ZHF seeks readmission
AFTER having been de-registered from the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee in 2012, the Zimbabwe Handball Federation are hoping to mend their relations with the National Olympic Committee as they have applied for readmission.
ZHF were de-registered for failing to meet the minimum stipulated membership standards, including failure to hold meetings regularly, putting in place developmental and technical plans.
The two parties met on Thursday to discuss a possible return of the federation into the local Olympic family.
They both confirmed the meeting and ZOC chief executive, Anna Mguni, said the meeting went on very well.
“The Zimbabwe Handball Federation have applied for re-admission into the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee.
“And as part of pre-requisites we had to make sure that they are registered with the Sports and Recreation Commission that the due processes in terms of election and their constitution is in place before we consider their readmission because they were de-registered in 2012.
“So it’s now a process of bringing them back into the (local Olympic) family and we are looking at the submissions that they made. Without pre-empting what is going to happen when we have the board meeting in terms of where we present their application, I want to say the meeting went on very well,” said Mguni.
She said they are going to present the application to the board and then the general assembly in April for the final decision.
“We have discussed a number of issues and we are definitely seeing progress with handball. So we look forward to them being approved by the board and obviously the supreme authority of sport in the Olympic Committee is the general assembly, (and) will make their final recommendation at the meeting in April.
“And we envisage a situation where they will be back in the family and back in the Olympic movement,” said Mguni.
The ZOC chief executive said they have opened the doors for the de-registered associations and those that had been temporarily suspended to come and discuss their challenges to map a way forward.
ZHF president, Stewart Sanhewe, said they are now waiting for ZOC for a feedback.
“We had our meeting yesterday (Thursday). They are taking the matter to the board. As of now we have made an application for readmission and we are waiting for response,” said Sanhewe.
Sanhewe came into office last year when a new executive was elected following the suspension of the previous one for non-compliance with the Sports Commission Act.
At Thursday’s meeting, Sanhewe was accompanied by his federation’s vice-president Alfos Mhondiwa who later told The Herald that they have already put some structures in place in all the 10 provinces and this will see handball growing in this country.
“We already have an action plan and we recently met with all the provincial leaders who are now on the ground putting in place some structures that will help handball to grow at all levels in this country.
“As you know, handball has all along been mainly played at junior or school level in this country with nothing at the top (senior level) and it is this grey area that we are currently working on as we would like to come up with strong national teams for both men and women.