NOC counsels sports bodies | Times of Zambia

MOYO

By Muwali Musampula -
NATIONAL Olympic Committee (NOC) president Miriam Moyo has urged sports associations to create rapport with their respective international bodies if they are to start benefiting from grants and equipment acquisition.

Moyo challenged participants to the committee?s three-day strategic planning workshop held at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) in Lusaka to take advantage of their international bodies as it was their right by virtue of being affiliates.

She expressed sadness that, during a an International Olympic Committee (IOC) meeting held in Switzerland, Zambian came up prominently as one of the countries whose sports associations did not constantly communicate with their respective international bodies to give reports on their programmes and needs.

Moyo said it was worrying that Zambian associations were always complaining of lack or no assistance when they were ignoring the benefits from international bodies to whom they have right to by being their affiliates.

?It is saddening that our associations do not communicate with their international bodies, this has constantly been observed and discussed at IOC meetings as to why Zambian associations have not been accessing certain things from their international bodies.

Most of our associations don?t give reports, don?t find out on what they are entitled like other countries. It is really worrying, so please be in constant communication, that is why these international bodies are there,? she told participants.

And Zimbabwe Sports Recreation (ZSR) programme director Edward Siwela, who facilitated at the workshop, said most countries? poor performance at international competitions were as a result of structural deficiencies.

?Structural deficiencies-that is the lack of boards in place by national federations have contributed to poor planning. Most federations have stuck to the old ways of having executive committee style. We need to move away from this if we are to plan strategically,? he said.

And national sports associations pledged to work with the NOC in fulfilling preparations of reaping the country?s first ever Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Games.

After a three day deliberation at which a strategic planning document was drawn to help in formulating a medal winning formula, various association representatives agreed that the country has been failing to reap medals because of lack of proper planning when preparing athletes for international competitions.

The participants drawn from 13 NOC affiliates commended NOC for organising such a gathering especially after the just-ended London 2012 Olympic Games where Zambia failed to reap any medals.

NOC steering committee chairperson Boniface Kambikambi said his committee would come up with a draft document to be presented to the body in the next two months before drawing a final paper in the country?s quest for a gold medal at 2020 Olympic Games.

NOC general secretary Hazel Kennedy who bemoaned the low turn-out of representation from its affiliates appealed for patience as a strategic planning process usually takes a bit of time, hence the eight-year action programme.

Among the representatives were the Zambia Amateur Boxing Federation (ZABF), Zambia Basketball Association (ZBA), Zambia Badminton Association (ZBA), Zambia Amateur Athletics Association (ZAAA), Zambia Judo Association (ZJA), Zambia Tennis Association (ZTA), Zambia Schools and Universities and Zambia Hockey Association (ZHA).

Source: http://www.times.co.zm/?p=11624

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