There are growing complaints by sports bodies that
officials are taking advantage of international events to take themselves on
“holiday”. In the latest case, 14 officials travelled with a team of just nine
athletes.
There was an also an outcry when Zimbabwe participated at
the 2015 Afrobasket in Tunisia, as a sizeable number of the delegation was made
up of administrators from the Basketball Union of Zimbabwe.
However, the SRC have absolved the Dubai 2021 World Para
Athletics Grand Prix delegation of any wrongdoing.
“Whenever athletes go to compete on the international stage
as Team Zimbabwe, there are certain guidelines and protocols that are effected
that require personnel.
“In the present case, the need to ensure that Team Zimbabwe
paralympic athletes’ welfare is taken care of cannot be overemphasized,” said
SRC acting director-general Sebastian Garikai.
“The country’s economic blueprint, the National Development
Strategy (NDS1), has sport diplomacy as a key pillar for the international community
re-engagement initiatives.
“It is thus imperative to note that the country will seize
every opportunity to re-engage and participate in international trade
activities through sport, hence the presence of some delegates from
Government,” he said.
All the 14 officials on tour were cleared by the
commission.
Two officials from the Zimbabwe National Paralympic
Committee Board and one delegate from Team Management will have engagements on
the sidelines with the International Paralympic Committee on preparations for
the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
“Among the topical issues up for discussion include
registration, licensing, classification of athletes and improving and
strengthening of the paralympic movement within member countries.
“Zimbabwe also has a sport diplomacy delegation which
travelled to Dubai, mainly to attend to sport diplomacy issues in line with the
Government of Zimbabwe’s thrust of re-engagement,’’ said Garikai.
The SRC congratulated the team in Dubai for winning seven
medals, describing the milestone as “a positive contribution towards
repositioning our national image”. Sunday Mail
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