Versteeg, who leads an exchange programme between Mutare and Holland, believes the importance of sport in Zimbabwe has long been under-estimated in development programmes. But attitudes have recently changed in its favour.
In an interview with The Zimbabwean this week, Versteeg said: Through games, sports and other recreational activities, children build social skills, learn how to win and lose and appreciate how to develop tactics and strategies.
He added that children developed self-confidence and a sense of achievement.
Above all, sports should be just plain fun. Sport is essential for the full and healthy development of a child. We have brought 10 students to Mutare from Haarlem. They are doing an internship, and learning from schools, clubs and community sports how the nation has managed to turn around its sporting fortunes, despite lack of sporting equipment and facilities precipitated by decades of harsh economic fortunes, said Versteeg, adding that the visitors had been impressed by the change of attitude in favour of sport.
“Zimbabwe has a skilled pool of children, and most importantly, they are a disciplined lot. It is easier to teach 50 children in Zimbabwe than in Holland because the former are very disciplined. We have many resources in Holland compared to Zimbabwe, but the level of child sport development is amazing here because you have learned how to improvise and make maximum use of the little available resources,” he said.
He urged the community to focus on the development of sport as a tool against criminality.
Vertsteerg said the city link bond between Mutare and CIOS Haarlem was so strong that the Dutch would continue collecting sporting equipment for the Zimbabwean cause.
The Mutare-Haarlem initiative was aimed at building and strengthening mass participation in sports through the impartation of skills to youths and enhancing links between schools, community clubs, sports associations and co-operative development in the eastern border city.
Post published in: Zimbabwe Sports News