TENNIS ZIMBABWE (TZ) is set to engage the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) as one of the sports associations set to be affected by a directive which requires selectors to have played at their highest level of competition in the particular discipline.
DANIEL NHAKANISO
The directive comes into effect on Friday and could see TZ being forced to overhaul its selection committee.
Initial reports had suggested that only cricket, triathlon and lawn bowls would be affected by the directive, but tennis also looks set to be affected.
TZ has a selection committee assigned to selecting the Davis Cup team and representative junior sides for various regional and international tournaments.
The current TZ selection committee is headed by the association’s former TZ vice-president Tanya Chinamo as the convener.
Other members of the committee include Martin Lock, Petty Tshatedi, Martin Dzuwa, Freeman Nyamunokora and Petros Ndlovu.
While Lock and Dzuwa represented Zimbabwe in the Davis Cup, other members of the committee did not represent the country at the highest level.
Selection convener Chinamo played at junior level in the ’80s, the same level played by coaches Nyamunokora and Ndlovu, while Tshatedi did not represent Zimbabwe at any stage.
This is in conflict with the recently amended directive which states that: “not less than fifty percent (50%) of the selectors shall have represented Zimbabwe as athletes/players at the senior level in the particular sport discipline”.
The directive further states that: “All conveners shall be former national team players and where there is none former national team players on the selection panel, he/she shall have coaching experience or some technical expertise in the particular sport discipline.”
In the case of junior teams, the directive states that “. . . a person should have represented Zimbabwe as a player/athlete at a level not lower than the one to which the selection pertains”.
In an interview with NewsDay Sport yesterday, TZ vice-
president Regis Bhunu said they would seek audience on the directive with the SRC.
“There are still some ongoing deliberations on the issue and we are still engaging the SRC. We feel that while the directive is workable in other disciplines, it might be a different case with local tennis. For instance, the composition of the selection committee is guided by our constitution which is approved by the SRC, so before we make any changes we would have to consult them and see if we can map out the way forward together.”
Current convener Chinamo said dialogue was the way forward.
“I think dialogue is the way forward. We are not resisting the directive. In fact, we have always enjoyed very good working relations with the SRC. We are going to use dialogue in order to reconcile the SRC directive and our current selection criteria. I cannot make any further comments beyond that until we have met with the SRC,” Chinamo said.
Zimbabwe Cricket convenor Givemore Makoni has cried foul over the directive, insisting it is aimed at sidelining him from the game and has accused Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister David Coltart of a deliberate plot to deny ZC a chance to appoint a black coach for the senior team.
Coltart has adamantly denied the charge.
Givemore Makoni and Zimbabwe Cricket could learn a thing or two from Tennis Zimbabwe. It is commendable that they are seeking to engage the SRC in a constructive and civil manner rather than running to the press and crying about racism.
Tennis Zimbabwe is very well run by a small group of dedicated enthusiasts. Many of the committee are parents of the junior players and they are doing it for very little or no reward. Pity that Zim tennis does not attract much sponsorship like the other Zim sport associations do.
To hell with David Coltart’s directive.
Some pink minds here might want to give the impression it is a good thing, well its not in the best interest of the majority of people involved.
It is defective & strategically conceived to promote one race at the expense of another.
On top of that, it absolutely illegal as the minister does not have powers to interfere in the running of associations as he has done.
There is no law of court which would uphold Coltart’s directive & whether some associations engage in the so called dialogue or not does not make the directive lawful. It is simply as simple as that.
i dont think in some sports we have enough black players who played at the highest level. i.e tennis, how many black players do u know who played at the highest level.
by implication the minister is bringing apatheird to zimbabwe
Greg, in tennis the list is endless..
Genius Chidzikwe
Ngoni Chanakira
Takanyi Garan’ganga
Mbonisi Ndimande
Gwinyai Tongoona
Zibusiso Ncube
..and several others have played for Zim at the senior national level. I think vanaMakoni insult several black past national cricketers who have the credentials to be selectors.. (Hondo, Taibu, Mutendera and others). Problem with the ilk of vanaMakoni is that they will cry racism to mask their own limitations. If they are as remotely capable as they claim, why not go off to Kenya or Bangladesh to work with top teams or even national teams like we have had so many other foreign technical staff. Point is these folks are taking their own personal survival issues to a national stage. Havana nyaya ava. Tennis can comply, Cricket can comply..
Sorry Mr Reporter.. Freeman and Ndlovu did not represent Zimbabwe at the same junior level as Tanya Chinamo, unless history is being rewritten!