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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
Veteran sports administrator Tommy Sithole and Tyrone Seward have been appointed chairperson and vice-chairperson of two of the eight Global Esports Federation (GEF) Commissions.

The eight Commissions were announced concurrently with the appointment of Paul Foster as the GEF chief operating officer and comes soon after it launched a #PlayApartTogether campaign with the World Health Organisation (WHO), as part of efforts to fight the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to a GEF communiqué, Sithole, the Zimpapers board chairperson, will chair the federation’s Governance and Ethics Commission while Seward, husband to Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister Kirsty Coventry, will deputise Chester King in the Education, Culture and Wellness Commission.

Other commissions include the Athletes and Players, Brand, Marketing, Commercial and Communications, Digital Technology Innovation, Finance, Legal and Administration, Membership, Technical and Development.

The commissions and appointments come in line with plans for the Federation to convene the world’s esports ecosystem.

Upon its launch last year, the Federation laid its first five initial objectives, which are to encourage and support the establishment of National Esports Federations with a set of relevant standards, guidelines and regulations, establish an athletes’ commission, with a focus on athletes’ well being, development of standards for fair play, career support and educaton to ensure safe doping free and ethically compliant practices.

The Federation shall also convene and stage esports competitions, conventions and develop world class governance structures and guidelines for GEF as well as create, develop and stage the annual flagship Global Esports Games, with the first Games to be staged this year.