Lobb elected ZOC VP
VETERAN sports administrator Kathleen Lobb has bounced back into main stream administration after she was elected as the new vice-president of Zimbabwe Olympic Committee yesterday.
Lobb filled in the post which has been vacant since Kirsty Coventry was appointed as the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation last year.
The veteran swimming coach was elected yesterday during ZOC’s General Assembly in Harare beating off a stiff challenge from another seasoned female sports administrator Sekesai Nhokwara.
Lobb polled 10 votes while Nhokwara got nine. Fungai Zinatsa attracted two votes.
A total of 20 associations and one representative from the Athletics Commission took to the ballot.
The gap filling election was rather peculiar in that it had to reserve the post for a female since a woman had resigned and the ZOC constitution clearly states that the board should have three women in the board.
And after 16 years in the local Olympics sports body, Lobb said she was happy to be back.
“I am delighted it was really a close election and I am managed to scrap through but l am delighted to be back on board.
“It has been part of my life for such a long time and I really missed it and I am looking forward to working with all the different sports again and making a difference in Zimbabwean sport.
“You should expect hard work from me. This is going to be a hard job especially considering we have to keep sport moving,” she said.
Lobb started off as a physical education teacher and moved on to being sports director at the University of Zimbabwe. She was involved in the 1995 All-Africa Games (now African Games) which were held here in Zimbabwe. Lobb has also served as the chef de mission and deputy for major international events such as the Winter Olympics, London Olympics and Congo Brazzaville African Games.
During yesterday’s General Assembly, the national sport associations were taken through a report on activities of the board with effect from July last year as well as the audited accounts by PriceWaterhouse and Coopers.
ZOC treasurer Cleopas Nyangoni said the financial statement indicated a net deficit of $123 918 mainly due to a number of factors.
“Implementation of programmes may be carried or spread over to the next year that if funds which would have been received in a previous year.
“Savings from the previous year are used to meet the expenses of the current year, of which income of the current year will be less than the expenses incurred in that particular year, hence the deficit.
“2018 had two major games, namely the Africa Youth Games and Youth Olympic Games. The Government, through the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, supported team preparation and participation with US$40 000 with the balance coming from ZOC,” he said.
It was proposed and agreed that an amount equivalent to US$50 at the prevailing Zimbabwe dollar CBZ interbank rate be paid as affiliation fees for 2020 by each national association not later than the March 31 2020. Sibusisiwe Chindove was bestowed with honorary life membership for her service to the National Olympic Committee in the capacities of being its member from 2003 to 2017 and vice-president from 2009 to 2017.
This was in accordance with Article 29 of the ZOC constitution.