By Collin Matiza

ZIMBABWE’S swimming idol Kirsty Coventry gave herself a timely morale-booster ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games in London when she recently signed a sponsorship deal with one of the world’s leading sports waterwear companies — Arena.

The American company recently announced that after signing big contracts with two universities — Auburn and the Cal (men) — it now has the world’s 200m backstroke record holder Coventry under its wing.

Although she competes for (and is a native of) Zimbabwe, and is currently training in South Africa, Coventry is very visible in the United States, after leading Auburn University to two National Championships in 2003, 2004 and being the top point-earner at the 2005 meet. Arena, which historically was a very strong brand in the United States, has for the last decade made their money on foreign markets and off water polo gear.

With their 100 percent polyurethane X-Glide at the 2009 World Championships, they had the most successful suit of that meet, which was loaded brand-wise. Although the X-Glide is no longer legal, they have used that publicity as a springboard to launch themselves back into the American market and try to compete with the big dogs — Speedo and TYR and, to a lesser extent, Dolfin and Nike.

And now Arena has managed to secure the signature of one of the world’s best female swimmers — Zimbabwe’s Coventry. The company said in a press statement, which was recently released from Tolentino, that it is extremely proud to announce a new sponsorship agreement with two-time Olympic gold medallist Coventry.

Coventry is widely recognised as the most talented African swimmer ever, who can show, in spite of her young age, an incredible career path. She imposed herself for the first time to the public’s attention during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, where she won one gold medal in 200m backstroke, one silver medal in 100m backstroke and one bronze medal in 200m individual medley. At the time, the swimming star from Zimbabwe was studying and training at Auburn University in Texas, where she had the chance to compete with the "Auburn Tigers" team in 2003, 2004 and 2005 NCAA Championships.

In 2005, Coventry was the top individual scorer at the NCAA Finals, also achieving three individual titles (200m and 400m IM, as well as 200m backstroke for the second consecutive season).

At the 2005 World Swimming Championships in Montreal, Canada, Coventry was able to give a further confirmation of her outstanding potential, achieving gold medals in both 100m and 200m backstroke and silver medals in 200m and 400m IM. After two years, during Melbourne 2007 World Championships in Australia, Coventry simply confirmed her untouchable role at the helm of international swimming by achieving silver medals in 200m backstroke and 200m IM. In 2008 Coventry further asserted herself as an absolute protagonist on the international scene.

At the Beijing Olympic Games she was able to take home four medals: gold in 200m backstroke (with the world record time of 2:05.24), silver in 200m and 400m IM, silver in 100m backstroke (where, in the semi-final, she swam with the world record time of 58.77).

More recently, at the 2009 World Championships in Rome, Italy, Coventry won a gold medal in 200m backstroke where she set a new world record time of 2.04:81; she also got a silver medal in the 400m IM race.

In light of such achievements, Coventry won the Swimming World Magazine Award as the Female African Swimmer of the Year for 2009. Coventry also has an excellent track record of results in short course competitions, clearly witnessed by her outstanding performance at 2008 Short Course World Championships in Manchester, England. On that occasion she won gold medals in 400m IM (with a world record time of 4:26:52), in 200m IM and in 100m backstroke.

Thanks to such a remarkable performances, she was awarded by FINA as the Best Female Swimmer of the Championships. In 2010, Coventry will compete at the Fina Arena World Cup and at the Short Course World Championships in Dubai. "We are extremely honoured and truly happy to welcome a great swimmer like Kirsty in our team," said Giuseppe Musciacchio, marketing director at Arena, in the press statement.

"She is an amazingly talented athlete, who has already demonstrated her unique value in all the most challenging competitions.

"She has a great image, stature and credibility in the swimming world, it’s difficult to think of a better ambassador for the Arena brand world-wide."

In response Coventry said: "I am thrilled to have signed a new deal with Arena.

"It’s great to be associated with a leading aquatic brand and I look forward to producing good results in their performance driven products. I am training at the moment in South Africa and have enjoyed my time here and the change of environment has been beneficial to me."

:Story Posted On: 27/07/2010 @ 08:25hrs

By Collin Matiza

ZIMBABWE’S swimming idol Kirsty Coventry gave herself a timely morale-booster ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games in London when she recently signed a sponsorship deal with one of the world’s leading sports waterwear companies — Arena.

The American company recently announced that after signing big contracts with two universities — Auburn and the Cal (men) — it now has the world’s 200m backstroke record holder Coventry under its wing.

Although she competes for (and is a native of) Zimbabwe, and is currently training in South Africa, Coventry is very visible in the United States, after leading Auburn University to two National Championships in 2003, 2004 and being the top point-earner at the 2005 meet. Arena, which historically was a very strong brand in the United States, has for the last decade made their money on foreign markets and off water polo gear.

With their 100 percent polyurethane X-Glide at the 2009 World Championships, they had the most successful suit of that meet, which was loaded brand-wise. Although the X-Glide is no longer legal, they have used that publicity as a springboard to launch themselves back into the American market and try to compete with the big dogs — Speedo and TYR and, to a lesser extent, Dolfin and Nike.

And now Arena has managed to secure the signature of one of the world’s best female swimmers — Zimbabwe’s Coventry. The company said in a press statement, which was recently released from Tolentino, that it is extremely proud to announce a new sponsorship agreement with two-time Olympic gold medallist Coventry.

Coventry is widely recognised as the most talented African swimmer ever, who can show, in spite of her young age, an incredible career path. She imposed herself for the first time to the public’s attention during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, where she won one gold medal in 200m backstroke, one silver medal in 100m backstroke and one bronze medal in 200m individual medley. At the time, the swimming star from Zimbabwe was studying and training at Auburn University in Texas, where she had the chance to compete with the "Auburn Tigers" team in 2003, 2004 and 2005 NCAA Championships.

In 2005, Coventry was the top individual scorer at the NCAA Finals, also achieving three individual titles (200m and 400m IM, as well as 200m backstroke for the second consecutive season).

At the 2005 World Swimming Championships in Montreal, Canada, Coventry was able to give a further confirmation of her outstanding potential, achieving gold medals in both 100m and 200m backstroke and silver medals in 200m and 400m IM. After two years, during Melbourne 2007 World Championships in Australia, Coventry simply confirmed her untouchable role at the helm of international swimming by achieving silver medals in 200m backstroke and 200m IM. In 2008 Coventry further asserted herself as an absolute protagonist on the international scene.

At the Beijing Olympic Games she was able to take home four medals: gold in 200m backstroke (with the world record time of 2:05.24), silver in 200m and 400m IM, silver in 100m backstroke (where, in the semi-final, she swam with the world record time of 58.77).

More recently, at the 2009 World Championships in Rome, Italy, Coventry won a gold medal in 200m backstroke where she set a new world record time of 2.04:81; she also got a silver medal in the 400m IM race.

In light of such achievements, Coventry won the Swimming World Magazine Award as the Female African Swimmer of the Year for 2009. Coventry also has an excellent track record of results in short course competitions, clearly witnessed by her outstanding performance at 2008 Short Course World Championships in Manchester, England. On that occasion she won gold medals in 400m IM (with a world record time of 4:26:52), in 200m IM and in 100m backstroke.

Thanks to such a remarkable performances, she was awarded by FINA as the Best Female Swimmer of the Championships. In 2010, Coventry will compete at the Fina Arena World Cup and at the Short Course World Championships in Dubai. "We are extremely honoured and truly happy to welcome a great swimmer like Kirsty in our team," said Giuseppe Musciacchio, marketing director at Arena, in the press statement.

"She is an amazingly talented athlete, who has already demonstrated her unique value in all the most challenging competitions.

"She has a great image, stature and credibility in the swimming world, it’s difficult to think of a better ambassador for the Arena brand world-wide."

In response Coventry said: "I am thrilled to have signed a new deal with Arena.

