adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Olympic Committee have appointed Ringisai Mapondera as chef de mission for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Mapondera is the ZOC chair of the Legal, Governance (Ethics and Integrity), Membership and Standards Compliance Commission.
In a statement on Friday, the ZOC said: “The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC) is pleased to announce the appointment of seasoned administrator Mr. Ringisai Kudzanai Hillario Mapondera as chef de mission (CdM) to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and also known as Paris 2024, is an upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to take place from 26 July to 11 August 2024.
“Having successfully undergone a selection process, his confirmation was presented to and approved by the ZOC board on the 2nd of July 2022.
“The CdM’s main role will be to effectively manage the Zimbabwe Paris 2024 Olympic Team before, during and after the Games. This is in line with ZOCs Athletes Development and Support Overall Goal to ensure ‘Team Zimbabwe has well supported and adequately prepared athletes who perform optimally at world level competitions by 2025.’
“Mr. Ringisai Mapondera, the ZOC Chair of the Legal, Governance (Ethics and Integrity), Membership and Standards Compliance Commission brings with him vast experience in sport governance and management.”
In another development, Abigail Mnikwa has been co-opted into the ZOC board. She will chair the Medical, Sports Science and Protection of Clean Athletes Commission.
ZOC announced her appointment yesterday and it brings the number of women on the ZOC board to six.
“This is in accordance with Article 18.3 of the ZOC constitution which states that: The executive board may co-opt additional members to address anomalies in representation including skills deficiency or representation of the gender lesser in number on the executive board or if the number of elected representatives of Olympic Sports NFs is not sufficient to ensure that they constitute a voting majority of the members of the executive board.”
Mnikwa has been an integral member of the ZOC Medical Commission since 2017.
She has served her country at the Youth Olympic Games, Zone VI Youth Games, Rugby and Cricket. Her most recent assignment was as Team Zimbabwe Physiotherapist and Covid Liaison Office at the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Online Reporter