Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation will not be arm-twisted to fund non-compliant national sports associations (NSAs) or those that request for assistance at the 11th hour, as it moves to change the country’s sport landscape for the better.
Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister Kirsty Coventry told sports editors and journalists from the Zimpapers stable at an interactive meeting that they are working on crafting a national sports strategy that will require NSAs submitting 10-year plans.
The national strategy will have a three-tier system that will be used to categorise NSAs.
“When I look at the way we have been supporting different federations, I don’t think we’ve been doing a good job in terms of fairly distributing the money that we have. We haven’t been doing a good job in terms of saying no to popular federations, but I’m not going to be lenient next year. I’ve told associations not to come to me a month before or a day before an event to ask for financial assistance and then try to put pressure on me through the media. I want more professionalism from these associations,” said Coventry.
“I don’t know how many individuals, teams, federations, clubs, professionals or amateurs have come to my office asking for money. There has never been a structure on how that money is given (by the Ministry). It’s just being given in dribs and drabs. If we keep drip feeding our sport associations, we are not going to succeed because there’s not enough budget to allow us to do that.
“So, part of this national strategy is to create a tier system which will put our national associations into different tiers. There will be different things expected (from each tier). For example, if you’re in the first tier, we look at how much development is in your 10-year strategy; at what level in the 10 years do you intend to win medals internationally, regionally or nationally. It will be required that audited accounts be submitted by associations and to show a certain percentage running at grassroots development. It will take into account how much money you get from international federations,” Coventry said.
She said football, cricket and rugby, which get financial assistance from their international federations, will fall into the first tier.
If run properly, Coventry said Zifa and Zimbabwe Cricket will not need much financial assistance from her ministry.
“The only support that those in tier one will need is to get games into the country or when they request for security. As a ministry we can’t keep drip feeding sport. There’s still lots of work to do. We need to see good governance and transparency, but from a financial point of view, those sports (football and cricket) don’t need our direct help. If cricket and soccer are running correctly, they shouldn’t be receiving money from the ministry.
“We have to be purposeful in the whole drive around the national strategy. What are we delivering… and I want national associations to be purpose driven in terms of delivering results.
“Tier two are Olympic movement sports that will be looking and focusing on success at the Olympic Games. Tier three are sports that fall outside the Olympic programme,” Coventry said. — @ZililoR
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