"It’s great to be associated with a leading aquatic brand and I look forward to producing good results in their performance driven products. I am training at the moment in South Africa and have enjoyed my time here and the change of environment has been beneficial to me."

:Story Posted On: 26/07/2010 @ 08:25hrs

By Ellina Mhlanga (Courtesy of the Herald of Saturday 20 July 2010)

THE Zimbabwe Olympic Committee on Sunday held their general assembly at Prince Edward School where they discussed several issues affecting the operations of the organisation.

Prior to the general assembly, ZOC also held their annual educational forum on Saturday at the same venue.

This year’s forum dealt with pertinent issues affecting sport and the main speaker Lazilayana Ezera Tshabangu, the general manager, High Performance Department in the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc), spoke extensively about "Developing Athletes for High Performance’’.

In her presentation, Tshabangu raised several issues including the need for appropriate planning and support, that is financial support from government and the business community. She also touched on proper governance and the need to have in place firm structures for the development.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief operations officer, Givemore Chidzidzi, also spoke about Sports Tourism and the lessons learnt from the just-ended Fifa World Cup in South Africa. Chidzidzi said there was need for sport to be well packaged to attract investors and highlighted the potential sport has in boosting the levels of tourism.

ZOC acting chief executive, Stanley Mutoya, noted that there was still a lot that needed to be done given the issues that were raised during the presentations. "Zimbabwe’s long-term winning strategy plan needs support,  that is capacity developmental structures. It is very evident that national associations are not addressing the issue of accountability and good governance. National associations and schools need to work together to implement developmental programmes," said Mutoya.

Mutoya also stressed on the need for all national associations to embrace the long-term winning strategy. However, he expressed disappointment at the turnout of the associations at the forum. "We were expecting all the 29 associations to come but we had about 15 that turned up which is about half and it was a disappointment," Mutoya said.

After the educational forum on Saturday, the committee held their general assembly to review activities that were held since their last meeting in 2009 and to discuss future plans.

Some of the issues on the agenda included a report on activities of the executive board, audited accounts and financial report, including ratification of their annual budget and appointment of honorary auditors. They also looked at the 2009 audit on national sports associations and compliance with ZOC minimum membership standards, among other issues.

Speaking during the general assembly, ZOC president Admire Masenda bemoaned lack of communication from the national associations. He, however, said they are ready to work with the associations. "The problem of poor communication persists seemingly unabated. ZOC is prepared to engage national associations to gather your views and challenges in this regard to enhance a smooth working relationship.

"ZOC continues to be responsive to your needs within the confines of the organisation’s capability. A significant improvement to the uptake of ZOC programmes has been observed during the period under review. This has seen, for the first time, ZOC having to put names on stand-by list for such programmes as the Advanced Sport Management course.

"The increasing support and collaboration from some of the national associations during the ZOC events and programmes, particularly courses and the Olympic Day, is encouraging," said Masenda.

Masenda called on all stakeholders to create policies that serve the best interests of sport.

"May we craft policies that serve the best interest of our organisation in particular and Zimbabwean sport in general and may we shun any form of short-sightedness and casual ‘business as usual’ tendencies while our sport succumbs to sporting talent hemorrhage with tragic consequences," said Masenda.

ZOC are also expected to hold a special general assembly to discuss the motions from the executive board and national associations at a date yet to be announced.

:Story Posted On: 26/07/2010 @ 08:25hrs

By Ellina Mhlanga(Courtesy of The Herald, Tuesday 20 July 2010) ZIMBABWE Olympic Committee chief executive Robert Mutsauki has applauded the performance of the two athletes who represented the nation at the just ended African Youth Games in Rabat, Morocco. Sprinter Tinashe Mutanga and middle-distance runner Sithulisiwe Zhou flew the Zimbabwean flag at the inaugural games. Mutanga scooped two gold medals in the 100m and 200m events while Zhou participated in the girls 3 000m race. Mutanga won the boys’ 100m race in

10.84s ahead of Beouda Diage of Senegal who came second in 10.93s and Zghali Abdeighani of Morocco who clocked 11.12s on Thursday.

Mutanga went on to claim his second gold medal in the 200m event after stopping the clocks in 21.85s.

Diage was forced to settle for second place again in 21.98s ahead of Omar Ceeseay of Gambia who came third in 22.55s.

Zhou had a credible showing finished sixth in the 3 000m race in 10.05.07minutes.

Mutsauki was in Morocco where he watched the two promising athletes shine.

The ZOC chief executive, speaking from Rabat yesterday said apart from putting up a splendid performance on the track, the two athletes were also good ambassadors for the nation.

"Our athletes were brilliant ambassadors for Zimbabwe. Apart from good performance, they were well behaved and were adored by other countries.

"They received support from other regional countries like Botswana and Swaziland and David Leboho did a good job of managing the team," Mutsauki said.

The ZOC boss said it was unfortunate that the Under-15 football team and the triathletes who will be at the Youth Olympics, were not able to compete in the games as they would have gained exposure and could have helped the country win more medals.

Mutsauki who was also serving in the Games’ coordinating committee said the first African Youth Games were a success.

"Clearly 40 out of 53 countries for the inaugural Games is by any standard a very good turn out," he said.

The next Games will be held in 2014 before the Youth Olympic Games set for China..

:Story Posted On: 26/07/2010 @ 13:25hrs

By Ellina Mhlanga (Courtesy of the Herald of Saturday 17 July 2010)

YOUNG athlete Tinashe Mutanga made his presence felt at the ongoing African Youth Games in Rabat, Morocco, where he scooped a gold medal in the 100m event yesterday.

According to reports from Rabat, Mutanga raised the country’s flag high at the inaugural games as he came home first in 10,84 seconds. Mutanga and middle-distance runner Sithulisiwe Zhou are representing Zimbabwe at the games, which started on Tuesday.

Mutanga is taking part in the 100m and 200m events while Zhou competed in the 3 000m yesterday. Mutanga was scheduled to compete in 200m event late yesterday. While Mutanga was all smiles after winning the 100m event yesterday, it was not the same for Zhou after she finished a disappointing sixth in the 3 000m race.

Stanley Mutoya, the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee general manager, was however satisfied with the young athlete’s results. "I understand the competition there is very high and for Sithulisiwe, the 3 000m race was quite challenging with Ethiopians and Kenyans taking part.

"However, we feel that both Mutanga and Zhou have received enough competition to prepare for the Youth Olympic Games to be held in Singapore next month," said Mutoya. Team manager David Leboho said Zhou, who was set to also compete in the 1 000m event, was only allowed to participate in the 3 000m race.

"The weather is quite hot and we hope for the best," Leboho said from Rabat yesterday.

Mutanga will also be competing in the medley relays as one of the Zone Six team runners.

The two athletes are using the games to prepare for the Youth Olympic Games set to run from August 14 to 26 in Singapore.

:Story Posted On: 19/07/2010 @ 13:25hrs

By Collin Matiza (Herald Saturday 22 May 2020)

IN an effort to develop and enhance capacities within their organisation, the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee organised a board induction session and team building session over the last two weeks.

On May 8 and 9, ZOC held the board induction session at their headquarters in Harare and this was facilitated by Edward Siwela, the executive director of the Institute of Directors Zimbabwe.

Apart from the elected ZOC board members, the organisation’s chief executive, Robert Mutsauki, and general manager, Stanley Mutoya, also attended.

Also participating in the session were the director-general of the Sports Commission, Charles Nhemachena, and the principal director in the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Paul Damasane.

Ideally such a session should be held every four years soon after the election of a new board.

The last ZOC board induction session was held in 2005.

The May 8 and 9 board induction session focused on various areas under the main theme of corporate governance.

According to Mutsauki, they examined the elements, pillars and principles of corporate governance as well as the corporate governance system and framework.

They also looked at policies and procedures review before moving to roles and responsibilities.

