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Takudzwa Chitsiga Sports Reporter

THE Sport Leaders Institute of Zimbabwe (SLIZ) president Russell Mhiribidi has praised the partnership between the Government and Finland to conduct physical education (PE) in tertiary institutions.

SLIZ is a local sports entity and has seen the partnership get 400 000-euro (about US$435 000) package for physical education (PE) in tertiary institutions for the next four years.

The programme, which was launched on Tuesday in the capital, will run from this year until 2026, and was initiated by SLIZ in conjunction with Finnish non-governmental sports development agency Liike.

Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, Mhiribidi said they are happy that they have finally got the support to help conduct PE in tertiary institutions.

“We are very grateful with the partnership between the Government of Zimbabwe, Finnish Government and SLIZ. We are looking forward to engage more lectures who will undergo training in physical education. The lecturers will in turn train other teachers in secondary schools across all the provinces,” said Mhiribidi.

Ari Johannes Koivu, the Liike Sports Development of Finland manager, said he is loking forward to work with the Zimbabwean Government.

“We are happy with this development which I know is going to be fruitful and help develop sport in the country.

“The programme is run by SLIZ and Liike in partnership with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education for continuous education of PE lecturers from 2023 to 2026.

“For the next four years, the Finnish government will also provide training equipment and three top professors from Jyvaskyla University in Finland are coming to oversee the programme,” said Koivu.

Finland will channel the funds through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

The programme will see 100 000 euro released annually. SLIZ and Liike have been in partnership since 2018 and during the same year, a high-powered Finnish delegation, led by renowned sports administration instructor and the institution’s executive director, Koivu, visited Zimbabwe and held high-level administration courses.

As the relationship between SLIZ and Liike grew, the Finnish took their support a notch higher, providing both funding and material aid.