adminOver the years we have seen, in my opinion, the need to support and develop sporting personalities, individual skill and talent lose its substance, aura and position as a very important component of youth empowerment.
Reflecting on the just-ended Olympic Games one wishes they had seen more of Zimbabwean talent and sport personalities battle it out in the tracks and fields of the London Olympic stadiums. What would have been really significant about the Olympics as a first step for our nation is not actually winning, though important; it is taking part in a big way and giving young people a chance to represent their country!
Looking closely at the Olympics and the spirit of the games, you will see that it is not about the opening or closing ceremonies or the hosting nation, though that may be grand, but it is about developing excellency in talent. It is about challenging sport personalities to go higher, stronger and faster in their performances; it’s about skills development in sport.
As a nation having institutions that solely exist to develop sport in this country, now is the time for our young people to be approached in between the Olympic Games which only take place after every four years and be afforded a platform where they can get to try out all kinds of sporting disciplines and get to explore and learn what they can do best. It must be compact and as practical as possible.
In this country, we have the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC) which is an umbrella body for sports and whose main objective is to develop and protect the Olympic movement and has over 30 national sports associations affiliated to it. We have the Ministry of Education, Arts, Sport and Culture representing Government whose effort towards developing sport must seriously be improved and we also have the private sector.
Ideally, according to the blueprint, international treaties and institutional commitments signed, these structures are obliged to create the conducive environment and provide the required support for sport, encourage the development of high performances as well as help in the training of sports administrators, coaches and technical officials.
Both Government and the private sector need not drop the ball in ensuring that the youths of this country are adequately supported in their sporting endeavours and that their training requirements are met at competitive standards.
The Olympic Games must be a reference; they must not be an end in itself but a means of creating a vast programme of physical education and sport competitions for all young people in this country.
It is high time we began to see sport as an important component of youths empowerment as it actually is. At one time when Noureddine Morceli, an Algerian athlete from the 1996 Summer Olympics, was asked why he does what he does, he said: “I run to be known as the greatest runner, the greatest of all time. I cannot eat or sleep for a week when I lose in the Olympics. I have to win or I die.”
This is how important sport is to young people and this is how it ought to be regarded in terms of support allocation. Many times our sport personalities sacrifice a lot just to keep on competing the way they do and I think it is high time Government and the private sector made deliberate efforts to gunner support towards the sporting industry.
A great example is our 2012 Olympic team. Although they won no medals, still they deserved a standing ovation for their determination and accomplishment considering the little support they receive and the difficult circumstances they currently are training under. This current state of affairs must be overturned, it’s time we also focused on developing and supporting sport on a greater level that can enable our country to be recognised when competing on the global arena.
David Coltart, the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, among many other men and women within the sport development system, has a huge task ahead of him in order to ensure that as a country we can produce talent that matches the standards set by 25-year-old Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who has redefined athletics at this point in time.
Some estimate that his deal with sports brand Puma alone is worth $10 million a year and that his earnings equate to 80 percent of all the money in global track and field events or that of Michael Phelps, who was the master of the pool.
The 27-year-old Phelps from Baltimore sealed his place as the greatest swimmer in history and the most successful Olympian of all time by winning his 18th career gold in London; his 22nd games medal. Put simply, Phelps has won more medals as an individual than many nations in over 100 years of competition.
These are staggering accolades and as Zimbabweans we need to believe and in our own way catch the same spirit that drives other nations in supporting their sporting talents till they become champions.
Innocent Katsande is the Communications Officer for Zimbabwe Youth Council.
Online Reporter