The Sunday News
Lovemore Dube
THE All-Africa Games have always presented an opportunity to Zimbabwean athletes to gauge how good they are against international competition.
After conquering the continent can our athletes be said to be good enough to beat the world.
Associations’ development programmes are measured by achievements at that level. This should be a culmination of years of clearly spelt out development programmes, meticulous planning, talent identification, nurturing and execution of medium and high performance levels of exposure nationally and regionally.
Then the All-Africa Games become the showcase where qualifying athletes represent their country with a view of bringing medals. Perhaps our first participation in the Kenya Games in 1987 was for learning and exposure purposes. Thirty two years later expectations are for a big medal haul.
The associations performed badly at this year’s games with just a handful of medals won. Performances at that level get to be the barometer used to measure how effective the Sport and Recreation Commission, Minister of Sport and national associations have been.
Athletics by virtue of an athlete being able to win up to four medals at one game, like swimming presents a perfect opportunity for a big medal haul for the country.
Zimbabwe managed its lowest medal collection ever at the All-Africa Games with one bronze, one silver (triathlon) another third place finish in chess and swimming providing the third bronze as the country got a meagre four pieces of silverware.
That was an atrocious showing. So quiet was the media in the build-up and during the Games that one would not be surprised to learn that perhaps nothing was expected of the team sent to Morocco.
When such results are posted, an honest review exercise must be undertaken with a view of finding a solution on the way forward. Associations must be brought to book to account, answers are needed from the SRC and minister as public funds are used to fund the team at the Games.
The import of this week’s instalment is a cry for the return of the Chamber of Mines Athletics Championships. These track and field galas, held once in a year around July, after the likes of Hwange, Gaths Mine, Shabanie, Zisco and other prominent mining organisations would have staged their own championships and brought the who is who of Zimbabwe athletics to compete against each other at the highest level.
Besides competitiveness of the field, the officiating and event management was of the highest order.
The Chamber Championships got mine management involved in supporting athletics, track cycling and tug of war. These three were paraded at the same event while netball and football had their own time with mines’ bosses having time to tee off and share business ideas in a round of golf.
Back in the day, one would watch Artwell Mandaza, Adon Trevor, Boniface Magodo, Dera Magodo, Vuyani Fulunga, Collin and Cliff Mutize and Charles Mafika lining up in the 200 and 400m sprints at the Chamber Games.
These names were up for consideration for the 400m and 4x400m relay at successive Olympics Mexico 1968 and Munich 1972.
Such was the quality of these men that in 1969 Artwell Mandaza became the first man under the moon to run a sub 10 seconds 100m. It is no wonder that his 400m time of 46,2 seconds at the Chamber of Mines is yet to be bettered.
Those lucky among Zimbabweans to run better times did so on tartan track being Nelton Ndebele and Gabriel Chikomo in 2007.
The middle and long distances had Zephaniah Ncube, Musaope Phiri, Rio Tinto’s Kenias Tembo, Tapfumaneyi Jonga, Lazwell Ngoma, Hwange’s Rambson Mulombe and Mathias Kanda both of whom represented the country at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Mulombe and Kanda were the first Blacks to represent the country at that level though Cyprian Tseriwa had in 1962 represented Rhodesia at the Empire Games (Commonwealth).
Before the last hosting of the Games a decade ago, we had athletes like Savieri Nghidi, Chikomo, Temba Ncube, Juma Phiri, Phillip Mukomana, Chrispen Mutakanyi, Jeffrey Wilson, Julius Masvanhise, Jeffrey Masvanhise, George Majaji, Lewis Masunda and Kudakwashe Shoko dominating the Chamber of Mines competitions and going on to star in international events like the All-Africa Games.
Phiri holds the high jump record, while diminutive Gabriel Chikomo boasts three Chamber records in the 100m, 4×100 and 4x400m.
The very best in the country clashed at the Chamber of Mines Games.
While most athletics events outside colleges, universities and both primary and secondary schools network fail to attract a full field to fill all the lanes of the track, the Chamber of Mines provided a full house for all its four divisions for intense competition.
The athletes fought for titles as individuals and for their mines. There were incentives like promotion at work. Prices like decent blankets were also a big motivation and celebration parties back at their respective mines.
After Chamber of Mines Championships one would enjoy an exalted status.
While the economy has provided an excuse for not supporting social responsibility programmes like sport, all hope has not been lost. Ngezi Platinum, Vumbachikwe, Mimosa, Makomo, Hwange, Unki Mines are among some of the mines that have kept some active involvement in supporting communities that give a glimpse of hope that the Chamber of Mines Championships can be revived.
There is even room to revive these Games and turn them international to take sporting ties among mines to another level.
In the yesteryear era, athletes like Zephaniah Ncube competed at places like Witbank in South Africa as did teams from football emanating from this country and cycling too.
Sport provides for a perfect social intercourse base for communities to interact outside the serious business corridors. It builds bridges where politicians and other traditional leaders could fail.
The mines have had perfect junior development programmes that have seen athletes from athletics, cycling and football, feeding into various national teams.
Mines have played a very pivotal role in sport development, provision of social and sporting amenities apart from jobs, education and healthcare. Reviving Chamber of Mines should not come as a political decision but an open social responsibility programme born of a desire to be of service to communities and the nation.
Perhaps the Chamber of Mines Gurus in Harare should re-engage and find ways how the event can be resuscitated to expose future world beaters.
