The Sunday Mail
Petros Kausiyo
Sports Editor
DESPITE global sport being in lockdown, grounded by the coronavirus, there was something big to celebrate for the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ) family after its president, Tendayi Tagara, joined an elite group of administrators that have been appointed to an international federation.
Tagara was recently appointed onto the powerful International Association of Athletics Federations’ (IAAF) Development Commission.
The IAAF is also now known as World Athletics.
Tagarahas previously held the post of national athletics coach in his long history with the sport.
That elite group features Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister Kirsty Coventry, who is an International Olympic Committee Executive Board member and chair of the Athletes’ Commission.
Veteran administrator Tommy Sithole, who served at the IOC, is also part of that unique class, having spent a decade working at the powerful global sports body’s headquarters in Switzerland.
Another Zimbabwean working at an international federation is Solomon Mudege, who is FIFA’s senior development programmes manager for Africa.
Coventry and Zimbabwe Olympic Committee chief executive officer Anna Mguni were also recently appointed to one-year terms onto the World Anti-Doing Agency (WADA) committees.
The Minister was appointed onto the WADA Athlete Committee, while seasoned administrator Mguni will serve in the Education Committee.
Coventry will be part of a 12-member Athlete Committee led by three-time Olympian Ben Sandford of New Zealand.
WADA’s Athlete Committee was established in 2005.
Its purpose is to provide an athlete’s perspective to WADA management, the WADA Executive Committee and Foundation Board on all relevant anti-doping matters, and to represent the views and rights of athletes as it relates to anti-doping.
The Education Committee, of which Mguni is now a member, provides expert advice, recommendations and guidance to the organisation’s management with respect to short-term education strategies and activities, and longer-term approaches to WADA’s education programmes.
Cream
And now Tagara has joined that cream of sports leaders with his induction onto the World Athletics’ Development Commission.
Tagara’s appointment to the world governing body’s powerful 12-member development commission — the first of a NAAZ official — will run for an initial four-year term.
World Athletics have three major commissions — Competition Commission, Development Commission and Governance Commission.
The Development Commission also includes one of the senior World Athletics vice presidents and members of the world body’s powerful Council.
The role of the Development Commission includes to advise on the growth and development of athletics worldwide, build skills and capacity, increase levels of participation from grassroots to elite and help address social issues such as health and well-being.
An excited Tagara told The Sunday Mail Sport that the appointment had not come on a silver platter, as they had to be subjected to a rigorous exercise, which included interviews.
“It is a long process that involved almost five stages of interviews of various forms.
“Remember, this is not an elected post, but one is appointed through an adjudication process that will be looking at certain competencies, and I am happy that I had those sports management competencies at global level.
“I am a World Athletics Level 5 Coach as well as a Level 2 global lecturer. Many candidates from various countries were interviewed,” Tagara said.
The appointment, Tagara insisted, was not for his personal glory but would help Zimbabwe as well.
“This is a positive development, bearing in mind that it puts Zimbabwe on the global map. When Mr Tommy Sithole went to the IOC, he was able to assist Zimbabwe Olympic Committee on how to access various Olympic movement programmes and grants which are there but were not accessed because of limited knowledge.
“Look at the appointment of our Minister of Sport, Honourable Kirsty Coventry, the whole of the sporting fraternity was very happy because of her vast experience at global level.
“Zimbabwe athletics will never be the same again, as the experience I gain there must be ploughed back to this country. A lot of reforms must take place to pitch ourselves up there.
“I am looking forward to continue working closely with all athletics stakeholders like NAPH, NASH, colleges, universities, uniformed forces to make our sport grow from strength to strength.’’
He also spoke about how his association has been coping with the lockdown.
“The association has embarked on awareness programmes on informing athletes and officials on developmental issues about our sport.
“The director of coaching in collaboration with the Athletes’ Commission are encouraging athletes to keep safe at home and stay fit.
“We are also preparing on programmes post-COVID-19. We hope if all goes well, we re-look at real training around August — all is guided by Government through the Ministry of Sport and SRC (Sports and Recreation Commission) advice.
“We are asking provinces and districts to do administration work like updating membership . . . on latest information on how other global athletes are surviving under Covid-19.
“We want our district structures to be strong . . .
“Quarterly virtual meetings are being held. We are also taking this time to unpack the recommendations of the Development on Sport Federation project we embarked on with Robert Mutsauki as the expert with the support of the Olympic Solidarity.
“We have 20 technical officials who were supposed to sit for an examination in April; this is the time for them to read because it is quite a tough examination.’’
Tagara said NAAZ would continue to prioritise safety in the wake of the coronavirus.
