The Sunday Mail
Admire Masenda
I AM seeking re-election as Zimbabwe Olympic Committee president because I haven’t finished the work that I started.
I also believe that in the organisation there must be continuity and a planned form of succession and this is why I have gone public to say this would be my last term should I get re-elected.
It will also be consistent with the term caps that we have put forward . . . at the last General Assembly we put forward term caps which will limit each president to three terms.
Critically I believe the issue has to do with the work I have started, as you know now there is now a sports policy, we have been working with the Ministry (of Sports and Culture) and I think we are at a critical time where we are trying to gel and ensure that ZOC plays its part in delivering on the sports policy.
The other issue is I think the associations have invested in me over a period and they’re still aspects that we need to deliver in terms of capacitating them.
The major (project) is the Epworth Olympafrica Centre.
We have secured US$150 000 through Olympafrica and we have secured land in Epworth were we are going to build a centre which is a sports and recreation centre.
I would like to see that project to its fruition.
The other issue is to refocus the organisation in terms of resourcing it and funding it. Yes, we have a situation where the economy has been difficult but I still think there is work to be done in terms of our partnerships with the corporate world and international financiers.
The other issue is playing a part in aligning sports programmes or activities in a manner that will end up enabling us to have medal contenders.
We have been lobbying the ministry to say that programs must run with a set intention, for example we have the National Youth Games, what do they culminate to, what is the intention?
Those who succeed in the National Youth Games must then proceed to the Region V Games, but is there a link for us ZOC? Another aspect I want to work on is getting, through the Ministry of Sport, tertiary institutions playing a greater role. There is idle talent sitting in tertiary institutions. As ZOC we need to try and harness programs that will bring out that talent and enable it to move forward. Yes, you have the ZTSU Games, but there is no link, to get to that point you have to have experienced it all.
I think this is what I will be bringing to the table.
I am not so sure where people are saying we have sidelined them. We are working within the resources that we have and working with the programs that are available. There has never been a situation, I am talking of the time I have been president, where there has been a programme on offer from Olympic Solidarity and we have passed it up.
We have been pushing the issue of minimum standards on the part of associations, in some quarters it has been misconstrued as a witch hunt.
We are regarded as an exemplary NOC by the International Olympic Committee, we execute on programs we have been given as a result of how we have conducted ourselves.
We are in good standing, we have a very solid relationship and that’s something personally I am very proud of.
That’s not to say that we don’t have room for growth or development, I think we still have a lot of areas that need looking at.
I always say to my board we are looked at on as generally being solid and well managed organisation in terms of governance, but at the end of the day we are going to be measured by medals.
How many times did we go to the Olympics? That is why it’s critical for me to serve another term that must start translating to podium appearances.
I am not taking the associations for granted. I know there are people who are challenging us on various platforms they are saying there is stagnation which I don’t think there is.
If you look at ZOC, we continue to capacitate.
Yes, we are struggling with resources but the organisation is in the black, we are currently sitting on a surplus in terms of funding. I can guarantee that I am team player, I will work with whoever the associations bring on board and we will strive to push the organisation forward.
Zimbabwe Olympic Committee president Admire Masenda was speaking to The Sunday Mail Sport’s Brighton Zhawi in Harare on Thursday April 6, 2017
