Online ReporterEllina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe are taking advantage of the current break to capacitate their members with Mashonaland West hosting the second Technical Officials Education and Certification System (TOECS).
The three-day course was scheduled to run until yesterday at Jameson High School in Kadoma before another one takes off in Harare on Saturday.
It will run until Monday.
The fourth one is set for August 25 to 27 in Mashava.
Manicaland hosted the first one this past weekend.
NAAZ director of coaching Phakamile Lisimati said:
“We as an association have noted that we have now an increase in the number of coaches or technical officials who wish to train as officiating officials in athletics, an increase in different provinces.
“We believe that as an association the best thing and the best way to have people coming in to join our association, have people being trained from the grassroots level, is at times to go down to where they are.
“So, as an association we believe that going to all these provinces that are hosting the TOECS courses, is us reaching down to the grassroots. That is our main point.
“We are urging people from athletics, we are urging people who are enthusiastic about athletics, to organise themselves in their regions, in their districts, in their provinces, and our association will reach down to them,” said Lisimati.
The technical officials’ course is being facilitated by World Athletics Level One lecturer Enias Nhoro.
And he said based on the responses from the participants, they were lagging behind on the current technical rules.
“Focus area is interpretation of the rules, and then interpretation and application of the rules.
“From the participants’ responses they were using more of opinions in their competitions instead of following international rules.
“So, we are saying now as we are discussing they are really appreciating the new ways that they are getting.
“And they are focusing and really ready to go and deliver if given the chance to work.
“But we are also telling them that it is you to grab a chance because if they go back to schools there are a lot of athletes that are not even being given attention,” said Nhoro.
For those that successfully complete the course they become national referees, which is the entry point for international qualification. One of the participants, Mufaro Jonasi from Karoi Junior School said the course has been helpful.
“This course has been very helpful in the sense that it has given us updated rules which are used by World Athletics.
“If we look at the current trends of World Athletics the rules are always changing, after every two years. So, this course has helped us to understand the changing rules.
“Also, if you look at the way athletics is being done globally a lot of technology is being used.
“And this course has helped us to appreciate how to be able to find and interface using the equipment that we have and applying those world rules in our situations when we do our competitions at schools as well as at club level,” said Jonasi.
For the coaches, the national association are holding the Coaches Education and Certification System Level One starting from Saturday to Monday in Bulawayo.
The Level Two focusing on sprints and hurdles is scheduled to take place from August 23 to 28.
The courses will conclude with the conditioning course from August 29 to 31.
