The Sports and Recreation Commission and the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture met with Multi-Disciplinary Umbrella Sport Organizations which include the Zimbabwe National Paralympic Committee, Zimbabwe Republic Police Sports Association, Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services, Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, National Association of Primary School Heads (NAPH), Confederation of Heads of Independent Schools in Zimbabwe (CHISZ), Association of Trust Schools (ATS), Agricultural Colleges, and Zimbabwe Tertiary Institutions Sports Union (ZITISU).
The purpose of the meeting was to:
- To define the roles played by the invited umbrella organizations in the delivery of sport and recreation in the country,
- To discuss and agree on the roadmap for coming up with the National Sport and Recreation Strategy,
- To share the National Podium Performance Programme concept and clarify the roles played by the invited umbrella organizations in realizing national sporting podium success, and
- To sensitize the invited organizations on compliance and governance standards as expected of them through the Sports and Recreation Commission Act and the Statutory Instrument 342.
The consultative meeting agreed that there was urgent need to come up with a National Sport and Recreation Strategy to guide the implementation of the sport and recreation programmes across all the sporting disciplines. It was also noted that all the Umbrella Sport Associations and other sporting bodies were doing good work however, it was observed that there was an absence of a well coordinated approach hence the meeting agreed that the National Sport and Recreation strategy needed to be put in place as a matter of urgency.
It was also the view of the meeting that there was need to ensure that the strategy targets everyone so that people develop a culture of being involved in sport and recreation as opposed to the current trend where the less talented athletes were isolated especially during their formative years and this led to many athletes either dropping sport or they would emigrate to other countries where their talent was further developed and at times they ended up changing citizenship and this was costing the country.
The meeting was also sensitized on the National Podium Performance Programme and in that discussion members agreed that there was need to come up a National High Performance system which would see the country producing podium success athletes. While the members acknowledged that there was some degree of success at elite level but it was the meeting’s view that there was no proper system to produce elite athletes.
Members were also reminded that there was need for them comply with the Sports and Recreation Commission Act and Statutory Instrument 342. It was also highlighted that the SRC was going to be registering all the sporting and recreational facilities in the country and it was important for those with facilities to comply so that the correct number of sporting and recreational facilities would be known.
The members were also sensitized on the need for them to practice safe sport standards and avoid exposing athletes to dangerous environments.
Members were asked to go and consult with their respective constituencies which they represent on which matters they wanted include in the National Sport and Recreation Strategy and were to report back on 13 July 2018 with the input of their members. In the meantime the SRC together with the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation would consult with other stakeholders with regards to the National Sport and Recreation Strategy.
The National Sport and Recreation Strategy is to meant to operationalize the National Sport and Recreation Policy which was approved by the Government in 2016.
