adminBukhosi Mangena Sports Correspondent
ZIMBABWE is yet to ratify the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Podium Performance Programme module with the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) saying the document is littered with legal and technical glitches.
The document spells out a high performance programme centred on intensive scouting and nurturing of potential medal winners in the region at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
AUSC Region 5 issued a regional directive in 2014 ordering every member country to submit their proposals by the end of February 2015 so these plans could start being implemented ahead of the 2016 games in Brazil.
An AUSC Region 5 delegation came to the country in May to finalise the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture and the regional sport governing body, but left empty-handed after talks hit a brick wall.
SRC director-general Charles Nhemachena said they were yet to sign the MoU after encountering a few glitches with certain terms and conditions stated in it.
“We were supposed to sign the MoU two months ago when their team came down here, but we then saw that we couldn’t as we weren’t in agreement with some of the legal terms and technical issues underlying that bill. It had some major loopholes relating to the framing,” said Nhemachena.
The module was proposed after AUSC Region 5 had noted that the region was lagging behind in terms of medals won in world events such as the Olympics and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) indoor championships.
The region only got 16 medals at the London 2012 Olympics.
Under the AUSC Region 5 MoU, each member country would be required to choose three out of 11 sporting codes of their choice and then identify individual athletes they would put through strict and intensive training for 5 years in preparation for a possible medal-winning performance in the 2020 Olympics.
Sports scientists would be invited from time to time to assess the athletes’ performance and progress over the years to ensure they match the requisite world standard.
Botswana and South Africa are the only countries that have signed the MoU in the region.
Online Reporter