The African country has won a total of eight Olympic medals in its history but failed to secure any medal at London 2012.

Seven of those have been won by swimmer Kirsty Coventry, an International Olympic Committee member, who earned gold medals in the 200 metres backstroke at Athens 2004 before successfully defending her title in Beijing four years later.

She has already guaranteed her place at Rio 2016, where Zimbabwe are expected to send a team of 44 athletes, 25 officials and seven other administration members.

“What we always need to realise and bear in mind is that when a team or athletes qualify for the Olympics, they would have done something good because of the standards that are set which is very high,” Mguni said.

“We are looking exactly at what the world records are, what the targets are, you know what you are looking for.

“But how have we supported that and if we don’t support it adequately we cannot expect results at the end."

Mguni  added: “The support I am talking about is making sure that our athletes are exposed to international competition that consistently raises their level.

“If we don’t have that in place it’s unfair, unjust and difficult for us to say we are going to have one medal, we are going to have two medals and that is where we are going to be.”

A number of Zimbabwean athletes and teams have already secured their berth at the Olympics, including Coventry, rowers Micheen Thornycroft and Peter Purcill-Gilpin and the women’s football side.

“We must give credit to the athletes themselves who are training and pushing for the very best the whole time,” Mguni added.

“I am not going to commit that we will have any medals - I can’t do that because that would be putting pressure on the athletes and that’s not fair.”

The ZOC are expected to confirm their official team in July ahead of the Opening Ceremony in Rio de Janeiro on August 5.