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Benedict Moyo

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Zifa board member Benedict Moyo has challenged sports administrators, former athletes and coaches to capacitate themselves by attending refresher courses to keep abreast with global trends.

Moyo, a former footballer and coach, who took a keen interest in administration, made his call ahead of the Sports Leaders Institute of Zimbabwe (Sliz)’s fifth Winter Camp edition that starts in Victoria Falls today.

Sliz, which seeks to capacitate sports administrators, teachers and tertiary institutions with changing trends in sports administration, holds its Winter Camp in the resort town from today up to Sunday.

“Global trends in the sports industry are changing and for Zimbabwe to be abreast with worldwide developments so that we come up with a strong industry, we need people to attend courses that capacitate them. Our administrators, former players or athletes who desire to take leadership roles as well as coaches can learn a lot by attending these retreats. I’ve been to more than five Sliz seminars and believe you me, every outing presents a new insight,” said Moyo.

Associate Professor Gonzalo Bravo from West Virginia University in the United States will be the camp’s guest speaker. He will make a presentation on managing sport organisations in global sport and its challenges.

Bravo, who arrived in Harare on Tuesday, said sports management seminars are critical in the development of global sport.

Zimbabwe is one of the countries still lagging behind in taking sport to the next level, as it lacks expertise and resources to progress.

“I see a lot in terms of potential for sport growth in the country. There are a lot of gaps, which can be exploited for the development of sport in the country. The fact that Zimbabweans love sport is one major plus for the country,” said Bravo.

“Otherwise, with more seminars like these, Zimbabwe will soon find its way to the world sports map. I am very happy to have been invited to come all the way from the United States of America to address Zimbabwean sport leaders. I am honoured and I promise, by the end of the meeting, Zimbabwe will find its way up in terms of sports management,” he said.

Sliz president Russell Mhiribidi will lead a plenary session on ethical decision making in sport, covering principles, concerns and values.

Mhiribidi said they are excited by Bravo’s visit, which comes four months after the Sliz president visited West Virginia University to cement ties between the two institutions aimed at developing sports in Zimbabwe.

Last year’s Sliz Winter Camp was held in Kariba and it attracted 358 participants. — @ZililoR