Online Reporter
Langton Nyakwenda
Zimpapers Sports Hub
PASSION alone is no longer sufficient in sports administration because the game has changed and is now backed by professional competence and accountability, ZIFA president Nqobile Magwizi has said.
It is against this background that ZIFA have launched an international sports management programme.
In conjunction with FIFA, the Midlands State University and CIES, ZIFA officially announced the International Programme In Sports Management, a landmark development for sports administration in the country.
The first batch of students will be enrolled with the Midlands State University in April.
This is the first time CIES are partnering with a football association in Africa.
“Around the world, sport has changed.
“You will agree with me.
“Sport is no longer the same as it used to be in the 70s or in the 80s or in the 90s.
“It is no longer sustained by passion. Passion is something that is enormous in sport, but sport is no longer sustained only by passion,” Magwizi said
“That passion must be met by knowledge, systems, ethics, accountability, and professional competence.
“Modern sport operates in complex environments. My vice-presidents will tell you that modern sport is complex,” added Magwizi.
Magwizi and his executive committee have now clocked a year in office and one of their key targets has been to improve ZIFA’s reputation by introducing professionalism and accountability at the football mother body.
As a result, ZIFA are luring the corporate world back to football sponsorship, with firms like Ecobank and Betterbrands now key partners of the association.
“Modern sport operates in a very, very complex environment, shaped by commercial pressures, legal frameworks, governance expectations, technology, as well as public scrutiny.
“Those who lead sports today must therefore be equipped to navigate that complex environment with confidence and integrity.
“The FIFA CIES International Programme in Sports Management is globally recognised as one of the most respected pathways for developing capable, ethical, and forward-thinking sports administrators.
“Since its inception, it has been established across multiple continents through a select international university network, producing thousands of products who occupy leadership roles in football and sports worldwide.
“So by bringing this programme to Zimbabwe, we are connecting our administrators, our institutions, and our missions to truly global standards of excellence,” said Magwizi.
