ZOC CEO speaks on involvement of former athletes

Ellina Mhlanga–Senior Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE Olympic Committee chief executive Marlene Gadzirayi believes one of the ways to turn the country’s fortunes at the global stage is the involvement of former athletes.

This comes after encouraging outcomes at the recent Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where the country had two sprinters – Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba reaching the final in the men’s 200m. 

Gadzirayi acknowledged the involvement of former sprinter and Olympian Brian Dzingai in the build-up to qualification and participation by the sprinters at the Games contributed in attaining the results they got in Paris. 

“We started communicating when I joined ZOC and he was very willing to come on board, and see how he could help.

“And because he was based in the USA where he had a front row seat of observing the athletes that were there, he actually gave us a list of names of potential athletes that will qualify for the Olympics. 

“And that included Makarawu and Charamba. He attended a number of their meets, a number of their competitions, and kept track around that.

“The meeting with him, my first lesson was because here is an Olympian himself, it shows there is a level that we need to understand in involving professional athletes, past Olympians because they know the pressure, they know what’s needed, they know what’s required.

“And then he actually gave us a blueprint proposal to say if they qualify let them go to this competition and this…His dream was to see the two boys in the final and through that he then asked for support to ensure that they would actually go and train in Europe after their collegiate season.”

The two had the last phase of their preparation for the Games in Belgium, Switzerland and Germany before they heading into the Games. 

Dzingai, based in the United States flew to Paris during the Games and they had a meeting to evaluate the outcomes.

They also looked at possible ways of moving forward to push the athletes for podium performance ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Games. 

“So I believe it’s necessary to also involve the professional athletes, the people that have been at this global stage because they know what it takes to be in the final, to be an Olympian, to actually qualify.

“So he was just coming in to evaluate, this is what happened and also evaluating what will be needed, what’s best. We were looking at nutrition, issues around sport science around an athlete.

“And he was then saying LA 2028, there is also work to start now to be done and particularly through the association, and ensuring that we actually have even more athletes at the global stage.

“So that experience in that meeting with Brian was also an eye opener just to see where we can do better, what was done well.

“Of course the dream was fulfilled the two were actually in the final and now he is looking at how do we get them into a podium performance,” said Gadzirayi.

Makarawu has already secured his ticket for next year’s World Championships to be staged in Tokyo.

“So all these are competitions that also need a lot of support and that also need us to ensure that we keep supporting the athletes as well.

“Getting into the Olympics is not a one-day thing. It’s really a whole investment over a number of years, eight to 10 years even,” Gadzirayi said.