Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
IT’S Women’s Month, when the world rightly celebrates the enormous work of the ladies.
Globally, women have done incredibly well, with some of the familiar faces in leadership positions worth celebrating being Fifa’s first female secretary-general Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura of Senegal.
World Triathlon, one of the best administered organisations, is led by a woman of Spanish origin, María de la Soledad Casado Estupiñán. She has been at the helm of the global triathlon board since 2008 and in 2017 she was the only female member of the International Olympic Committee.
Zimbabwe also celebrates women in sport.
Yesterday, the local sports industry got a major shake when the supreme sports body, the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) announced the appointment of Elleta Nengomasha as the director-general.
Before her appointment, Nengomasha was SRC’s director of business development, marketing and corporate communications. The substantive appointment comes three years after SRC suspended Prince Mupazviriho.
“The Board of Commissioners of the Sports And Recreation Commission (SRC) advises that following the approval of its recommendations by the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts & Recreation, Dr K L Coventry, and with the consent of His Excellency, The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr E D Mnangagwa, it has, in terms of Section 24 of the Sports and Recreation Act, appointed Ms.
Elleta Nengomasha as the Director-General of the SRC. The appointment is with effect from 1st April, 2023.
“Mr Sebastian Garikai, the Acting Director-General of the SRC will revert to his position of Director Sport & Recreation Development.
The SRC wishes to thank Mr Garikai for his hard work and diligence during the period he was Acting Director-General. He will continue to enjoy the full support of the Board as he resumes his previous role,” said the SRC board chairperson Gerald Mlotshwa.
Nengomasha’s ascendency is worth celebrating, not only because a woman has been given the responsibility to drive the supreme sports body, but also because it is in line with the Government’s commitment to create equal opportunities.
As we celebrate Women’s Month, it will be improper not to acknowledge Zimbabwe’s most decorated sports personality, Minister Coventry, a multi-Olympic medallist.
She is a role model, an inspirational figure for many women and young people across Africa and the world of sport.
Besides multiple medals at the Olympics, the former swimmer has served as an athlete commission at the International Olympic Committee among other international bodies.
As it is, she is leading the country’s sports industry, serving relentlessly for young people to excel not only in sport, but arts as well.
18-year-old Donata Katai, the first black Zimbabwean swimmer to compete at the Olympics in Tokyo draws inspiration from Minister Coventry. Katai is also inspiring young swimmers and for that we celebrate her.
In boxing, Kudakwashe “Take Money” Chiwandire is cruising smoothly and being a holder of the World Boxing Council Interim Super Bantamweight title, the pugilist who is an emerging hero is set for a lifetime fight in Mexico against Yeimi Yamleth Mercardo next weekend.
Chiwandire will fight for the ultimate World Boxing Council (WBC) gold belt and she deserves being celebrated for conquering in a sport dominated by men.
In cricket, a sport that was in the past considered as the “gentlemen’s” game has seen a number of women changing the narrative.
Njube-bred Thandolwenkosi Mlilo has grown beyond being a national team player to being an international scorer.
Playing as an all-rounder, Mlilo scored 46 runs in just her second international outing against Kenya as Zimbabwe’s clean sweep earned them a spot at the World Cup Qualifiers in 2008.
She was included in the African XI for the Afro-Asia Twenty20 Cup in 2007, taking 2-20 in her four-over spell, and was named Zimbabwe’s female cricketer of the year for the 2008-09 season.
Mlilo was part of the scorers when Zimbabwe lost 1-0 the Test series against West Indies last month in Bulawayo.
Tracy Phiri, a qualified teacher, certified World Athletics Coach, certified basketball coach and official, has been inspirational in women’s sport. She is arguably the “most versatile female sports administrator” in the country.
Phiri is a World Junior Championship medallist having won silver at the game in Melbourne Australia in 1999 and we celebrate her achievements.
She is studying for an MSc in sports science and coaching with the National University of Science and Technology having completed her Honours in Sports Science and coaching with the same university in 2015.
Other women worth celebrating are former Zimbabwe roadrunners Julia Sakala and Samukeliso Moyo who won a number of local, regional and international meets during their illustrious careers as athletes.
Their influence is seen on Tenacious Mabuza, a Bulawayo-based road-race fanatic who competed at last year’s Comrades Marathon in South Africa with a sole purpose of raising sanitary pads for the less privileged. Mabuza’s unselfish act is worth celebrating.
United Kingdom-based Zimbabwean netball national team player Felistus Kangwa, motocross sensation Tanya Muzinda, boxing administrator Maculo Nkomo and former Mighty Warriors’ Sithethelelwe “Kwinji 15” Sibanda, Rudo Neshamba and Rosemary Mugadza have been exceptional in sport too.
— @ZililoR
Online Reporter