adminLovemore Dube Senior Sports Editor
THE Bulawayo Sports Management Board (BSMB) yesterday held an induction workshop which organisers believe will go a long way in boosting sport in Bulawayo. BSMB oversees the Bulawayo Metropolitan teams for the Zimbabwe National Youth Games and Zimbabwe Paralympic Games.
Sport and Recreation Commission director of sports development and Team Zimbabwe Chef de Mission for the Congo-Brazzaville All-Africa Games Joseph Muchechetere was the course facilitator.
Southern Region Sport and Recreation Commission manager, Isaiah Mpofu, said the need to make BSMB more effective had necessitated the holding of the workshop. He said it was important for people in the board to appreciate the strategic direction they have to take as a team and have roles explained.
“As Bulawayo Sport Management Board we realised the need for an induction workshop. This was to ensure that board members get to appreciate their roles and defined them,” said Mpofu.
He said it was also important that they operate within a legal framework bound by a constitution that would act as a guiding document.
“One thing we expect from them after this workshop is to come up with a constitution to regulate their operations and existence.
“This would then lead to a strategic plan and an action plan to follow and involve the Bulawayo community and ensure activities cascade downwards from BSMB to all citizens,” said Mpofu.
Among the activities that they will engage in after their constitution has been drafted would be to come up with fundraising strategies that create employment and end the dependency syndrome.
“It’s important that once they’re done with the constitution that they come up with permanent fundraising ventures. These would, in line with ZimAsset, see sport creating employment. Several people are keen to help us along that path,” Mpofu said.
Muchechetere took the clubs through a number of topics on how sport is structured and administered, how disciplines relate with the SRC and expectations of each body.
He said the SRC was deregistering sporting disciplines which were not living up to expectations in terms of corporate governance expectations.
Muchechetere emphasised the need for the sporting industry to take its rightful place in ZimAsset.
“Sport has a role to play in ZimAsset and it has to take its rightful place as an industry in special services and poverty eradication. We want to improve accessibility to sport and culture facilities in the country,” he said.
BSMB chief executive officer Raj Modi said the induction was key in ensuring that all members appreciated the mammoth task on their hands and the need for a strategic move in the same direction.
“This will go a long way in improving our operations and we’re grateful to the SRC for facilitating this course. We’re now wiser than before,” said the Bulawayo businessman and philanthropist.
The committee’s immediate task is to prepare for the Zimbabwe Paralympic Games to be held in Harare next month.
Online Reporter