BULAWAYO Metropolitan Province is hoping to send more athletes to this year’s Zimbabwe National Paralympic Games to be held in Marondera next month, an official has said. Sports reporter
The games formed in 2008 are aimed at giving people with disabilities in Zimbabwe the platform to perform in various sporting disciplines where the country’s 10 provinces compete. Bulawayo Province publicity and marketing manager Dave Simba yesterday told Southern Eye Sport how far they had gone in preparing for the event.
“In terms of putting up our teams we are stepping up our preparations.
“The technical team headed by Bhekuzulu Khumalo is working on the selection process. We started the selection process a month ago and we are hoping that we will increase the number of athletes to represent us in the games. Last year we had 93 athletes. This year we want to exceed that number and are hoping to send 100-plus athletes,” he said.
Simba said they were striving to ensure that they had enough funds to send the team.
“The biggest snag in sending the athletes is always funds. But if funds permit we will send more athletes. We are also talking to different stakeholders so that they could assist because we need big trucks for the wheelchairs. We have always appreciated the corporate world’s support and we hope they will still assist us,” he said.
He said they were hoping to improve from the show they put up in Gweru while also stressing the importance of the games which he said were important because disability did not mean inability.
Masvingo go into this year’s competition as defending champions as they won the 2013 competition which was staged in Gweru after scooping 15 gold, eight silver and eight bronze.
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