adminNgqwele Dube Sports Correspondent
THE unilateral declaration of independence by Ian Smith in 1965 as his regime tried to stall the attainment of majority rule resulted in the country being banned from taking part in international sporting competitions. The international community hit back by introducing a raft of sanctions that extended to sporting activities. This saw the country’s sportspersons failing to compete at international level, with then apartheid South Africa being the only country the then Rhodesia could engage.
However, with the advent of independence in 1980 the international community warmly welcomed Zimbabwe back into the sporting arena. The country immediately took the opportunity with both hands, inviting Zambia to play the Warriors in 1980 as part of the celebrations for our hard-fought independence.
The country also sent a representative team to the Olympic Games in Russia in the same year where the ladies’ hockey side clinched a historic gold medal at the event.
Along with our new found interactions in sport, a new zeal by the authorities to initiate new sporting infrastructure, emerged.
The sporting authorities have over the years seen it fit, not only to build new sporting infrastructure but expedited improvement on the existing facilities across the country.
As we celebrated the 35th anniversary of self-rule, revered football administrator, Ndumiso Gumede, took us down memory lane. He said the most popular and developed football venues in the country, Barbourfields and Rufaro, had received marked alterations since the country’s independence to an extent he considered “a miracle”.
“While some come and see these two football venues and are enthralled by these, for some of us who saw them being built and improved we say it is a miracle.
“In Bulawayo, White City was the central sporting venue because it had an athletics track, cycle track and a football pitch along with developed stands on two ends while BF just had terraces at the current VIP section. The end now popularly known as Soweto was a mound where people just sat and it was the same with the Mpankweni section, the Mpilo end was worse because it had nothing,’’ reminisced Gumede.
“In Harare, Gwanzura was the home of football before independence and that is where we used to watch the likes of John Reeds and James Ncube turning out for St Paul’s while Rufaro came late in the 70s, it has grown and outshone Gwanzura.
“The improvements have certainly had a good bearing on the country’s game and has allowed us to play host to tournaments such as the Cosafa Cup and the All-Africa Games,” he said.
Sports and Recreation Commission communications manager Tirivashe Nheweyembwa said before independence there was also the issue of accessibility as blacks were restricted from certain areas.
He said athletics has benefited a lot from the country’s hosting of Youth Games last year as there is now a timing mechanism that is world class and also had a tartan track that was installed.
The building of the National Sports Stadium in 1987 also changed the landscape of local football as the venue can hold up to 60 000 spectators and can host track and field events and football. NSS, a multipurpose stadium, has played host to international matches such as the Zimbabwe against South Africa match and the friendly against Brazil in 2010.
Features of the NSS include sitting capacity of 60 000 with 31 bays, VIP rostrum of 240 seats, electric scoreboard, electronic timing, television and broadcasting rooms, tartan athletics track, water jump for steeplechase, long jump, high jump, triple jump, pole vault shot put, javelin, throw and hammer throw areas and a practice field.
The renovations of infrastructure has played a critical role in enabling the country to play host to several regional sporting events that include the African Club Cup Championships, Cosafa Cup, All-Africa Games and recently the African Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Youth Games.
The hosting of the All-Africa Games in 1995 came with a huge difference as it resulted in the construction of various facilities that included Magamba and Khumalo Hockey Stadiums and the construction of a state of the art, Chitungwiza Aquatic and Sport Complex. Features of Magamba and Khumalo included two hockey pitches, an Astro turf surface, floodlights, change rooms, electronic scoreboard, hospitality booths, catering facilities, a grandstand and embarkment, a VIP area with bucket seats, VIP bar and offices equipped with telephone and fax facilities.
The construction of the two stadiums has seen the country playing host to the Africa Cup of Club Champions on several occasions. While there was joy on the opening of the Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex, which has a multi-purpose indoor sports hall, club house, Olympic size swimming pool and practice pool, subsequent failure to maintain the facility has seen it turning into a white elephant with the venue now in a state of dilapidation.
However, Nheweyembwa and Gumede said the indictment was on the lack of facilities in rural areas as the case in mainly Harare and Bulawayo.
“It is unfortunate that Bulawayo and Harare still have the best infrastructure and when it comes to football it may impede us in our efforts to host continental and international events because the requirements is that we have four cities with facilities that meet set standards,” said Gumede.
Nheweyembwa said local authorities should consider public private partnerships in building and maintaining sporting facilities.
Bongani Ndlovu