"There was emphasis on the need to clearly define the roles of the board and the roles of the management to ensure separation of these roles in order to avoid conflict. Legal duties, liabilities and rights of board members were also highlighted," Mutsauki said.

On the board composition, Mutsauki said they deliberated on the need for a balanced board, "in other words, the right mix of skills among board members".

"In terms of board meetings, we dealt with issues of adequately preparing for and properly conducting board meetings including how binding and collective decisions should be made."

The other key aspect that was dealt with during the ZOC board induction session was board effectiveness, which covered the appointment and operations of board committees otherwise known as Commissions in the organisation.

Under this topic, the participants also discussed how the performance of individual board members and the collective performance of the board as a unit should be evaluated periodically.

"The session was very lively and the formal evaluation conducted at the end of the session showed that all participants not only enjoyed but also benefited a lot from this two-day activity," Mutsauki said.

The ZOC board induction session was followed by the organisation’s team building session for all 10 members of its secretariat or full-time staff members on May 15.

Consultant Peter Manjoro ably facilitated this one-day session.

The last team building session for the ZOC secretariat was held in 2007 but only three members are part of the current staff compliment.

This means that the majority of the staff members are relatively new in the organisation and hence the need for this team building, Mutsauki said.

"The (May 15) session was highly interactive as it was designed to bring members out of their shells and to remove all masks," said the ZOC boss.

Among the aspects covered during this one-day session were the need for perception and paradigm shift, team analysis and dynamics, building trust and collaboration, team development stages, emotional intelligence and conflict management.

The session also had a number of group activities designed to demonstrate the values of teamwork and such issues as trust and co-operation.

The session was rounded off by the crafting of an action plan to ensure that the participants will implement what they learnt.

One of the major benefits of this session, Mutsauki said, was to enable the members to get to really know and appreciate each other through the process of giving honest appraisal and feedback without fear or favour.

"For example, this is the only time that the messenger or office orderly could list the strengths and weaknesses of the CEO because it is normally the other way round.

"For this session, one of the ground rules was that all participants were equal and the normal titles and roles were set aside.

"So, at the end of the session, members felt highly motivated and ready to enhance service delivery," Mutsauki said.

The ZOC board induction session and the team building session were both funded by the Olympic Solidarity to the tune of US$4 000 as part of their National Olympic Committee management programme. The programme is designed to enhance the performances of NOCs worldwide..:

Story Posted On: 26/05/2010 @ 09:25hrs

By Ellina Mhlanga

DEPUTY Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has challenged the Government and the local corporate world to support the Youth Olympic Games team that will represent the country in Singapore later this year.

The team will take part in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games scheduled for August 14-26 with 26 disciplines on offer. The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee last Friday night held a function at Rainbow Towers which was aimed at creating awareness of the Games to all the local stakeholders.

Speaking during the official launch of the Youth Olympic Games, Mutambara said it was important to invest in junior athletes for a better sporting future. "Sport today has transformed into a mega-billion-dollar business and as such requires impeccable business management for sustenance. "As much as we invest for the future sustenance of our corporate entities, likewise it only makes business sense to invest in our junior athletes today for a brighter sporting future.

"The Youth Olympic Games present a rare opportunity for Zimbabwe in particular to go back to the basics and reincarnate the once flourishing junior development policy for us to relish the glorious sporting days again 10 years from today.

"It is possible but can surely not be done by ZOC as a lone ranger.

"Let us support the team and when they succeed, the glory comes to us as a country," said Mutambara.

Mutambara urged all the stakeholders to come on board and support the team as the Youth Olympic Games does not only focus on sport but also presents a platform for the athletes to participate in the Culture and Education Programme that forms the basis of the games.

"While winning medals would be the ideal achievement at the Games, for the Youth Olympic Games participation is just as important as it affords our young athletes a chance to partake in the unique Culture and Education Programme that forms the basis of the games," said Mutambara.

The Deputy Prime Minister said sport is a major unifier and builder of society and encouraged ZOC to remain committed to the development of the country through sports.ZOC president, Admire Masenda, outlined the significance of the Youth Olympic Games to young people and the society.

"The major thrust of the Games is the Culture and Education Programme which aims at creating unity and promoting friendship among the young people of the world." The games are designed to provide an opportunity to countries that would otherwise find it difficult to qualify for major international competitions in the spirit of universality and equity.

"These Games are a valuable platform to showcase excellence in sport at junior level," said Masenda.

Masenda said the introduction of the Games challenges countries to invest in long-term sport programmes for sustenance.ZOC began preparations for the Youth Olympic Games last year when they embarked on a comprehensive talent identification programme that saw them releasing an amount of US$100 000 to date in the identification, nurturing and development of athletes including assisting them to participate in qualifying competitions.

.Story Posted On: 26/04/2010 @ 18:20hrs

By Eddie Chikamhi

THE Zimbabwe Olympic president Admire Masenda has received recognition for his leadership qualities after he was appointed to the IOC Commission for Culture and Olympic Education this week.

The appointment was made by the IOC president Jacques Rogge after a review of the membership of the commissions for the year 2010.

The commission is one of the biggest, with 35 members drawn from academics, athletes and other IOC members. Masenda becomes the second Zimbabwean to serve in an IOC commission after former president Tommy Sithole.

"It’s a welcome development both for myself and ZOC. This is a specialist commission to safeguard the core values of Olympic education and culture, which we believe are crucial in building a healthy society. Olympism is not only limited to sports but also touches on economic, cultural and social development.

"The commission works with various sub-committees for development and our first meeting will be held in Durban in December 2010," said Masenda. The Commission for Culture and Olympic Education advises the IOC on the promotion of culture and Olympic education and supports the IOC programmes and activities related to the education of youth through sport.

Meanwhile, ZOC will tonight launch the Youth Olympic Games in Harare with Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara expected to attend as the guest of honour.

ZOC chief executive Robert Mutsauki yesterday said Mutambara will deliver a keynote address to help bolster support for the team to represent Zimbabwe at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in August.

"We have received official confirmation of Mutambara’s availability from the Deputy Prime-Minister’s office.

"He will have an opportunity to meet various stakeholders and business executives we have invited at the function and will deliver a keynote address in which he is expected to make a passionate plea for support of Team Zimbabwe," said Mutsauki.

Masenda is also expected to make a presentation outlining the significance of the Games to young people and the society.

"The purpose of the launch is to create awareness to all stakeholders since these are inaugural games.

"It should be noted that the Youth Olympic Games are not all about competition but also encompasses education and culture. It is about winning back the youth to sport through a wider societal appeal," said Mutsauki. Sports icons Kirsty Coventry and Peter Ndlovu are expected to grace the event pledging their support for the team to represent Zimbabwe in Singapore.

Mutsauki said preparations for the Games are still in progress with the Under-15 football team expected to go in camp this weekend. The team, which was chosen to represent the nation at the Singapore Games, will play in a curtain raiser match on Sunday before Dynamos engage Gaborone United in a Caf Champions League game.

"There is a squad of 20 at the moment but the team will be trimmed to 18 and Zifa will give us the best players after their final selection process.

"The other qualifier from Zimbabwe is Andrea Brown who will be representing the nation in triathlon.

"The tennis qualifiers are still going on and Benjamin Lock has a good chance of qualifying if he garners enough points in the coming tournaments.

"Valerie Bhunu is also still in the qualifiers but her prospects are not as bright as Lock’s because she has played fewer tournaments," said Mutsauki. A team of six athletes is expected to take part in a qualifying tournament in Pretoria next month while gymnastics, swimming and hockey have all failed in previous tournaments held in South Africa and Namibia.

Mutsauki said the final team is expected to be unveiled after the completion of the qualifiers in July. ZOC is preparing to send an estimated team of 27 athletes and 13 officials to the Games to represent Zimbabwe in four sporting disciplines — soccer, athletics, tennis and triathlon.

The team required a total budget of US$531 000 to cover all the expenses that included kits, training camps and participation in preparatory tournaments. The budget included preparations for both the Singapore Youth Olympic Games and the Africa Youth Games to be held in Morocco in July.

