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MORE than 20 High and Primary Schools from Harare received various sporting equipment from the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee in an initiative to promote sport development from the grassroots.

The equipment was acquired through the National Olympic Committee Activities Grant and the schools received different equipment with six disciplines — athletics, basketball, football, volleyball, tennis and table tennis — benefiting.

The equipment included table tennis tables, tennis balls and rackets, javelin, soccer balls, high jump and cross bars, among other things.

The National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe and Danhiko were also among the beneficiaries.

Speaking at the handover ceremony at their headquarters in Belvedere, ZOC president Admire Masenda said they appreciate the role played by school sport in furthering development in the sector.

“We believe in providing support to the national goal of sport development by targeting marginalised groups through existing initiatives.

“In this case we targeted schools to be recipients of sport equipment acquired through a $15 000 National Olympic Committee Activities Grant.

We acknowledge and appreciate the critical and pivotal role that the school sport plays within our national sport system and movement, especially the structures in place and the role of the leaders in moulding national talent.

“We look forward to the professional identification and development of talent from the schools, with a view to their emergence as future champions and indeed future Olympians,” said Masenda.

The ZOC president said the next initiative will be targeting schools around the country.

“This is the first of two initiatives, the second of which will see the token extended to a limited selection of schools around the country.

“While limited by the amount of the grant, it is envisaged that the equipment provides a basis for sport development to the schools and allows young athletes access to sport using the appropriate tools of trade,” said Masenda.

The handover ceremony was attended by representatives from the different schools and they expressed their gratitude to the National Olympic Committee as they said it complements their efforts in improving schools sports.

Warren Park (5) Primary School deputy headmistress, Rosemary Dzvairo, said they appreciate the efforts by ZOC.

“I think it’s a great thing they are doing to our schools in Harare. I am at Warren Park (5) Primary School; you know out there the resources are difficult to come by.

“We have a tennis court but we thank the Olympic Committee for giving us other rackets and tennis balls for our children. I think it will boost tennis in Zimbabwe from primary school level,” said Dzvairo.

Harare High headmistress, Priscilla Satande, was excited with the development.

“I would like to thank the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee for thinking of us Harare High School. We are a very big school of about almost 2 000 pupils and most of them are interested in playing soccer. So now that they have donated 10 soccer balls and they will go a long way in alleviating the shortage of football balls and the other equipment,” said Satande.

The National Olympic Committee is also looking at rolling out various programmes aimed at empowering administrators, technical officials and coaches for the 2017 to 2020 Olympic Cycle. — The Herald.