Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
AS has become tradition, the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe have lined several courses next month to ensure their officials are equipped and capacitated to handle varying competition levels and manage athletes.
NAAZ are scheduled to hold the Technical Officials Education and Certification System and Coaches Education and Certification System in August.
In line with the national mantra, which NAAZ have been following in the last three years of leaving no one and no place behind, the association is also taking some of the courses, in particular the TOECS, to other provinces as part of efforts to decentralise the programmes.
Provinces to host the TOECS include Mashonaland West, Manicaland, Masvingo, and Harare.
With competition currently on break, NAAZ director of coaching Phakamile Lisiamti, this is the time to prepare for the coming season.
“We are currently having no athletic business during this time of the year.
“We believe this is the best time for us to prepare thoroughly for the coming season and for the coming athletics competitions.
“We are taking this opportunity to technically improve our coaches and officials through various courses spread across the country, targeting technical officials and coaches in their home areas.
“We are going to be delegating a team of highly-qualified technical officials to lead these courses,” said Lisiamti.
The first TOECS takes off at Lomagundi from August 6 to 8, while the second one is set for Makoni in Manicaland from August 14 to 16.
Masvingo will have its course from August 25 to 27, and Harare will run its course from August 22 to 24.
For the coaches, they have the CECS Level One starting from August 22 to 24 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 August29 to 31.
“We are having courses in Masvingo, we are having courses in Mashonaland, we are having courses in Bulawayo, as well as in Harare.
“We will be sending highly qualified technical officials to lead in this upgrading, and in these workshops to try and assist our coaches and assist our technical officials improve and update their knowledge in the sport.
“It is our goal that we thoroughly improve our local officials, our local coaches, and our local athletes.
“Hence, we are focusing on developing the coaches. We are developing the technical officials so that they go down and try and improve, as we have seen that our local athletes have been working, doing very well currently on the continent,” said Lisiamti.
There have been some positives in terms of the sport locally, with athletes registering encouraging performances at various stages, such as at regional meets, continental, and at the world stage.
“We are hoping that with more of the coaches and technical officials being improved, we are also going to be improving the quality of our performance and athletes nationwide,” said Lisiamti.
The courses will be facilitated by World Athletics-appointed lecturers.
“We are very confident that it is going to be local or regional lecturers that are coming in.”
