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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE country’s leading game changers in sports industry, the Sport Institute Leaders of Zimbabwe (SLIZ) has taken a giant leap towards empowering coaches, administrators and athletes by joining the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE).

ICCE, a leading global non-profit organisation whose mandate is to develop sport coaching in over 30 countries, was established in 1997.

SLIZ president Russell Mhiribidi said his organisation was honoured to be part of the ICCE global family and believes they have taken a right move towards contributing to the country’s sports industry.

“SLIZ has been in the forefront of capacitating our sports administrators and coaches so that they are well trained to take Zimbabwe’s sports industry to greater heights. As we end the year, we are thrilled to announce that SLIZ has joined the ICCE family. We are playing our part in assisting local coaches across all sporting disciplines to work hand in glove with one of the leading coaching institutions in the world.

“It’s was through vigorous lobbying, hard work and perseverance that we were finally accepted to join ICCE,” said Mhiribidi.

SLIZ’s acceptance into ICCE comes a year after they went international by partnering with West Virginia University from the United States.

West Virginia University in partnership with SLIZ have held three courses in Zimbabwe, one in 2017 and two this year.

In April this year, Sliz, which has successfully staged local sports management courses every summer and winter since 2014, managed to lure a sports development organisation from Finland, Liike to come and facilitate a seminar for local sports administrators.

Describing themselves as an organisation that thrives to be the leader in developing sport coaching globally and work towards enhancing quality coaching at every level of sport, ICCE values drew SLIZ into applying to be admitted.

“Everyday around the world, tens of millions of athletes run, jump, throw, catch, swim and participate in other sporting activities. And every day around the world, millions of coaches help those athletes chase their dreams.

“The ICCE believes that international collaboration and exchange can accelerate positive change in the realm of coaching development and help these coaches give athletes around the world a chance to pursue excellence,” reads part of the ICCE mission statement.

— @ZililoR.