Harare — THE Zimbabwe Olympic Committee, through its Olympic Sports Centre, recently facilitated the hosting of a coaching clinic for teachers who are based within Harare Province.

The coaching clinic was aimed at assisting coaches improve their proficiency in dealing with intellectually challenged children who participate in the Special Olympics.

A total of 44 teachers underwent training in working with children with intellectual challenges in the sporting disciplines of table tennis, bocce, volleyball and football.

Participants were drawn from among teachers based in schools within Harare.

The workshop was conducted under the auspices of the ZOC Olympic Sports Centre in collaboration with Special Olympics Zimbabwe (Harare Province).

The Coaching Clinic programme included presentations from the Special Olympics Zimbabwe delegates, Zimbabwe Olympic Academy and the Sports Commission.

In the afternoon, participants were taken through the practical coaching sessions in an effort to enhance their practical coaching expertise.

Speaking after the two-day workshop, the ZOC chairman for the Sport Education, Leadership and Research Commission, Titus Zvomuya, expressed delight at the success of the workshop.

"We are very excited about this initiative which in our view is a very critical component of Olympism.

"As a Commission, our plans are to be as inclusive as possible in order to create opportunities for otherwise marginalised communities to benefit from both leadership and technical capacity development.

"Our future plans are to engage more National Sports Associations through their respective coaches' associations to offer assistance to such groups and institutions as the SOZ as a way of adding value to the existing programmes and activities," Zvomuya said. The Special Olympics Zimbabwe chairperson for Harare Province, Justin Makombe, could not hide his joy over the support from ZOC and the successful hosting of the workshop.

"We are grateful to the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee through their Olympic Sports Centre for remaining resolute and true to their commitment of serving society in an effort to transform sport through inclusion and equal opportunity for all.

"As SOZ, we are happy with the success of this activity which forms the beginning of more activities for this otherwise hitherto marginalised community."

All 44 delegates successfully completed the programme and were awarded certificates of attendance.

Zvomuya, officiated at the function representing ZOC president Admire Masenda.

The other delegates who attended the function included Angela Nyaundi, the SOZ incoming national director, and John Muringai, a committee member.

Also present at the function were Stanley Mutoya, the ZOC acting chief executive, and Violet Magoshe, a member of the ZOC Sport Education, Leadership and Research Commission.