The 2011 Zimbabwe National Youth Games (ZNYG) Local Organising Committee (LOC) in conjunction with the National University Science and Technology (Nust) will hold the first ever scientific conference on sports talent identification in Gwanda next month.
The ZNYG LOC together with Nust’s Department of Sports Science and Coaching and the Health and Wellness Cluster will host the conference at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Technical College concurrently with the eleventh edition of the national youth games which will be held from August 14-21 in Gwanda.
The conference will be held on August 17 under the theme “Improving Sports through Science”.
Bulawayo Youth Games assistant general manager (technical) Bhekuzulu Khumalo who is also a lecturer in Sports Science at the tertiary institution, yesterday told NewsDay Sport that the conference would discuss several topics on sports science.
“The conference is expected to attract academics, sport administrators, coaches, team managers, athletes, tertiary institutions and all relevant stakeholders. The aim of this conference is to explore and debate the role of research in sport in Zimbabwe and chart the way forward in talent identification and development,” he said.
“In the US, Canada, China and most European countries research in sports is taken very seriously. Research results have been used to improve talent identification, talent development, establishing standards and in improving the performance of athletes. In these countries sports is based on a scientific and experimental system, whose aim is to bring international success,” he said.
Khumalo said there is need to harmonise research activities in Zimbabwe, and all stakeholders in the country need to formulate strategies that will improve the performance of athletes.
“The improvement of athletes’ performance will increase their chances of success during international competitions. Internationally scientific conferences come before sporting competitions are held. The direct result of the researches is the international success achieved by the countries in sports at world championships and Olympic Games,” he said.
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Resolutions would be forwarded to the relevant ministries and stakeholders to map a way forward on improving sport participation and athlete performance through research.
