THE Ministry of Sport and Recreation has designed a selection policy document which will work as a guiding framework to ensure high level transparency in the make-up of national teams so that the best athletes are always picked to represent the nation at all competitions.

The formulation of the policy was necessitated by the realization that national team selection processes were often susceptible to malpractices such as nepotism, favouritism, bribery and discrimination on financial grounds which often compromised results.

National team selections in almost all sports have caused public outcry and the policy seeks to encourage associations to put excellence as the basis of all selection processes, hence athletes should be selected purely on merit.

Minister of Sport and Recreation Makhosini Hlongwane said there should be a level playing field when it comes to selection of the national teams.

Hlongwane said as long as the athlete is Zimbabwean, no one should be prejudiced on the basis of colour, creed, disability, religion, ethnic group, geographical location and financial capacity.

“Government has had to come up with a team Zimbabwe selection policy to root out corruption and to systemitise the selection process by providing space to excellence.

“There are sport codes that segregate against the less endowed in terms of money by imposing a participation premium beyond affordability of many to the detriment of sport development in Zimbabwe.

“Others are still arrested by residual colonialist structures that present as enclave sports while neglecting the embrace of inclusion and provision of equal opportunities

“The policy is the compass on the basis of which selection is guided and a key aspect of that is meritocracy. Only deserving athletes must be part of team Zimbabwe because tax payers’ money has to be optimally deployed,” said Hlongwane.