Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga-Zimpapers Sports Hub
NEWLY-elected Zimbabwe Handball Federation president Taurai Muberekwa says one of their major priorities is aligning their constitution with the African Handball Confederation (CAHB) to promote gender equality.
Muberekwa was elected into office a week ago at an elective general meeting held in Gweru. He took over from Beauty Mtsambiwa.
“Our plans as a board are divided into three. We have short-term, medium-term, and long-term plans.
“There are areas that need our urgent attention and that are attainable given the resources at our disposal,” said Muberekwa.
“Then there are areas that are also in our medium term and then there are areas that are in the long term, which also need us to look for more and more resources to finance them and to push them.”
He will be deputised by Clemence Tauro, while Petros Nyathi and Musana Chirikure were voted committee members.
Alouis Nyamhanga and Busisiwe Dube were appointed secretary general and treasurer.
“So, the primary objective for us is restructuring. We were restructuring our committee, and now we are done with office bearers because our constitution says that the president, the vice president and two committee members are voted into office.
“Then we appoint the secretary general and the treasurer. That is the fully constituted national executive committee.
“So, we need to align our constitution with CAHB, where it is now compulsory for national federations to have a second vice president who is strictly a female.
“It will also promote a fifty-fifty inclusion in the association. We are going to look into our constitution. It has some flops.
“And also, we are likely going to include that clause that allows for the election of the second vice president, who is a female.”
With the elections over and having successfully hosted the International Handball Federation Trophy Zone VI, Muberekwa said their immediate task is the national league.
“For now, we are just from the Zone VI Games. So now we are going back to the drawing table to start our National League for the year 2025 going forward.
“At the same time, we will be having the Junior Leagues. We are also looking at training junior referees so that as they move forward with their profession, they will become more and more professionals.
“We are also in engagements to find scholarships for those who excel in their primary education to high school and those who excel from their high school into colleges.
“We have seen interest in some colleges and schools.”
They are also looking at grooming players below the age of 15 as part of the Vision 2029 project, with the hope of turning their fortunes in the future.
While the youth and junior teams, over the last few years, have made some notable progress, winning medals at the regional level, more still needs to be done to match their counterparts when they compete at the continental level. Twice, the men’s Under-20 qualified for the continental phase after winning the IHF Trophy Zone VI but struggled to match their counterparts at this level.
“We want to see handball growing going forward. So, we are now engaging in our vision 2029, where we are targeting Under-15s and we want to groom those teams from Under-15.
“By the time they reach 2029, they will participate in the challenge at international levels.
“We are also having beach handball as one of our major priorities,” added Muberekwa.
