Zimpapers Logo

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

A comprehensive inventory of all sporting infrastructure in the country is currently underway to determine their state, Government considers funding all renovation costs.

All the sports facilities have been lying idle for about a year now due to to a freeze declared at the end of March last year at the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak in the country.

Responding to a question from MP Dexter Nduna during a Parliamentary question and answer session last week, Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister Kirsty Coventry said the ministry’s technical arm, the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), was conducting the exercise and once complete a full report would be presented to Parliament.

Nduna had asked Minister Coventry if the Government had a plan to take over the infrastructure of sporting facilities from councils “because they are in a deplorable, dilapidated and disused state”.

“They might never be usable ever again if they have not been taken over by Government in the manner that the State took over clinics and health care institutions,” said Nduna.

Minister Coventry said her vision was for the sporting facilities to not only be good for domestic competitions, but be able to play host to international tournaments in line with the sports tourism mantra.

She said during the sporting infrastructure audit, the SRC will also come up with costs needed for renovations and how to get the facilities up to international standards.

“At the moment what the Sports and Recreation Commission is doing is taking inventory of all the sporting infrastructure that we have around the country, but not just that; the state in which it is as of right now and the potential cost it would take to get back up to the level that is expected internationally. Not just up to the standard that it was, but up to the standard that is now needed for international games and tournaments to be played.

Once that is done I will be able to bring a report back to the House to give an update on that and a way forward,” said Minister Coventry.