But only US$281 000 has been raised leaving the organisation in need of US$250 000, which they hope to raise following tonight’s appeal to the corporate world.

.

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Story Posted On: 23/04/2010 @ 09:40hrs

The Secretary General of the Sierra Leone National Olympic Committee, Mr. Joseph Nyande left Harare on Thursday after a one week sojourn in Zimbabwe.  Nyande was in Zimbabwe on an NOC exchange programme where he was particularly interested in comparing notes with his Zimbabwean counterparts on the Olympic Solidarity World Programmes.  The exchange programe however saw Nyande getting hands on experience with other ZOC programmes, systems and procedures that were of interest to him.  Speaking after the programme, Nyande highly commended ZOC for top level professionalism and the manner in which they implement programmes in Zimbabwe.  He pointed out that he was particularly impressed by the focused approach to activities that ZOC demonstrated which is guided by long term planning through a strategic plan.  Nyande pledged to implement the new approaches and systems that he learnt during his stay in Zimbabwe. He was however cautious that it would take patience and time for Sierra Leone to reach the levels that ZOC is operating at.  The whole ZOC family wishes Mr. Nyande and the entire Sierra Leon NOC the best in implementing their programmes effectively.

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Story Posted On: 20/04/2010 @ 14:10hrs

Thirty football teams drawn from the Harare Junior football League converged at the ZOC Olympic Sports Centre/Olympafrica Centre on Friday 16 April 2010 to take part in the Daimler Soccer Cup Tournament.  The tournament for Under 13 and Under 15 players attracted a lot of attention from members of the public, coaches and the media.  Fifteen teams in each age category clashed in a round robin format in four groups before the top teams met in semi finals and subsequently the finals to determine the winners.  The Daimler Cup is the brainchild of Olympafrica International Foundation which runs projects through the Olympafrica Centres in 26 selected countries in Africa.  Zimbabwe Olympic Committee successfully convinced Olympafrica Foundation to be included on the programme this year.  The Daimler Cup was therefore the first activity under the Olympafrica project in Zimbabwe. 

The event was a resounding success as it drew the attention of both local and international football icons.  The ZOC President Mr. admire Masenda officially opened the event.  Zimbabwe’s soccer legend and firebrand star Peter Ndlovu had an opportunity to address the players and shared words of wisdom and encouragement.  The event was further enhanced by the arrival of South African Soccer legend and 2010 Soccer World Cup Ambassador, Doctor Khumalo who had an opportunity to conduct coaching sessions for the boys.  Later in the afternoon, the Acting Mayor of Harare, Councilor Bango addressed the gathering before the Technical Director of Olympafrica International Foundation; Senegalese based Mamadou Sambe officially closed the event.  It was a refreshing and colorful event indeed and one can’t help but look forward to the next edition of the tournament as the Daimler Cup is going to be an annual event in Zimbabwe.

.

Story Posted On: 20/04/2010 @ 14:10hrs

The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee will on Friday 23 April 2010 officially launch the inaugural Youth Olympic Games at the Rainbow Towers Hotel.  The function aims at creating awareness of the Games in Zimbabwe while at the same time inviting local businesses and the entire corporate sector to support the team.  A total of 120 guests drawn from captains of industry, and the entire business sector are expected to grace the occasion.  Zimbabwe’s luminaries, Kirsty Coventry and Peter Ndlovu will also grace the event pledging their support for the team to the inaugural Youth Olympic Games. 

ZOC is preparing to send an estimated team of 27 athletes and 13 officials to the Games to represent Zimbabwe in four sporting disciplines of Soccer, Athletics, Tennis and Triathlon.  The team requires an estimated USD375, 000.00 for their preparations including kit and team welfare.  ZOC has a shortfall of about USD150, 000.00 on this budget and therefore are seeking the much needed support from the Zimbabwean business fraternity.  It is everybody’s hope that Zimbabweans will rise to the occasion and surpass this projected deficit in order to contribute towards the team’s successful participation at the Games.  Groups and individuals who wish to be part of this legacy are invited to contact ZOC via e-mail to smutoya@zoc.co.zw or admin@zoc.co.zw or info@zoc.co.zw or alternatively phone Harare numbers +263 4 741173/7 or +263 4 740 598 Or via e-mail to rmutsauki@zoc.co.zw copied to executive@zoc.co.zw


Story Posted On: 20/04/2010 @ 14:10hrs

The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC) through their Olympic Museum and sports library project will be exhibiting at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) for the first time this year.  The ZITF will be on from Tuesday 20 April running through to Saturday 24 April 2010.  ZOC is working in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) in staging the exhibition in what is expected to be an exciting new initiative.  The exhibition is part of ZOC’s intervention strategies in the promotion of Olympism and Olympic Values under the Theme, “Our Youth, Our future”.  This is part of numerous educational activities intended to spread Olympism and Olympic Values in Zimbabwe in the 2010 phase of the Olympic Museum project.  Other activities include the currently running Radio programmes as well as schools competitions that will be introduced later I the year.  Another exhibition will be mounted at the Harare Agricultural Show in August as part of the awareness and education campaign.

Story Posted On: 20/04/2010 @ 14:10hrs

The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Robert Mutsauki on Thursday night received the Director of the Year Award from the Institute of Directors in Zimbabwe (IoDZ).  Mr. Mutsauki won the award in the Parastatals, Non-Governmental Organisations and Public sector category.  This prestigious award is a huge vote of confidence for ZOC by the business sector.  It also serves as a worthy recognition for Mutsauki whose management prowess has helped ZOC carve an indelible piece of history as a highly professional body particularly in the sporting industry in Zimbabwe and beyond.  The award was honoring outstanding contributions by Directors to their organizations during 2009.  The entire ZOC family heartily congratulates Mr. Mutsauki and wishes him further success and further outstanding performances.

Story Posted On: 20/04/2010 @ 14:10hrs

By Eddie Chikamhi

OLYMPAFRICA representative Mamadou Sambe is expected in the country next week to take stock of the foundation’s projects that include the Daimler Cup football tournament to be held at Prince Edward School next week.

OlympAfrica is a project run by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa to help communities and less privileged athletes.

Zimbabwe Olympic Committee general manager, Stanley Mutoya, said the Senegalese sports administrator will be visiting in his capacity as the Head of Technical Department of the International Foundation OlympAfrica.

"We are expecting him next Tuesday and his visit coincides with the holding of the inaugural Daimler Cup football tournament for youths under the age of 15.

"But primarily Sambe will be here to assess how we are implementing the OlympAfrica projects and we have got four of them running concurrently.

"The Daimler Cup is one of them and it’s a new event to be held annually at our Olympic Centre at Prince Edward School. Sambe will have the opportunity to witness the young people in action," said Mutoya.

The competition, which is set to be played for the first time in Zimbabwe, has been set for next Friday. He said the Daimler Cup will be contested for by 30 teams drawn from around the country with each side allowed to register 10 players.

"The format is different from the normal football game situation where we have 11 players on each side.

"Here the teams will field seven players aside and they only use half of the pitch for the matches.

"So we are expecting to host about 300 youths on the day.

"Through our partnership with Prince Edward we will use some of the football pitches at the school for the tournament," said Mutoya.

He said Sambe will also assess three other activities that include the Under-13-15 athletics competition, the small libraries initiative and the community project aimed at availing sports and lifeskills development to the underprivileged.

"OlympAfrica is a project that uses sports as a vehicle for development.

"We are proud to be one of the few African countries involved in this initiative. The idea is to make sports relevant to the communities we live in through empowering the youth in partnership with the relevant stakeholders that include the national sports associations, co-operatives and the local authorities. Early this year we sent our Olympic co-ordinator Chiedza Mafunga for training in Sudan and now we are in the implementation phase," said Mutoya.

