Story by Lawrence Trusida, Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE’S football revival is drawing regional attention, with a parliamentary delegation from the Kingdom of Eswatini visiting the country to benchmark its football governance and development model.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture is hosting the delegation, which is examining the structures and systems driving Zimbabwe’s football resurgence.
Eswatini Parliamentary Sports Committee Chairperson, Honourable Nathi Mdockies Hlophe said Zimbabwe’s recent progress had prompted the visit.
“Zimbabwe has been doing well in football, and we have been learning from you for a long time. Many of your players and coaches have come to Eswatini, but recently we realised something positive was happening because we started seeing more foreign players coming to Zimbabwe. We also wanted to understand how the Government is supporting football,” he said.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Honourable Farai Jere said it was encouraging that Zimbabwe’s efforts to revive football were being recognised beyond its borders.
“We are pleased that the good work being done here is attracting regional attention. A lot of effort is being invested by the Government and the private sector to grow football in the country,” he said.
Chief Director in the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Ms Eugenia Chidhakwa said the committee’s work had contributed to policy decisions driving the growth of sport.
“We are pleased that informed decisions based on the committee’s work are contributing to the development of sport in the country,” she said.
The Eswatini delegation will continue its benchmarking programme with visits to football matches and meetings with key stakeholders as it explores initiatives that could be adopted to strengthen football development in the Kingdom of Eswatini.
From: Yvo
