adminTadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
ALL hope is not lost for a proposed state-of-the-art high performance centre in Epworth.
The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee board are set to discuss the issue on Saturday.
The project, which is the brainchild of one of Epworth’s most illustrious sons, Musekiwa Kumbula, has been in the pipeline, for the past seven years.
The International Olympic Committee, through the Olympafrica Foundation, had initially pledged a US$500 000 package towards the establishment of the centre.
But, they have since withdrawn the funding, due to some logistical glitches.
This emanated from the problems between some settlers, and the Epworth Local Board, who provided the four-hectares of land for the project.
The settlers refused to leave and pave way for the construction of the centre.
The tensions meant ZOC couldn’t beat the deadline, they had agreed with the IOC, resulting in the withdrawal of the initial US$150 000, which had been handed to the local Olympic regulator, for the ground work.
But, ZOC president, Thabani Gonye, said there is renewed hope for the project.
“Everything will be guided on what the strategic plan says, in terms of developing the Olympic Movement, in the country,” said Gonye.
“The board will be meeting on Saturday and, depending on the context of the direction that the strategic plan points, the OlympAfrica Centre could as well be looked at.
“We will have to see whether the centre will have to be constructed at the original site in Epworth, or we will have to shift the location.
“But, like I have said, it will all depend on what the board, guided by the 2022 strategic plan, would have said about not only the centre, but other issues, as well.
“Those are some of the areas that grow the Olympic Movement and we have to see, while being guided by the board’s mission as defined by the 2022 strategic plan, what exactly we should do going forward.”
In June 2014, ZOC signed a long-term lease with the Epworth Local Board.
The board facilitated the sourcing of support to establish a multi-disciplinary sport and cultural centre opposite Domboramwari Secondary School.
A ground-breaking ceremony was held on April 25, 2016.
But, besides the fencing-off of the place, no development ever took place, with the Epworth Local Board and the settlers, wrangling over the issue.
Kumbula recently indicated he still wants to re-engage ZOC to see how the project could be revived.
The facility is aimed at giving the residents of Epworth, and surrounding areas, a better chance to change their social, recreational and sporting lifestyle.
The Olympafrica Foundation is an organisation that supports projects in Africa, especially for disadvantaged communities.
Zimbabwe was chosen as one of the beneficiaries but a delay from the local authorities has seen IOC withdrawing funding for the project.
Besides sports facilities, the Centre will offer educational programmes like health-related initiatives, leadership training for the youth, and Olympic Value Education.
Online Reporter