The coming of the seven-a-side junior football tournament is hard on the heels of the VW tournament for juniors that was held in March.

Story Posted On: 12/04/2010 @ 16:10hrs

By Ellina Mhlanga

THE Zimbabwe Under-15 Youth Olympic soccer team have gone into the first phase of camp for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games set for Singapore in August.

The team of 30 players got into camp on yesterday at Prince Edward School and begun their first training session in the morning under the guidance of coach Dumaza Dube and his assistant Tobias Mudyambanje.

Project manager for the team, Harry Taruva, said both Zifa and the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee are running the programme. "We are running this programme together with ZOC and the team got into camp yesterday (Thursday) and they had full training day today (yesterday)," he said.

The team was originally scheduled to be in camp for two weeks but the duration has been cut short.
Taruva said due to financial problems the team will now be in camp for three days until Saturday and will regroup at the end of the month. "We are no longer following the original plan because of financial constraints.  We want to travel to Botswana or South Africa during the course of preparations for an international friendly and that is important," said Taruva.

Preparations for the Games began last month with the selection of players at regional levels. The coaches identified talent in the provinces that fell under Zifa’s four regions.

The Northern Region is made up of Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West and Harare while Manicaland, Mashonaland East and Masvingo make up the Eastern Region. The Central Region consists of Matabeleland South and Midlands while Bulawayo and Matabeleland North make up the Southern Region. The Zimbabwe Under-15 team was nominated by Fifa to be the sole representatives of the continent at the inaugural Youth Olympic Game scheduled to run from August 14 to 26 in Singapore.

Analysts believe the move was part of the spirit of Fifa’s Fair Play given that Zimbabwe was the only country that sent a true Under-17 team to the last African Youth Championship finals in Algeria.

Story Posted On: 12/04/2010 @ 16:10hrs

APPLICATIONS ARE INVITED FROM SUITABLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE EXECUTIVE MASTERS IN SPORT ORGANISATIONS MANAGEMENT (MEMOS) AVAILABLE IN 2010.

The MEMOS Programme consists of three one-week residential modules, each lasting 6 days scheduled over twelve months together with a personal project.  Each module takes place in a different city and is placed under the joint responsibility of a scholar and of a professional.  In addition, the participants undertake a study project concerning the management of a sport organization, in principle the one in which they are active.  The last two days of each module are dedicated to the coaching of the participants on their projects by their tutors.  The defense and public presentation of these projects, as well as the awarding of the degrees take place in Lausanne, during the forth module

The suitable candidate should have the following attributes:-

• a first degree  in sport administration or equivalent
• actively involved in sport administration in the sports structures in Zimbabwe within a ZOC affiliated National Association.
• Advanced Sport Management Course Diploma and relevant experience will be an added advantage

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following documents to Zimbabwe Olympic Committee by 15 April 2010:

• candidate’s current detailed CV,
• application letter
•  Letter of support from the candidate’s sport organisation,
• passport photo and copy of passport main page
• MEMOS project topic to be under studied.

Only shortlisted candidates will be invited to a selection interview. The successful candidate will be eligible for a scholarship covering MEMOS tuition, travel and accommodation expenses.

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO:
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Zimbabwe Olympic Committee
3 Aintree Circle
Belvedere
Harare
Tel: 04 778 199 or 04 741173/7 
Or via e-mail to rmutsauki@zoc.co.zw copied to executive@zoc.co.zw


Story Posted On: 31/03/2010 @ 13:10hrs

The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC) President, Admire Masenda and Chief Executive Robert Mutsauki last Saturday attended an important meeting of the Confederation of Southern African National Olympic Committees (COSANOC) in Johannesburg, South Africa. The meeting chaired by COSANOC President Robert Magagula of Swaziland was attended by members of the COSANOC Executive Board and representatives of the ten member countries. Also present at the meeting was the Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa Zone VI (SCSA Zone VI) Mvuzo Mbembe from South Africa and the body’s General Manager Charles Dzimba. SCSA Zone VI and COSANOC are cooperating partners.

The meeting resolved among other things to recommend to the Council of Ministers for Zone VI the need for governments to give direct support including financial grants to their respective National Olympic Committees based on quadrennial plans to ensure the realisation of sport excellence by athletes from the Zone. A three member taskforce comprising of Mutsauki, Dzimba and Abner Xoagub the COSANOC Secretary General from Namibia was constituted to review the existing Memorandum of Understanding between COSANOC and SCSA Zone VI which will now become a Cooperation Agreement.

Efforts are also underway to formulate the first ever COSANOC strategic plan with Xoagub and Mutsauki being the point men on the much needed road map. Updates were given on the SCSA restructuring process, the Zone VI Sports Academy at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria, the Regional Anti-Doping Organisation, the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, the 2010 Zone VI Under 20 Youth Games in Manzini, Swaziland and the 2011 All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique as well as preparations for the London 2012 Olympic Games. The delegates called for continued collaboration between not only SCSA Zone VI and COSANOC Executives but also their affiliates in member countries namely Sports Commissions/Councils and National Olympic Committees.

Mutsauki who was Secretary General of COSANOC from 2005 to 2009 was co-opted onto the current COSANOC Executive Board elected at the body’s General Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria last July. Magagula told the meeting that COSANOC needed to leverage Mutsauki’s knowledge and experience within the Olympic Movement.
Meanwhile Mutsauki will leave for Cairo, Egypt tomorrow to attend an ANOCA Technical Commission meeting convened to discuss preparations and logistics for the inaugural Africa Youth Games now scheduled for Morocco in July, a month before the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Story Posted On: 25/03/2010 @ 16:10hrs

By Edison Chikamhi

THE Zimbabwe Olympic Committee has urged associations affiliated to the organisation to adopt a more professional approach if they are to turn around the fortunes of sports in the country.

ZOC chief executive Robert Mutsauki said some associations had not been successful because of administrative shortcomings.

"It is important that all sports associations succeed to raise the profile of Zimbabwean sports but unfortunately some appear to lag behind. It’s not because we do not have talent but there are some issues to do with administration. As professionals we should be in a position to identify the problems we have and why we are not doing well because if we don’t do we won’t be able to move forward.That is why some associations are moving at a faster pace than others. The difference is in how people run affairs in their associations. If the leadership is sound then the sport will not suffer," said Mutsauki.

He said flaws such as organisational politics, limitations in capacity and lack of corporate governance were among the chief factors that have had a negative impact on Zimbabwean sports.

He urged associations to transform their activities by setting up proper structures with qualified and full-time office staff to run the daily activities. Mutsauki said sports administrators must have unquestionable credentials with relevant experience in their fields.

"Administrators should have the capacity to run sports at such high levels like an association. Some, however, have limitations in capacity since they were elected on the basis of popularity and with no track record."

"In some cases we have elected officers running sport on a part-time basis with no structures to support them."

"Some don’t even have offices to operate from and in other cases it’s only one person running the show. Some do not even have the skills to market their brands to attract sponsorship and it’s not healthy for sport,’’ Mutsauki said.

The ZOC chief executive reiterated the significance of corporate governance and accountability if Zimbabwean sport is to be successful.

"We also have to look at corporate governance which reflects on the image of any organisation. Issues like abiding by the constitution and accountability come into play here. Usually this gives birth to organisational politics. It’s very bad because squabbles affect the athletes. Sponsors are so particular and sensitive about these issues because no one wants to be associated with negative things. When they put their money they expect good publicity in return."

He also said administrators should uphold accountability and work to produce a marketable brand that would be able to attract sponsorship. Mutsauki said associations would go nowhere without long-term visions and clear strategies.

"When there is no vision, people will not rally behind and support you.The administrators should play leading roles and must also have a shared vision with their subordinates. We must not involve ourselves in sport in order to gain something."

"People should not be that selfish. Instead they have to sacrifice their time and resources to see that things are done effectively and efficiently," said Mutsauki.

