‘Play sport all year round’

Tadious Manyepo in Masvingo
NATIONAL Athletics Association of Zimbabwe president Tendai Tagara has urged schools to train children in all sport codes throughout the year for continuous development of the athletes.

Tagara was speaking during the Sports Leaders Institute of Zimbabwe’s annual summer camp in Masvingo over the weekend.

Currently, most schools run different sporting events on a termly basis.

But the veteran administrator and former national coach, who was one of the presenters at the symposium, believes that the system has been one of Zimbabwe’s greatest undoing in terms of sport development.

“I am of the opinion that all sport codes practised in different schools must cease to be a termly thing. Instead, all sporting activities must be practised throughout the year as this helps in talent development.

“Gone are the days when talented school footballers would only be asked to come to the grounds in the second term.

“What would they be doing in the two thirds of the year?

“Internationally, schoolchildren practise and even compete in their sport codes throughout the year. I believe if we do that, we will eventually come to that level of competitiveness which everyone wants to see,” said Tagara.

The highly subscribed camp attracted delegates mostly from schools, tertiary institutions and sports clubs.

The conference participants also had the chance to tour the Great Zimbabwe Monuments as part of sport tourism.

SLIZ president Russell Maradza Mhiribidi acknowledged the delegates and challenged them to run sport at their respective institutions professionally.

“These camps are a platform for sports leaders to network for the good of sport.

“I therefore challenge everyone who had an opportunity to be part and parcel of this conference to implement everything that they have learnt.

“Without a pragmatic approach, our sport will go nowhere,” Mhiribidi said.

One of the participants, who is the sports director at Kuwadzana 7 Primary School, Wellington Rupfunde, said the camp has transformed his thinking in as far as developing young athletes is concerned.

“I am very sure camps like these are necessary and can be pivotal in helping our country to be highly competitive.

“Sometimes coaches, especially at junior level, do not pay attention to detail and as such the full potential of young athletes is not realised. This camp in particular has changed my mindset. I now know how nutrition, doping and other things can affect athletes. I am hopeful that everyone has grasped all the thesis,” Rupfunde said.

Sports Commission’s acting director-general Joseph Muchechetere and World Anti-Doping regional boss Nicholas Munyonga also delivered presentations at the summer camp.