Story by Abigirl Tembo
BOOSTING support for local athletes ahead of the 2028 Olympics, implementing sports development partnerships, and expanding access to Olympic Solidarity scholarships took centre stage when International Olympic Committee (IOC) president, Dr Kirsty Coventry, paid a courtesy call on the Acting President, General Retired Dr Constantino Chiwenga in Harare this Thursday.
As preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games gather pace, Zimbabwe has been challenged to sharpen its focus on strengthening athlete support, leveraging international partnerships, and building lasting Olympic legacies.
“The Honourable Acting President welcomed me home, and we discussed Zimbabwe’s participation in the AUSC Region V youth games. The team did very well, the best that it has done to date and we are very proud of that. We also discussed different sporting opportunities, specifically in and around the Los Angeles 28 Olympic team and working with the National Olympic Committee, and specifically our sprinters who are based in the U.S, on how we could get additional support to them and what that can look like.
“From the International Olympic Committee, we give Olympic Solidarity scholarships that have already started through the National Olympic Committees. We also spoke on how we can continue working together in terms of finding different opportunities for the country. We also spoke about the importance of implementing some of the Memoranda of Understandings that we already have as a country, specifically with China,” she said.
At the heart of the IOC’s strategy is the Olympic Solidarity Programme, a funding mechanism that offers scholarships to athletes and coaches through National Olympic Committees.
“The Olympic Committee gives Olympic Solidarity Scholarships to all National Olympic Committees as well as some other training initiatives for coaches and teams. That funding goes directly to the National Olympic Committees to direct funding for athletes through scholarships. So, that process is already happening and will continue to happen, and then in terms of the legacies, we have the Youth Olympic Games coming to Africa for the first time next year, which will be held in Senegal and Dakar in 2026, and we’re very excited about that. That will be the first start, and again, the Olympic Games are for everybody. It’s my job to ensure that everyone around the world, including our beautiful continent of Africa, is included in everything that we do,” she added.
With Zimbabwean athletes already benefitting from Olympic Solidarity programmes, the IOC has stressed the importance of strategic fund utilisation and deeper collaboration with local sports administrators to maximise impact.
