Sports Administrators key - NOCZ

MR PHIRI (in green jacket) poses for a photo with the rest of the participants at OYDC-Sports Development Centre after the training. PICTURE: NOCZ Media.

National Olympic Committee of Zambia’s Marketing Commission Chairperson Guy Phiri says sports administrators have a huge role to play if the country is to achieve meaningful success at the international stage.

Mr Phiri, who is also Zambia Swimming Union (ZASU) President, said despite the lack of recognition, administrators in the country were key in ensuring the country continues enjoying good results at international competitions.

MR PHIRI

“Every athlete who does well has a strong administration and support system. As sports administrators, we are the unsung heroes, we don’t go up on the podium and we are not seen with coaches.

“But without sports administrators there would be no results. And as NOCZ we spent a lot of time to ensure that administration in Sports Federations is enhanced because it is the backbone of results. It is the administrators that will determine that Zambia has the success it continues to have.

“Sports administrators like you are absolutely important to the future of our country.”

He said today this during the closure of the three-day Sports Administrators Course for national federations held at OYDC-Sports Development Centre in Lusaka which started on Friday.

This was the first training workshop that had been held by NOCZ in two years with the last year’s event having being put off due to the coronavirus pandemic.

35 key administrators from various sports federations like Rugby, Martial arts, Tennis and Athletics were among some that took part in the training and were issued with International Olympics Committee (IOC)-recognised certificates at the end of the training.

Mr Phiri urged the participants to ensure that they implemented the knowledge gained from the training into the operations of their various sports disciplines.

“The facilitation of this course to the different stakeholders holding key positions in respective organisations is derived from the need to provide a quality and soundly equipped sport administration and focus on a holistic development of abilities in our sport organizations in Zambia,” he said.

Some of the courses tackled were ‘Governance in Sport’, ‘Finance and Budgeting’, ‘Communications’, ‘Safe Sport’ as well as ‘Corruption.

Others were ‘Legal and Ethics’, ‘Anti-Doping’ and ‘Sourcing sponsors’.

LEGAL & Ethics Commission Chairperson Dickson Jere conducted the course on Legal and Ethics. PICTURE: NOCZ Media