tawandamusarurwa
Online Reporter
A delegation from Zimbabwe that is touring some of the modern stadiums in Europe says the country needs to establish high-performance centres to develop athletes.
Government has already partnered energy giant Sakunda Holdings to speed up renovations of the National Sports Stadium.
As a result, a delegation made up of engineers and architects was sent to Europe on a fact-finding mission.
It is led by the director of sport in the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Eugenia Chidhakwa.
They have already toured the Nou Camp in Barcelona, the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid and the Olympic Stadium in Sevilla.
Both the Nou Camp and Santiago Bernabeu are currently being renovated.
Project manager for the National Sports Stadium rehabilitation Nqobile Magwizi said:
“All the visits were in line with what needs to be done back home. But we also need to stress the importance of having high-performance centres that will mould athletes, as is the norm across Europe.
“Athletes stay at these high-performance centres, where they attend school and also train in their sport codes.”
Sakunda Holdings is expected to pour millions towards the renovation of the National Sports Stadium, which is presently barred from hosting international matches, as it does not meet the Confederation of African Football (CAF) standards.
Government has now stepped up efforts to transform the giant stadium into a modern facility.
Zimbabwe will participate in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers after FIFA lifted the country’s suspension from all football activities.
The qualifiers begin in November.
The Warriors are in Group C together with Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Rwanda and Lesotho.
Bongani Ndlovu