Sports heroes trust established

THE Zimbabwe Sports Heroes Trust, a non-profit making organisation, has been established with a mandate to offer recognition and awards to deserving sports personalities in the country.

The trust is made up of football agent and businessman, Stanley Makombe, who is the founding president and trustee.

Makombe is now based in Nairobi, Kenya.

The other leaders are Special Matarirano, vice-president and trustee, Farai Mushaninga co-founder and trustee responsible for sponsorships, Henry Makombe, trustee responsible for intellectual property rights, Philip Mbofana (trustee responsible for international affairs) and Terrence Pangwai (trustee responsible for archaeology, museums and heritage).

The Trust’s work will cover several sporting disciplines, including football, cricket, rugby, boxing, tennis, swimming, netball, volleyball, basketball, athletics, karate, motor racing, among others.

Makombe said they came up with the organisation after realising that sports people were role models across the globe and, therefore, it is important to recognise the positive contributions they do in society.

The trust intend to cultivate, and sustain, the positive roles the sports celebrities play to inspire the young generation and communities.

“Part of the criteria the Trust will use to give awards to the sports personalities, including those who gained national, and international recognition, without any scandals that may have created negative publicity for their name, sport and country,’’ the Trust said in a statement.

Among some of the main objectives of the trust are;

1. a) To confer national heroes’ title to living, and deceased, sportspersons, in deserving cases, in accordance with the Trust’s set criteria.
2. b) To establish, run, support and grant aid or other financial assistance to surviving sports legends, and the families of those who are late, helping them improve their living conditions in the process.
3. c) To promote, establish, support, maintain or grant aid to archival information and records, from the sporting institutions, for the promotion of literature and for the preservation of historical sports monuments and for the research in Zimbabwe, for the benefit of the public in general, and sport.
4. d) To establish, maintain or grant aid for the establishment and/or maintenance of sports parks, gardens, gymnasiums, sports clubs, a National Sports Heroes Acre and residential properties, for sports personalities.
5. e) To construct, repair and manage the cemeteries and burial grounds for the national sports heroes.
6. f) To acquire, and maintain the movables and immovable properties, for achieving the said objects.
7. g) To produce TV and radio programmes, with full rights, to air them and/or sale the broadcasting rights in which the sporting personalities speak about their sporting history, success and challenges in order to reignite with their fans, and inspire the youths, with aspirations in the same sporting codes.
8. h) To arrange coaching clinics, around the country, in all sporting codes in which the personalities feature as special guests to train and inspire the youths in targeted communities.
9. i) To lobby for the enactment of laws that protect all the rights of sporting people in Zimbabwe, through their contracts with clubs and/or associations, in line with international standards.

“The trust will soon start engaging stakeholders such as government, local authorities, sports bodies and corporate organisations to tie up strategic relationships to promote this agenda for mutual benefits.’’ — sportsheroes-zim.org