adminZimbabwe has taken part in many sporting competitions, regionally and on an international scale, and the excitement that usually precedes the tourneys is usually eclipsed by the gloom following our poor performances usually.
This has been a pattern over the years, wherein poor preparations across sporting disciplines have seen us falter when it matters most. We have also heard voices laying the blame on administrators of the different sporting codes.
In our last edition we carried an article on preparations for the International Cricket Council Under-19 World Cup next year, with the local side reported to be already preparing for the contest scheduled for Sri Lanka.
These reports came at a time our Mighty Warriors, the senior women’s team was plagued by less than satisfactory preparations owing partly to the suspension of the country from international football for about two years. Controversy has also followed the team’s time in South Africa, for the Cosafa championships.
We are heartened that Zimbabwe Cricket seem to have longer term strategic plans to take the game to another level, with a full programme of preparations leading up to the World Cup in January. Also of note is the presence of former cricketers in administration of the game.
Said ZC director of cricket, Hamilton Masakadza: “We realise that we are going to be hosting the next 50 overs World Cup so it is part of our strategic objectives that we get that team ready. We know we are going to have players from this Under-19 side in the team for the World Cup.”
We believe we need to see this kind of planning and implementation of plans across all sporting disciplines, by people that are familiar with the sport, and conditioning of sportspersons. It is quite unfair on our athletes to expect them to perform at the highest level without investing much in their preparation to stand the heat at that level.
Just recently we were told that the senior soccer team, the Warriors were scheduled to play an international friendly match. That did not happen, and this is quite a disappointing start for a structure meant to normalise our soccer administration after years of bickering and administration boobs.
We believe planning is quite important for us as a country to claim a place at the high table regionally and even internationally. It is not by accident that some countries in the region are catching up with us and some even overtaking us in terms of performance.
This shows that they were intentional about it and they put in place structures to support their vision and now they are reaping the fruits of that patience in preparations. It can be done, and it should be done. Zimbabwean sportspersons and followers alike deserve that.
Siphakeme .Mnindwa
mbulelo smpofu