ZOC is an umbrella sports organisation whose main objective is to develop and protect the Olympic Movement in Zimbabwe in accordance with the Olympic Charter.

The Olympic body has 29 national sports associations affiliated to it on a voluntary basis.
.

Story Posted On: 15/03/2010 @ 12:10hrs

Sports Reporter (Chronoicle, Saturday 6 March 2010)

THE national Under-15 soccer team coach, Dumaza Dube, has started identifying players who will represent the country at the inaugural Youth Olympics to be staged in Singapore later this year. In an interview before leaving for Masvingo where Eastern Region trials will be held today, Dube said he was giving everyone an equal pportunity to showcase their talent. He will work closely with provincial and regional coaches.

"I will be travelling to Masvingo identifying players for the national Under-15 team that will represent the country at the Youth Olympics. We are giving all the youngsters a chance to be part of the national team and I have already chosen some players from the Northern Region. Only the best players will make it into the team," said Dube.

Zifa technical director Nelson Matongorere is assisting Dube to shortlist players for the national team. They were part of the technical team that chose the VW Masters Under-13 players who will represent the country at a tournament set for Spain in May.
The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee is funding the preparations.

The first selection was done at Prince Edward’s High School for the Northern Region in Harare last weekend. Today and tomorrow the Eastern Region's provincial teams will clash at Mucheke Stadium and Dube will be expected to shortlist the most outstanding players. Dube and his team will then head for Central Region where the same process will be done in Zvishavane on 13-14 March. He will wrap up his provisional squad selection process in Hwange for the Southern Region.

Zifa marketing and media manager Harry Taruva confirmed Dube's programme.
"Dube will submit his provisional team to Zifa on 23 March. The boys will then go into camp during the April schools' holiday. A budget has been drafted and sent to Zoc for the friendly matches that have been lined up as part of the team's preparations. If funds are released, then dates for those warm-up matches will be made available. The final team of 18 players should be with ZOC by 15 July," said Taruva.

Story Posted On: 08/03/10 @ 10:30hrs

by Ellina Mhlanga

SWIMMING sensation Kirsty Coventry urged young athletes to be committed in everything they do to achieve their set goals.

Coventry, who was in the country for a one-week charity work for Lapdesk, took her time to address young athletes participating in the zonal cross-country championships held at Prince Edward last Friday.

The swimming icon encouraged the athletes to work hard as they battle to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games set for Singapore.

"You have to put in the time, work pretty hard to be the best, for me it is such an honour to represent Zimbabwe for about 16 years. For the first eight years it was difficult but, however, from 2000 to 2008 my swimming career was at its best because of the hard work. I had to train for between four to six hours a day and it was worth it."

"One thing that also kept me going was that I love what I am doing," Coventry said.

Zimbabwe will be sending athletes to Singapore for the Youth Olympic Games and Coventry said the athletes need to work as a team during the games.

"They need to support each other and not to be intimidated and be proud that they are representing Zimbabwe because it is an honour.

"The team that is going would have qualified and they must not forget that," said Coventry.

ZOC chief executive Robert Mutsauki said they were aiming at motivating the young athletes through role models such as Coventry. "We want her to try to motivate and encourage them and tell them that it is possible to rise to that level and we want to communicate to them about what it takes to be successful and for her it is also giving back to the community," said Mutsauki.

Mutsauki said they have also engaged Coventry to help promote the forthcoming Youth Olympic Games and raising` resources for the team.

Olympic sports centre cordinator Chiedza Mafunga said the presentation by Coventry was part of their programme to get local athletes, who have made it on the international arena, to meet the young athletes and motivate them.

Story Posted On: 02/03/10 @ 09:30hrs

Harare, February 08, 2010- The first session of the Advanced Sport  Management Course (ASMC) intake 3 will commence on Saturday 27 and end on Sunday 28 February 2010 at the ZOC Headquarters.

The course is organized by Zimbabwe Olympic Committee in collaboration with Olympic Solidarity.
 
The 2010 ASMC will be structured in seven sessions of two days each that are spread between February and November 2010.  The course covers six modules in the “Management of Sport Organization” book. These modules include Managing an Olympic Sports Organisation, Managing Strategically, Managing Human Resources, Managing Finances, Managing Marketing and Organizing a Major Sporting Event.

ZOC aims at developing abilities and enhancing competencies of National Sports Association Executives to among other things better manage their sporting institutions.  To that effect the 2010 Intake 3 participants are drawn from different National Sport Associations (Table Tennis, Hockey, Wushu, Badminton, Karate, Judo, Rowing, Basketball, Cricket, Special Olympics) Tertiary Institutions, the ZOC Board and Secretariat.  This intake also includes two senior members of the Sport and Recreation Commission Directorate.

Due to this course’s positive impact on the Zimbabwean Sports Administrators demand for enrolment has continued to rise. Such positive developments have also seen Stanley Mutoya, the ZOC General Manager come on board to compliment Mr. Edward Siwela as one of the two Programme Directors. Mutoya successfully completed the Advanced Sports Management Course (ASMC) Programme Directors’ training in Lausanne, Switzerland and thereafter was certified by Olympic Solidarity.
 

The ZOC Olympic Sports Centre Coordinator, Mrs. Chiedza Mafunga is back home after attending a one week training seminar in Sudan.  Mafunga was attending an Olympafrica Training seminar that ran from 14 – 20 January 2010 in the City of Khartoum.  Speaking soon after arrival, Mafunga expressed great satisfaction at the way the seminar was organized.   “It was a seminar well worth attending and we learnt a lot of concepts and skills on how to manage an Olympafrica project,” Mafunga said. 

Speaking about the idea of the Olympafrica project given her exposure, Mafunga said, this was a good idea with potential for powerful impact in Africa as the project seeks to develop relevant and applicable life skills to the surrounding communities.  The seminar gave participants a chance to interact with an IAAF expert with whom the participants went through the Athletics module.  Athletics will be one of the disciplines on offer through the project together with Football.  This project will be running through the ZOC Olympic Sports Centre whose concept is similar in several ways to the Olympafrica project.  A number of activities that include sporting tournaments train the trainers courses and self help projects will be running at the Olympic Sports Centre through the funding of the Olympafrica project.

The ZOC Olympic Sports Centre concept is premised upon the belief that sport can be effectively run using existing structures and forging smart partnerships.  ZOC entered into a partnership agreement with Prince Edward School for use of their facilities as the Olympic Sports Centre and this arrangement has worked wonders.  Several coaching clinics, symposia, training courses, forums and seminars have been organized by the Olympic Sports Centre with resounding success.


Story Posted On: 28/01/10 @ 11:300hrs

The Zimbabwe Under 15 Boys Football Team was nominated by the Confederation of African Football to be the sole representatives of the African continent at the inaugural Summer Youth Olympic Games scheduled for Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010.  Zimbabwe will join five other teams representing their various confederations including the host country Singapore at these Games. 

FIFA has six confederations The AFC in Asia, CAF in Africa, the Football Confederation (CONCACAF) in North and Central America and the Caribbean, CONMEBOL in South America, UEFA in Europe and the OFC in Oceania.  Teams to the Singapore Youth Olympic Games were nominated and/or qualified by the respective football confederation and confirmed by FIFA from countries which never or rarely had the opportunity to participate either in Olympic Games or World Cups.  The following teams have been confirmed:

The FIFA Executive Committee at its meeting in Nassau, Bahamas in May 2009 ratified the Confederation of African Football (CAF) proposal that Zimbabwe participate in the Men’s football Tournament at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games.  However, an agreement had to be reached with IOC regarding the age category for football at the tournament as the Youth Olympic Games are meant for young people between the ages of 14 to 18 years.  Each specific International Federation had to decide in consultation with IOC on the actual age group for its sporting discipline and in some cases the specific events.

The generic information on the Football Tournament is that, competition will comprise six teams for both men and women.  Eligibility is open to Under- 15 players (those born between 1 January and 31 December 1995) with each team comprising of 18 players.

