By Howard Masaninga
Sport like most of the businesses and in almost every country is a going concern.
A lot is expected out of it and much more needs to be done about it. Like in every business, for it to give good returns, substantial amounts of investments requires to be ploughed-in in order to clearly meet the prescribed objectives and give the unexpected returns.
For the benefit of all, by the way, a going concern is a company or business assumed to continue operating for the foreseeable future.
Sport as it is, is a natural going concern by the mere fact that, it’s not only in Zimbabwe where it is run. Not just that, considering even the number of years it has been run and the numerous sport disciplines including the new ones that are coming up now and again, it is evident that it can easily be ignored.
Instead, sport is proving to be a very bold statement of life, espoused by marketing/publicity policies and huge crowds.
Technology has also taken over as the leading tool in positioning sport right at centre of every business.
Winding back some decades back, precisely in 1930 in Uruguay, 13 teamhs took part in the inaugural FIFA World Cup Tournament and these were Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, France, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Romania,y United States, Uruguay and Yugoslavia.
Come next year 2026, the tournament is going to host 48 teams. This is a staggering leap of 35 more teams.
No wonder football, as one of the disciplines, qualifies my earlier statement that, it is a “going concern.”
Billions of dollars are poured into the sport all for the purposes of publicizing the game and certain brands of products chosing to associate with the sport.
While there is all the hipe making the sport a Hallmark, it is just but one of the many disciplines that attract handsome sponsorship, huge spectators and viewers as well as wide coverage in print electronic media.
Unfortunately though, in Zimbabwe these trends are yet to be wholly embraced albeit professionally. While attempts have been made in various sport disciplines to professionalize the governance, management, rewarding, supporting, marketing and developing, unfortunately selfishness always gets the better of it.
Henceforth sport is suffering so much with many different disciplines dealt deadly blows.
The parent ministry which happens to be the custodial guardian of sport leaves a lot to be desired. One wonders whether the ministry of sport in the country is for real or just any other group of government employees.
Surely employees in the ministry should act and behave like such not like employees in the ministry of Defence or Home Affairs.
The difference has to be distinct.
There must be a clear line which marks the difference. In this case, just like the government has set up the Standard Association of Zimbabwe as a regulator of professional standards and guidelines for world class goods, products and services provided by different companies and organizations, this should also be the pushing factor in sport.
The end goal is professionalism. Once professionalism takes over, and not corruption or patronization, our sport will give back ten times what it takes in. Our sport today has become very poor and bankrupt of professionalism. Due to this reason, our athletes cannot earn as much as they should. The administrators believe they are simply holding places until the day things will change for the better. Referees, umpires, coaches and officials feel disrespected for their services. No wonder they reward themselves from the funds, freebies meant for the athletes and bribes to supposedly compensate themselves.
This is the biggest fallacy of our sport. Our sport is in comatose.
