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IN THIS TOGETHER . . . Sport and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane (second from right) addresses the media while Tanya Muzinda, father Tawanda Muzinda and mother Adiyon Muzinda (right) listen at the Press briefing yesterday at the minister’s offices

Sports Reporter
THE Ministry of Sport and Recreation has pledged their support for young female motocross rider Tanya Muzinda. She recently won the Zimbabwe International Women’s Awards’ Sportswoman of the Year award in the United Kingdom. Speaking at a Press briefing at his offices, Sport and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane said they will continue supporting Muzinda after assisting with her trip to the UK.

“Tanya’s case is particularly unique for me as Minister of Sport because one of the things we are interested in is to look at how sport can be inclusive in Zimbabwe from a gender perspective, from a perspective of including those that are abled differently. “Tanya represents our aspiration to be inclusive as far as sport is concerned in the country. Tanya epitomises that character of ours as a ministry and as Government that we should have the girl child elevated to that level in sport that she is able to compete alongside her male colleagues with equal opportunity being provided to do that.

“So this is a good thing for us but also there is something about Tanya that is very important that she is participating in this sport which is dominated by males. “Ordinarily there are very few girls or women that are involved in motorsport at least in our country and we want to say to all the girls out there, to all the women out there, Tanya has shown you the way, motorsport is a good sport for all of us

“I must thank, of course, the sponsors NetOne for coming on board to assist Tanya and I want to say at this press briefing that we are going to have a discussion with NetOne that they do not abandon Tanya and that they will provide her with as much assistance as possible all the time she requires it so that her talent is nurtured and developed in the best possible way,” said Hlongwane.

Tanya thanked the Ministry and NetOne for assisting her with the UK trip to receive her award. “First of all I would like to thank the Minister of Sport for the trip to London because without him we wouldn’t have made it because we were going through tough times and when they then came on board it really meant a lot.

“And I would also like to thank NetOne for also helping us because without NetOne and the Ministry of Sport I don’t think we would have gone ahead with our trip. “When we went to London it was amazing I could not believe it, I really enjoyed my trip especially when I won the award. I was full of emotions because we had gone through tough times so I am really happy with trip,” Tanya said.

Tanya’s father, Tawanda Muzinda, who also attended the meeting accompanied by his wife Adiyon Deka-Muzinda, took time to highlight some of Tanya’s achievements. “Last year Tanya was appointed honorary ambassador for the European Union to Zimbabwe for Youth, Sport and Development, which I think is a big feat especially for motocross and motorsport.

“So I think Tanya’s star is till shining because of the help that is coming from everywhere,” said Muzinda. However, there was some friction between Tanya’s father and Zimbabwe Motorsport Federation secretary-general, Rose Rushforth as she felt that he had made some comments along racial lines when he emphasised that Tanya was the “first black female rider to win a championship in Zimbabwe”.

Rushforth said there was need for people in the sport to move away from focusing on race before she hailed Tanya for her success. NetOne marketing manager, Ellen Muchemwa, said they were looking forward to a long-term relationship with Tanya.