The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC) and Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) have already met to discuss preparations for participation at the tournament.  Team selection and preparation plans are being finalized to ensure availability of the team well on time in order to provide adequate preparations.  ZIFA will be responsible for setting up a Technical Team to formulate and implement in earnest, an action plan for the Singapore Youth Olympic Games.  The action plan will be discussed with ZOC and unbundled in due course in an effort to identify talented select and prepare appropriate players for the National Under 15 Football Team that will represent Zimbabwe at the Games.

The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee is happy with Zimbabwe’s recognition by FIFA through CAF which has subsequently been endorsed by the IOC.  It places a pleasant challenge that confirms that as a nation we deserve to be regular participants to high level international competitions.  It further challenges ZIFA as an association and the entire sporting family in Zimbabwe to facilitate establishment and existence of a strong junior development plan and programme that can be used as a conveyor belt for top level athletes at any given time.  We therefore hope that, with the introduction of the Youth Olympic Games that will be hosted every four years and in between the Summer Olympics, National Sports Associations will see the need and prudence of having functional junior development programmes which buttress the base of formidable national teams.

The Youth Olympic Games are unique both as an offering and in their structure, with special focus being placed on exposing athletes to Olympic Values Education through a well designed Culture and Education Programme (CEP).  The Culture and Education Programme seeks to empower and re-energise youths from around the world with positive knowledge, attitudes and values through sport, based on the spirit of Olympism.   Twenty six sporting disciplines are on the Youth Olympic Games programme.  Zimbabwe has had the football team and Triathlete Andrea Brown already confirmed for participation.  Andrea Brown qualified to represent Africa at the Youth Olympic Games following her participation at the Triathlon African Youth Olympic Games qualifying competition held in Pretoria in November 2009.  She came second behind South African Ashleigh Blackwell.

Story Posted On: 22/01/10 @ 16:10hrs

The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee officially launched the Young Ambassador Programme by announcing the Young Ambassador for the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games on 20 December 2009.  The launch was held at a joint function which also served as the graduation ceremony for the 2008 intake of the Advanced Sports Management Course. 

The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC) Executive Board nominated Miss. Primrose Mhunduru as their Young Ambassador.  Primrose is currently serving as the ZOC Development Officer.    She is a holder of a Bachelor of Science Sports Science and Coaching Degree from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and the current ZOC Development Officer.  She has already established herself as a dynamic Sport Administrator.   She has been involved in the organization of the Zimbabwe National Youth Games since 2006 serving in the organizing committees and Chairing the Technical Committee for the 2009 edition of the Games.  She has also worked for the Sport and Recreation Commission as an attaché.

The aim of the Young Ambassador Programme is to motivate the delegation’s athletes to take part in the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) and be involved in the cultural and educational activities in particular. For these first Games, 30 National Olympic Committees (NOC) from the five continents were selected to send one Young Ambassador per NOC to run this Programme.  The Young Ambassador Programme is open to a young man/woman aged about 18 to 25.  The Programme requires the Young Ambassador to work before, during and after the games.  The scope of action will lie in the fields of education and communication.  ZOC therefore wishes Miss. Primrose Mhunduru success and progress in her involvement with this new initiative.

Story Posted On: 18/01/10 @ 14:30hrs

A total of forty three sports journalists drawn from several media houses gathered in Harare for a two day Sports Writers Association of Zimbabwe (SWAZ) forum on Olympic Values Education.   The forum was being funded by the International Olympic Committee through the department of International Cooperation and Development. The forty three delegates included members of both the print and electronic media as well as some freelance sports journalists. 

Fourteen carefully selected presenters led several discussions on various topics that pertain to the field of journalism with special attention on Olympic Values Education to a Zimbabwean journalist.  The Director of International Cooperation and Development in the IOC, Mr. Thomas Ganda Sithole attended the course and also served as one of the presenters.  The forum ended with a SWAZ Extraordinary meeting in which a number of resolutions were made.  Speaking on the sidelines of the forum, the SWAZ Chairman, Mr. Wellington Nyoni could not hide his delight over the successful hosting of this forum.  “I am very happy that the forum has exposed the journalists to a number of key issues pertaining to Olympic Values Education.  As Sports Journalists, we are happy and willing to work with all the institutions that include the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee for the furtherance of the ideals of Olympism, and Olympic Values Education,” Nyoni said.

The forum was officially opened by the Deputy Minister of Education, Sport, Arts  and Culture, honourable Lazarus Dokora on Sunday, while the Minister of Information and Publicity, Honourable Webster Shamu officiated during the Forum closing ceremony.

Zimbabwe’s representatives to the 2010 Youth Olympic Games Friendship Camp recently held in Singapore arrived safely home on Monday 14 December 2009.  The two young athletes, Marbel Zingunzi and Hillary Ngani were met at the Harare International Airport by the ZOC Acting Chief Executive Officer Mr. Stanley Mutoya who was accompanied by the Development Officer Ms. Primrose Mhunduru.  The visibly elated Marbel was full or praises of the organization of the camp as well as the amount of education they gathered out of this unique experience.  “This was an amazing experience which opened our eyes in a big way,” commented Marbel.  Hillary Ngani was rather laid back but could not hide the fact that the camp was full of value.  “It was a lifetime experience full of value which I will forever cherish,” said Hillary.  The two will be presenting their report to ZOC on the camp accompanied by a plan on how they intend to implement Culture and Education programmes for the Zimbabwean Youths as we count down towards the inaugural Youth Olympic Games set for Singapore in August 2010..

Story Posted On: 18/12/09 @ 13:30hrs

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced sanctions against five athletes who participated in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for having committed anti-doping violations. These five athletes tested positive for mirCERA© (CERA), a third generation of the endurance-enhancing hormone, EPO.

The samples were collected and tested at Games-time and were subject to further analysis earlier this year when a fully validated test to detect CERA became available. Originally, six athletes showed adverse analytical findings in their A samples. However, one athlete was not sanctioned due to the presence of CERA not being detected in her B sample.

All six athletes had the opportunity to be heard by an IOC Disciplinary Commission.

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Nineteen delegates successfully completed the sixth session of the Advanced Sports Management Course that was conducted at the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee Headquarters on Saturday and Sunday 7 and 8 November 2009.  The session dealt with case study presentations by delegates on how their Olympic Sport Organisations manage Marketing.  The second part of the session then involved facilitation on Managing a Major Sporting Event.  Thereafter, the group went away to prepare case studies on how their Organisations manage major sporting events.  They will make presentations in plenary when the group reconvenes for the final session which will be held from 18 to 20 December 2009.  Speaking after the session, Edward Siwela, the programme Director expressed great satisfaction over the quality of engagement that delegates exhibited during the session.  “I was impressed with the level of practical and academic discussions that were put forward by the delegates,” commented the visibly elated Siwela.  “The PowerPoint presentations were of very high quality and I was satisfied with the manner in which delegates engaged in discussion on the chapter on Organising a Major Sporting Event.”  Siwela went on. 

Nineteen delegates from eleven National Sports associations as well as Sport and Recreation Commission and the National Olympic Committee make up intake two of the ASMC.  This course seeks to provide competence based learning to enhance management competencies within National Sports Associations.  The course is targeted at executives occupying middle to senior management positions within their sporting organizations.

By Collin Matiza

THE heat is on for Robert Mutsauki. The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee chief executive has got a fight on his hands as he intensifies his campaign to land the powerful post of the secretary-general of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa.

It emerged yesterday that the post of Anoca secretary-general is likely to be contested by five candidates, the other four coming from Congo Brazzaville, Egypt, Nigeria and Rwanda.

Two more candidates from two unnamed African countries are also likely to throw their hats into the ring before the Anoca general assembly from July 6-8 in Abuja, Nigeria.

Yesterday Mutsauki said he was ready for "the fight of my life".

