Story by Lawrence Trusida, Sports Editor
THE Zimbabwe sports fraternity and diplomats turned up in their numbers at Heritage Village in Harare Wednesday night to bid farewell to International Olympic Committee president-elect Kirsty Coventry at a dinner hosted by the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture.
Honourable Coventry, has been accustomed to grand stages and grand welcomes but there is no harm in doing it one more time, with hundreds of sports luminaries, administrators and diplomats turning up to bid farewell to the International Olympic Committee president-elect.
Coventry, who was the country’s Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture for the past seven years, was elected to the highest sporting office in the world last month after a resounding victory to become the first woman and first African to be President of the International Olympic Committee.
Her successor in the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Lieutenant General (RTD) Anslem Sanyatwe emphasised that the nation is not waving goodbye to an icon, rather it is sending her offer to conquer uncharted lanes.
“Dr Coventry’s rise to the presidency of IOC is a tribute to her exceptional leadership qualities and her understanding of the profound Olympic movement as well as her unwavering dedication to the values of excellence,” Lieutenant General (RTD) Sanyatwe said.
“IOC president-elect, Dr Coventry your election is not just a personal triumph, it is a victory for Zimbabwe, Africa and all those who believe in the transformative power of sport. It sends a powerful message that women are not only capable of achieving greatness in sport and administration but they can lead at the highest levels of global administration.
“We wish you all the best may your leadership be a beacon of strength and resilience, as we bid farewell we are not saying goodbye but we are saying go and continue to conquer the world our ambassador and a true patriot who has always remained true to being Zimbabwean.”
All the testimonials touched on Coventry’s virtues of integrity and leadership.
“You have always carried yourself with grace, discipline, and the kind of quiet strength that moves nations. Whether in the swimming pool, at the cabinet table, or on the global stage, you have consistently embodied the highest values of Olympism, excellence, respect, and friendship.
“This new chapter is not just a testament to your unmatched legacy, but to your deep conviction that sport is a powerful force for unity, transformation, and peace. You represent the face of a new IOC, diverse, inclusive, and ready to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving world,” CEO of the African Union Sports Council Region Five, Stanley Mutoya said.
“This is a bittersweet moment we are happy that you continue to fly the country’s flag even away from the pool. We are also sad that we are losing a leader who has always put integrity above everything even when castigated, you stood true to your values and the results have always vindicated you. You taught us integrity and dedication to the cause and we will forever be indebted to you on that,” Chairperson – Sports and Recreation Commission, Gerald Mlotshwa said.
Other congratulatory messages poured from different world leaders, sports associations as well as sports personalities.
During Coventry’s tenure as Minister, she championed grassroots sports development, ensuring the construction of seven multi-purpose courts in rural areas across the country.
Over the same period, Zimbabwe managed to host nine World Cup qualification tournaments across the sport sector, among them the Rugby Africa Sevens tournament, three Cricket World Cup Qualifiers for men and one for women as well as the Afro-Basket championships.
The former swimming sensation also pushed government to make it a policy to reward athletes who excel at the highest level and now the policy is in place with rewards well documented for athletes who win medals at continental and World level competitions.
Coventry, who is Africa’s most decorated Olympian, had one more departing wish.
“Thank you all for assisting me to be where I am today, it is a victory for Zimbabwe and Africa and the women to show that we can lead and Africa is ready but as I leave I humbly ask General Sanyatwe to push through the two bills that are in parliament, I would have loved to leave with them being passed as law to make our sport better,” Honourable Coventry said.
Coventry was working on the Sports Integrity Bill as well as the repealing of the SRC Act which is meant to pave way for the National Sports Council that will amalgamate all sports bodies and see the streamlining of sports administration in the country.
