The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee recently played host to The Association of National Olympic Committees in Africa (ANOCA) Zone VI Athletes’ forum in Victoria Falls over the weekend. This gathering of sports luminaries was deemed pivotal in African sports and saw the convergence of delegates from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The event provided a platform for collective deliberation on the future of athletic development in the region.

During the forum, ANOCA Zone VI President, Alfred Foloko, unveiled a groundbreaking pilot project. He emphasized the significance of holding the first ANOCA Zone VI Athletes’ forum in Zimbabwe, home to the most decorated African Olympian, Hon. Dr. Kirsty Coventry. Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts, and Culture, Honourable Dr. Kirsty Coventry, inaugurated the forum and stressed the importance of sharing best practices and formulating strategic frameworks for athlete development.

One of the key topics discussed at the forum was the recent decision by World Athletics to award gold medalists with a substantial prize of US$50,000 at the Paris Olympic Games. Minister Coventry urged the delegates to deliberate on the implications of this development and express their views on the matter. In response, the delegates expressed their support for the initiative, stating that it should be a policy adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ensure that all Olympic medalists, regardless of their sport, receive monetary rewards.

The delegates believed that providing financial incentives to athletes would validate the investment and sacrifices they make, ultimately enhancing the allure and significance of the Olympic Games. The discussions at the forum highlighted the importance of recognizing and rewarding the hard work and dedication of athletes, and the potential impact such incentives could have on the future of sports in the region.