He said although the closing date of nomination for all the posts was June 6, he believes to date at least five candidates have been nominated for the post.

"My nomination was submitted to the Anoca headquarters by ZOC last month and receipt of it has been duly acknowledged.

"Although the closing date for nomination to all the posts is June 6, I understand that to date, at least five candidates have been nominated for the post of secretary-general.

"Apart from myself, the other candidates are reported to be from Congo Brazzaville, Egypt, Nigeria and Rwanda and I hear there could be a possibility of at least two more candidates throwing their hats into the ring," Mutsauki said.

The ZOC boss wants to replace Angolan Gustavo Conceicao, who resigned as Anoca secretary-general in November last year.

Mutsauki feels he has covered a lot of ground since he first made his intentions of standing for the post known in 2007.

He said he found it amusing that while he had already circulated his manifesto to all National Olympic Committees of Africa, he had not received "a single election manifesto" from any of the other contenders.

"Perhaps they are sidestepping me, but in my view the whole point of campaigning is to put on the table what you have to offer and let the electorate decide.

"What’s encouraging though for me is the feedback I continue to get from various stakeholders in different parts of Africa and I can feel the momentum that my campaign is generating which, hopefully, will be strong enough to sweep away my opponents."

Mutsauki recently took his campaign trail to Johannesburg, South Africa, where several influential African sports administrators had gathered for the Olympic Solidarity Regional Forum for Africa.

"Last week, I moved my campaign for the post of Anoca secretary-general a gear up when I took advantage of the two-day Olympic Solidarity forum attended by delegates from 13 African countries. The forum gave me the opportunity to engage the delegates on a one-on-one basis.

"I also distributed my election manifesto and this time I also had a surprise for them as I handed out my campaign T-shirts.

"I was also able to respond to specific issues which they raised on my 10-point plan for Anoca.

"At the same meeting I also got commitments from some of the delegates who undertook to promote my candidature in their respective zones."

Mutsauki’s campaign T-shirts, which carry his face on the front, were designed by local sportswear manufacturing company Faithwear.

[ Posted: 14/05/09 - 09:45hrs (CAT) ]

The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee Development Commission Chairman, Titus Zvomuya left for Canada on Friday the 27th of March 2009.  Zvomuya is attending the 8th Conference on Sport and Environment in Vancouver.   The Conference which is part of Olympic Solidarity’s collaboration with the IOC Sport and Environment Commission will be running from 29 to 31 March 2009.  The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee was selected by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) to benefit among other selected National Olympic Committees.  In agreement with the IOC’s Department of International Cooperation ad Development (DICD), the conference’s coordinator, Olympic Solidarity’s contribution covered Zvomuya’s return air fare and hotel accommodation for a maximum of 4 nights on a bed and breakfast basis.  On return, Zvomuya will be expected to incorporate matters of sport and environment into ZOC programmes and activities.  Zvomuya is expected back home on Friday 3 April 2009..

[ Posted: 31/03/09 - 10:30hrs (CAT) ]

The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee hosted a coaches’ symposium on Saturday 28 March 2009.  The symposium which was attended by 56 coaches drawn from schools, National Associations and clubs, was organized through the Olympic Sports Centre, based at Prince Edward School.   The symposium was organized to coincide with the commencement of the Olympic Solidarity funded level 1 Community Triathlon Coaching Course currently running at St. Johns High School.  The course started on Sunday 29 March and would end on Tuesday 31 March 2009.  Franz Studer, the South African based ITU expert conducting the Triathlon Course facilitated at the coaches’ symposium.  Studer’s interactive presentation   dealt with the art and science of coaching incorporating applied science, sport specific science, coach athlete relationship, coaches’ duties as well as applied art among other things.  Participants from the symposium, held from 1400hrs to 1630hrs expressed appreciation and satisfaction with the level of discussion as well as amount of knowledge that was shared within such a short period of time.  The Olympic Sports Centre will be organizing more such educational activities aimed at improving all facets of sport that include athletes, administrators and officials. 

[ Posted: 31/03/09 - 10:30hrs (CAT) ]

Zimbabwe’s hopes on Tawapo Bhiri did not go in vain after all.  True to the expectation, Bhiri did the nation proud by defying all odds and turning on the power in finishing second in the 2008/9 Standard Chartered Greatest Race on Earth Women’s Nations Challenge in Hong Kong on Sunday 8 February 2009.  That terrific performance in a time of 02:58:17 eased the Zimbabwe Women’s team into second position in this leg and in the overall African Nations ranking behind perennial hard runners Kenya.  Tanzania was relegated into the unfashionable third position after a disappointing finish in a time of 04:13:22.

Tawapo Bhiri’s strong finish bounced Zimbabwe back into reckoning in a cumulative time of 13:29:42 in the entire four legged race.  This was 02:36:36 behind eventual winners Kenya who had a cumulative time of 10:53:06 after the four races.  The Zimbabwe Women’s Marathon team performance this year was 39minutes and 25 seconds slower than last year’s cumulative time of 12:50:17.  The 2007/8 cumulative time could easily have been beaten if Chiyedza Chokore had not fallen unusually ill during the race in Mumbai India in January 2009.  The performance by the Zimbabwe Women’s team firmly positioned them 9th in the World behind Kenya, China, Australia, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand in that order.

As the girls take a deserved break from this exciting race, Zimbabwe will continue to reminisce on the good performances posted in this edition for a long time to come.  The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee congratulates Tawapo Bhiri and the entire Women’s team for a sterling performance that has proudly hoisted Zimbabwe’s flag in the global Marathon world.

[ Posted: 12/02/09 - 11:30am ]                                                         [ Back to Top ]

ROBERT MUTSAUKI, the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC) chief executive, feels he is the right candidate for the post of secretary general of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (Anoca). The elections are slated for July 8 in Abuja, Nigeria, the continental Olympic body confirmed at its executive meeting last week.

The same meeting also confirmed that International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge would attend the Anoca general assembly. Mutsauki revealed that he draws his confidence from the fact that he got his campaign for the secretary’s general’s post off the blokes two years ago.
"I began the campaign in 2007. I have already circulated my election manifesto to the 53 member NOCs that make up Anoca and I am confident of getting the 27-plus votes one needs to win the elections," said Mutsauki. As part of my campaign I traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, last year in December to address members of Anoca Zone five (East Africa). I am glad that my presentation was well received by members of that region.
"Basically the other idea was to get Zone Five and our region Zone Six to work together in pooling votes for my candidature for the Anoca secretary general’s post.
"Zone Six members among them Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland, South Africa, Namibia and Zambia, have all endorsed my candidature for the post which is a good development," added the veteran administrator.

This month Mutsauki will get a chance to sell his manifesto to the North and West African bloc when he travels to Egypt for a Sports Convention that is scheduled to run from 12 to 14 February.

"It’s critical to be part of that gathering, as I will ask for their support and at the same time explain my manifesto. I have already come up with a ten-point plan for Anoca. Hopefully my track record and credentials will convince the electorate that I am the right candidate," he said. "I have gone a step further by having a web page which individuals can access to get a clearer picture. The web page is regularly updated and the address is www.zoc.co.zw/robertmutsauki.

"To date over 120 people have visited the web page, it’s encouraging because it’s a positive indicator that my manifesto has generated people’s interest. I am not aware of other candidates for the secretary general post, I will only get to know this when the nomination forms are submitted to ANOCA.

"Other posts to be contested at the general assembly are president, four vice-presidents and treasurer. Gustavo Conceicao of Angola is the outgoing secretary general. "Conceicao who was elected in June 2005 resigned last year in November," added Mutsauki.

The winner of the July Anoca secretary’s elections will stay in office for four years with the option of running for a second term at the organisation’s next elections.
Should Mutsauki be successful in his Anoca bid, expectations are high that he will relinquish his ZOC post although the regional Olympic committee’s constitution does not bar one from holding posts both at national and continental levels.