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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
DIRECTOR for sport promotion and development in the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Eugenia Chidhakwa, has encouraged women to pursue their dreams after she received the African Union Sports Council Region Five 10-year service award over the weekend. Chidhakwa was honoured alongside former Sport and Recreation Commission director-general Charles Nhemachena, who has also served in the regional sports body, on Saturday at the eighth session of the Council of Ministers meeting in Gaborone, Botswana.

Chidhakwa led the women in sport committee within the region from 2006 to 2016, championing for the promotion and involvement of women in sport. She was also part of the sport development and technical committee. The seasoned sports administrator dedicated the award to all women that have made it in sport both in Zimbabwe and in the region.

“I am overwhelmed by the award that I was given by the AUSC Region Five as the woman who led women in sport within the region from 2006 up to 2016. As I get this award, I don’t see it as an individual award, but I see it as recognition of women who have done well in sport, both in Zimbabwe and in the region. This award comes at a background where I started leading the women in sport within the region only Zimbabwe and Botswana had vibrant women in sport committees.

“But over the years you realise that women are now doing very well in sport because in all the 10 countries in the region, they now have active and vibrant women in sport committees, which are also vibrant in national sport associations,” Chidhakwa said at a Press conference held at the ministry’s offices in Harare yesterday. Chidhakwa said the support she got as she rose through the ranks contributed to her success and urged other women not to give up. Nhemachena said he is grateful to have had the chance to serve his country, which contributed in him getting the award.

“Obviously for me to achieve this I had a lot of support from the board of the Sport and Recreation Commission. I had a lot of support from the staff of the Sport and Recreation Commission, the acting Permanent secretary here (Benson Martins Dube) and his predecessors as well and officers from the ministry. So I want to thank them all,” said Nhemachena.