adminIn most of the world, college sport is big and from it nations draw national representatives for the Olympics and national record setters.
So impressive is the US and Canada collegiate network that athletes from all over the world scramble for opportunities there. Scholarships are provided for the academically strong and promising sport talent with each college eager to stay at the top when it comes to sport.
Free or subsidised education for athletes ensures that they continue to strive to do their best in sport and it is not surprising that national record holders in most athletics events, Lewis Banda, Kenneth Harden, Ian Harden, Ndabezinhle Mdlongwa, Brian Dzingai, Savieri Nghidi, Ngoni Makusha and Fabian Muyaba are former scholarship recipients.
One might argue and say the Zimbabwean tertiary student is so egotistic that he or she views herself or himself as a scholar and not a sportsperson but a closer look will reveal that students are not getting the proper support structures at universities on which to take root and explore their sporting talents.
Sport still remains much of recreation instead of being viewed as an avenue of a potential career.
An educated sportsperson will make informed decisions about his career earnings.
Nust student Mufaro Sachindi who competed in javelin was critical of the support system for sports at tertiary institutions.
“When I was at primary and secondary school I always heard the teachers speaking of extra curricula activities but that language is dead at universities. It is now all about the academic aspect but we forget that we had talent when we were at primary and high school. It is this talent that should be nurtured and developed at universities,” she said.
A Hillside Teachers’ College student who is also the netball captain Nancy Sibanda said the institutions were trying their best but Zimbabwean students fell short in terms of resources, training style and technique and this was linked to the qualification of coaches.
Abednico Chetelo the volleyball men’s coach at University of Botswana said none of the coaches at his institution were lecturers.
“You see none of our coaches are lecturers because they were specifically hired to train sport. The lecturers seem to have a lot on their plate hence management at UB realised that students were not going to get the best out of busy part timers,” he said.
Maybe its high time Zimbabwean institutions take a similar approach so that the lecturers concentrate on the academic aspect and the coaches on the sports side so that students get the best from both.
The Batswanas were all geared up for the competitions and they expressed disappointment at the minimal competition they got. In the sporting fields you could tell a Zimbabwean as the Batswanas were dressed like athletes, spikes, tights and tracksuits while most Zimbabwean were barefoot, the guys running in their sleeping shorts and the girls in their bum shorts.
Botshelo Taolo the UB coach for the women’s volleyball team expressed her disappointment.
“We expected a challenge from The Zimbabwean institutions but we were just winning all our games easily. We recorded 3-0 against all the teams we played against and we ended up organising a match against Highlanders so that we could test our strength and the guys played Railstars.”
“To be honest I am disappointed,” she said.
Visiting Midlands State University student Aubrey Tembo said Zimbabwe Universities Sports Association (ZUSA)’s single tournament a year was not good enough.
“Although there are ZUSAs it simply is not enough because a lot of people tend to sit on their talent since there are not aware of serious sporting at universities. Some people are not aware that there is sports at universities and if sports were taken seriously like they get introduced at induction ceremonies and we have workshops being held we will do well as tertiary institutions,” he said.
UB soccer coach Sepheko Motlhadi said Zimbabwe was a sporting nation and the students they competed against showed a willingness to compete but it seemed as if the people in authority and the sports organisers were not serious.
“The students here appear to be willing to compete but they are just lacking support but I will tell you this, it is hard to mobilise practise sessions in Botswana and the students always show an unwillingness to train except just before big competitions,” he said.
The just ended games were a wake up call to Zimbabwean tertiary institutions to take sports seriously and to invest more in it since the winds of change point to sports as the world’s big earner.
Online Reporter