Innocent Kurira [email protected]
ZIMBABWE’S drive to improve sporting performance, strengthen physical education and promote healthier communities could receive a significant boost through the inaugural Joshua Nkomo Sports Science and Physical Activity Conference, which seeks to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge, indigenous practices and modern technology.
The three-day conference will be held in Harare from November 6 to 8, bringing together local and international experts to explore how sports science and physical activity can contribute to the country’s sporting and public health goals.
Held in conjunction with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and the Joshua Nkomo Legacy Restoration Project Trust, the conference comes at a time when evidence-based approaches to athlete preparation and development are increasingly important in modern sport.
Its significance lies not only in bringing experts together, but also in creating a platform through which knowledge can be translated into practical improvements in athlete performance, school physical education and community participation in physical activity.
Organising committee chairperson Daga Makaza said the conference offered Zimbabwe an opportunity to build a more informed and sustainable approach to sport and physical activity.
“The conference can help move Zimbabwe towards evidence-based athlete preparation, better school physical education and healthier, more active communities,” said Makaza.
He said indigenous games also deserved deliberate preservation and integration into education and community programmes, alongside modern scientific approaches.
“Our goal is a sustainable network that turns knowledge into stronger performance, wider participation and measurable public-health benefits,” he said.
The conference theme, Synergy in Physical Culture: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge, Science and Digital Futures in Sports and Physical Activity, reflects an approach that seeks to combine traditional knowledge with scientific research and technological innovation.
For Zimbabwe, the discussions could help broaden the understanding of sports development beyond competition and results, placing greater emphasis on how athletes are prepared, how physical education is delivered in schools and how communities can be encouraged to lead more active lives.
The programme will feature presentations, practical workshops and networking opportunities, with contributors bringing expertise from different areas of sports science, administration and physical activity.
Confirmed contributors include Hans De Ridder, who specialises in kinanthropometry, Alliance Kubayi, whose expertise is in performance analysis and Debbie Zeller, who focuses on physical education.
Also expected to contribute are Cleo Pokpas of Catapult Sports, who will address athlete monitoring, sports management expert Stanley Mutoya, Chief Nqaba Bidi Ndiweni, who brings indigenous knowledge perspectives, and Nyasha Derera.
The range of expertise is expected to provide a platform for discussions on how scientific methods, performance monitoring, effective sports management and indigenous knowledge can complement one another in developing sport and physical activity in Zimbabwe.
The involvement of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and NUST also provides an opportunity to strengthen the connection between research, school-based physical education and the practical needs of the sporting community.
While the inaugural edition will establish the conference’s foundation, its longer-term value will depend on how the knowledge shared is adopted by sports organisations, schools, coaches and community programmes.
Local delegates will pay US$250, while international participants will pay US$350 to attend the conference.
