The Sunday Mail
Fatima Bulla Senior Sports Reporter
NEWLY elected Hockey Association of Zimbabwe president Mark Manolios has vowed to use his 50 years of experience as a player, coach and administrator to bring back the golden days the sport once savoured. Manolios was thrust back into the HAZ presidency, 29 years after hastily leaving the organisation, during elections held a fortnight ago.
He will lead an executive that also comprises vice-president Humphrey Chigwedere, Sarah Bennett as secretary and Neil Evans as the treasurer.
Other members of the executive are Nicola Watson, Bill Birkett, Tongai Mukwewa, Prince Mwale and Pauline Ndlovu.
The veteran administrator reckons he has a team capable of taking back local hockey to the top table once again.
“I believe that together with my executive and all the aspiring players, especially school boys and girls, we can achieve great things,” said Manolios.
“In addition to looking at improving available facilities, we will have a census of all senior and school hockey players in the country.
“I will help to develop all the provincial boards in the country so that they all become stakeholders who can sustain themselves. In addition, I intend to use my contacts in Europe, Australia and Asia to help with coaching as well as providing competition to local teams.
“We used to get three German clubs a year coming here on tour and our schools toured Europe, that is what I am aiming for.”
The 75-year-old administrator, who has attended nine Olympic Games and five World Cup tournaments in various capacities, disclosed that one of his first tasks is to get the Magamba Hockey Stadium operational again. The facility is now being used for events such as weddings and church services as it does not have a playing surface while the changing rooms need refurbishment.
“When my board was suspended in 1985, and very unfairly I might add, I vowed that I would come back, 29 years later I am here. At that time we were the champions of Africa and also the Under 21 African champions. Our ladies were also involved in tournaments and tours.
“I promise the hockey family that in the two short years that I have I will help steer them in the right direction as we seek to get back to those glory days.
“Please remember we were once ranked ninth in the world, we beat Spain twice in one week when they were European champions.
“Please give us back our (Magamba) stadium in a playable condition and with the help from the corporate world I promise the sky is the limit,” said Manolios who served as a member of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee for 26 years.
A three-time championship winner, Manolios believes his victory speaks volumes of the faith the hockey stakeholders have in his abilities.
“What has been happening is we have had board members voting themselves into power. But I did not have board members voting for me, it was the people out there.
“If you perform just like in politics, people will vote you into power,” Manolios added.
Apart from serving for five years as the member of the marketing committee of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (Anoca), Manolios also served four terms as a Sports and Recreation Commission board member.
A product of Prince Edward School, Manolios umpired 12 pre-Olympic matches in 1972 leading to his award as that year’s International Hockey Umpire winner.
