AS the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe hosts three international courses in Bulawayo, director of coaching, talent identification, and development Lisimati Phakamile says equipping coaches and officials is critical in laying the foundation for athletes' development.
They are hosting two international coaching courses and one technical official's course at White City Stadium.
The International Level One coaching course got underway last Friday and runs until tomorrow.
The Level Two sprints and hurdles specialisation coaching course and the Technical Officials Education and Certification System (TOECS) began yesterday.
The TOECS ends on Wednesday and the Level Two coaching course is running until Friday.
The coaching courses are being facilitated by World Athletics appointed lecturers -- Muzi Mabuza from Eswatini, NAAZ president Tendayi Tagara and Phakamile.
Enias Nhoro is in charge of the TOECS course.
"We have four lecturers that are in and amongst them we have a guest from Eswatini, who is our chief lecturer.
"Our main major thrust as a department is to try and develop manpower that we wish would assist in the identification of talent in schools and running correct athletics rules in schools where we are tapping our junior talent from.
"We are saying if we do not pick up our athletes at early ages or junior ages at school, we will have lost and lost talent at an early stage. We lose our athletes to other sports.
"So, we are trying to empower and equip our schools and teachers to take up athletics at an early age, pick up and identify talent at an early age by giving them these technical rules and also the scientific methods and ways of coaching athletics," said Phakamile.
The courses have attracted coaches from other countries in the region, which he hopes will inspire more local athletes to take the same route.
Already several former athletes are turning to coaching after retiring from competition.
"I want to confirm the excitement that we have as an association on the trust and belief that our neighbouring countries have in us.
"We have a total of eight guest coaches coming in from other countries to do this course. We had three coaches from Zambia, we had five coaches from Botswana to participate in this course.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"Of note amongst the coaches that came in, we have a well-known athletics legend from Botswana, Isaac Makwala and Amantle Montsho, being part of the Level One coaches course.
"This is quite an exciting move by the senior athletes or the Botswana legends if I can say and I hope this also inspires our local athletes to come in. And again, the trust and belief that we have been given by Botswana Athletics Association, to trust and know that Zimbabwe has got the better and best education centre for athletics development, we are quite excited.
"We are happy and we hope these coaches will go all out and assist in the development of athletics wherever they are and also in the region.
"So, we are quite happy and we want to thank World Athletics for the confidence that they have in our academic development for coaches, a long-term development plan that we have."
