The government is contemplating a total ban on all Zimbabwean sportsmen and women from entering the country to play sport in an effort to try and sway the country in to not re-electing their leader Robert Mugabe. Noble in intention perhaps, but just what is the point of it, and what would it really achieve?

I could kind of understand such a move in reverse, for example banning our country from playing in Zimbabwe. Unfortunately while other countries took that moral stance we did not, we opted for the glory and, I assume, the money. But that is where we missed the trick. If you are going to try and sway the public of Zimbabwe then you need to make the choice to boycott their country, that way they can see and understand that they are at a disadvantage when it comes to seeing top class international teams and sports people play in their country while Mugabe rules. Ok, maybe top class is a little high for the standards of our "athletes" but never mind!

Banning them from coming to our country does nothing, all that does is say that we want to make a point about our views. The people in Zimbabwe don't lose out on anything, they just see other countries persecuting their sports teams because of a leader they have.

Sport is sport, it's a shame that politics has to get so entwined as it is doing for this years Olympics, it'd be nice if governments could just leave athletes themselves to make the stands they wish to make. I take it that the government is also contemplating a ban on all other Zimbabweans from coming to this country too so that the point is thoroughly made that they aren't welcome until they remove Mugabe from office, or maybe my cynicism isn't misplaced in that this is just pointless gesture politics.