, which for now I will not fully confirm as our international federation has not fully confirmed.’’
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