Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) Matabeleland North province has been urged to decentralise its operations to district level to expedite dissemination of information, especially about the latest trends.
The National Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash) head in charge of athletics in Bubi district Cain Ncube said the move would help empower disadvantaged communities that have schools with a high number of talented athletes.
Ncube said districts often found it hard to access Naaz programmes due to lack of information and this manifested itself at competitions where the province performed dismally.
“We are saying if all districts have Naaz representatives, whether it’s a single person, who will be in constant touch with the provincial athletics leadership or even a district athletics sub-committee, this will help improve athletics in our schools and eventually the province. We can even organise Naaz approved district competitions, not only during the first term of schools, but throughout the year, but at the moment such programmes cannot happen,” said Ncube, who is also the headmaster of Sijawugwe Secondary School.
Naaz Matabeleland North chairman Enock Ngwenya concurred with Ncube and said a programme had since been drawn up to establish such structures.
Ngwenya said this would be done in consultation with district heads in charge of athletics at both Nash and National Association of Primary School Heads (Naph) level.
“Naaz is decentralising to cluster levels in districts. As we speak, we will be having these structures put in place for Lupane, Umguza and Hwange. Binga, Bubi and Nkayi need to be revitalised. We, however, have been dealing with contact persons and district heads in charge of athletics in Naph and Nash in the various districts, but we realise that some persons have since transferred leaving vacuums,” said Ngwenya.
