Sundaymail Editor
Deputy Sports Editor
WINDS of change are blowing across the country’s bodybuilding and fitness scene after the National Federation of Zimbabwe Bodybuilding and Fitness (NFZBF) made a raft of changes.
The federation recently added Keith Chirumanzi (development secretary), Matthew Humphries (marketing executive), Tarirai Chirume (national organising secretary) and Givemore Marume (technical director) to the executive.
However, it is the technical director’s appointment that has caught the attention of the local bodybuilding community. Marume is now tasked with shaping the direction the sport will take.
“We have noticed that there are a lot of activities that need the expertise of a technical director in terms of strategic planning and operations, and saw it paramount to the progress of the sport to make such an appointment,” said NFZBF secretary-general Quiet Shangai.
“There are a lot of issues that need to be addressed by a technical director, like the criteria we must use to select Team Zimbabwe going forward, as well as the criteria we will use to define the basic requirements needed at shows, whether district, provincial or national.
“We need that kind of direction in how we structure our competitions’ area, looking at judging, athletes and everything in between.” Bodybuilding is coming off a relatively successful year, as the NFZBF managed to hold all their competitions.
The 2022 Novice Competition had probably the highest number of participants.
Precious Mujuru was one of last year’s biggest success stories, as the 29-year-old earned her professional card at the 2022 edition of the Arnold Classic Africa Multisport and Arts Festival in Johannesburg.
“If you look at 2022, from an operational point of view, we set our targets at the beginning of the year and achieved them,” added Shangai.
“Our target was to hold our shows in our main provinces, that is Bulawayo and Harare, and (we) managed to stage five shows.
“We managed to hold our annual general meeting, where the electoral process was supposed to take place. We also managed to successfully hold our Harare Classic, Bulawayo Classic, Novice and Ironman festivals.”
This year, NFZBF will be having shows at district level. It will also stage its usual annual competitions.
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