Fire Sports minister Kirsty Coventry

I DON’T want to sound like a racist, but whoever thought of picking Kirsty Coventry as Sports minister just because she excelled in winning swimming awards needs their brains examined.

We cannot allow mediocrity to creep into such a crucial post just to please some community on the guise of inclusivity

Coventry is just a tortoise on a lamp post. That post needs a vibrant someone.

Sport is big business around the world and has the capacity to create thousands of jobs, from playing right up to marketing.

Kirsty has so far failed to improve sport as minister.

She has not done anything tangible to show that she has what it takes to build sport in the country, especially the most beautiful game of football. She has lost all respect.

Zimbabwe’s football is in intensive care unit and it was dealt a big blow when it was suspended last year by Fifa due to political interference. The restructuring committee which was set up by the Sports and Recreational Commission (SRC) released a damning report, where it highlighted many concerns which need urgent attention and made recommendations for reforms and a new Zifa constitution, but SRC chairman Gerald Mlotshwa says they are “not in a hurry” to get the Fifa suspension lifted.

Chances of Zimbabwean players getting contracts overseas are now very slim as the local football isn’t all that competitive. Young players who are supposed to showcase their skills at international level have been adversely affected.

There is no grassroots sport development policy to talk about in the country. Zimbabwe has abundant talent, but those in charge have shown they are incapable of bringing development to the game.

Instead of making sure that we get the Fifa ban lifted, the football administrators are not taking action.

They are not aware of the amount of pain and suffering they are inflicting on the young athletes who want to make breakthroughs at European clubs and eke out a living.

When a country has non-sport people at the helm, sport suffers and the end result is the breeding of a young generation that gets hooked into drug and alcohol abuse because they have nothing else to entertain themselves.

Everything ends up being political while the beautiful game of football is suffering. Football clubs are playing without any sponsorship.

Our stadiums are in a sorry state while some now look like potato fields. We cannot even afford to bid for an Africa Cup of Nations tournament because those in power have neglected everything.