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Russell Mhiribidi

Ricky Zililo recently in Masvingo
THE Sports Leaders Institute of Zimbabwe (SLIZ) has accused “illiterate” administrators for hampering progress in the country’s sports industry. Newly appointed head of African Sports Management Association (ASMA) Southern Region chapter and SLIZ director Russell Mhiribidi said ignorant administrators are retrogressive and should not be allowed to lead associations.

For the country to realise full benefits from the sports industry, which has the potential to create numerous job opportunities for many, knowledgeable leaders should be trained.

“SLIZ is committed to capacity development of administrators because we believe the foundation of a strong sporting nation is having people that understand fundamentals of leadership and the subject that they’re at,” said Mhiribidi.

“You get worried when you see illiterate people holding key position in serious associations. There is a strong need to have literate people that will understand or interpret simple things like the constitution.

“How do you lead an association when you can’t interpret the document that governs your sport code? Such leaders only but delay progression of the sport industry and unless they find help by studying, we’re doomed,” he said.

Described as “a winning team that is building leaders” by the acting Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) director-general Joseph Muchechetere, SLIZ trained 186 participants at their winter camp held in Masvingo at the weekend.

Muchechetere said the SRC was worried that most associations were only functional at national level, but dormant at the grassroots because their leaders were failing to set up structures.

“We’re at a time where government is committed towards building the sport industry and there’s a lot involved. You can see that sport is being taken seriously as an industry through the introduction of physical education and sport as an examinable subject. It’s time that we have competent people leading our sports associations,” Muchechetere said.

“As SRC, we’re worried that 65 percent of sports associations are not properly organised. One example is that of football. Do you know that there are only 12 registered area zones in Zimbabwe, meaning other areas are not playing organised football?

“If we talk of rugby, cricket, it’s a no, no. If we’re to build the sport industry in Zimbabwe, we have to start at the foundation and it is our hope that strategic partners like SLIZ continue to train competent leaders,” he said.

Muchechetere said through the introduction of physical education and sport, all the country’s school going pupils will be exposed to almost all sporting disciplines.

He challenged aspiring sport leaders as well as those that hold positions in different associations to attend training clinics similar to the ones organised by SLIZ.

SLIZ will hold a summer camp later this year in Manicaland.