Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Zimbabwe Handball Federation have underscored the importance of capacity building as part of their long-term development plan.
ZHF are currently hosting the International Handball Federation D licence coaching course at Queen Elizabeth School in Harare.
The course is being facilitated by IHF Commission of Coaching and Methods lecturer, Anaclet Bagirishya of Rwanda.
It has attracted 25 participants including four coaches from Lesotho.
ZHF vice-president, Clemence Tauro, who is assisting Bagirishya said; “This course is a very great course to us as a nation, especially the handball fraternity, because we are saying this is the first stage which a coach has to pass through in order to attain higher qualifications.
“We have coaches from primary schools, we have coaches from secondary schools, we also have coaches from tertiary institutions like Mutare Polytechnic.
“We also have club coaches, and we are also targeting our national team coaches.
“It’s now a prerequisite that no national team coach can coach without the licence D, especially for the junior teams.”
The course got underway on Monday and is running until Friday.
With the D licence being the starting point, the national federation is already looking at holding the C licence as a follow-up to the ongoing course.
“From the D licence, one can attain licence C, then licence B, and lastly licence A. In Zimbabwe currently, we have two licence B coaches. These are the highest qualified.
“Last year, we had a licence D course, and this one is the second one.
“The next course which we need to undertake probably next year will be a licence C course so that we upgrade our coaches,” said Tauro.
The course targeting coaches working with beginners, focuses on the basics of handball including coaching methods and talent identification.
Bagirishya said they are also looking at qualities required for a handball player.
“Mainly this course is all about giving the basic skills for the coaches, what are they supposed to be at the basic level.
“But we are also giving some skills about handball in terms of attacking, defending.
“Then we are also giving them the qualities, what are the physical qualities that are required for a handball player to be able to play handball.
“Apart from that, we are also looking at how a coach can do assessment for the players,” said Bagirishya.
“As we are now in the technological world, we are also coming up with coaching digital tools because they need to leverage the technology that we are now using because the coaching has also been changing.
“Before we used to have it like an art, now it’s becoming a science. So, as a science, we need also to be moving where there are some new trends.” Some of the participants include national Under-18 team assistant coach Kudakwashe Gadzira.
“It’s actually, my first time attending the D licence. All along I was having the national-level certificate.
“Now we get to appreciate the international platform. By this D licence we get to have more depth and understanding of the game on a broader note,” said Gadzira.
He is currently in camp with the youth side as they prepare for the IHF Zone VI Trophy to take place from April 28 to May 3 in Lusaka, Zambia.
Zimbabwe are set to field both the junior and youth teams.
