THE Special Olympics Zimbabwe (SOZ) team continued to fly the country's flag on the international stage with distinction, after bringing home an impressive medal haul from the recently ended Region 5 Youth Games in Namibia.Despite a lack of recognition for their success over the years, SOZ returned home with five gold, one silver and two bronze medals.SOZ board chairperson Absolom Muchandiona expressed satisfaction in the team's performance, singling out Makanaka Kaiyo, Ryan Chigwedere, Spelogy Kachembere, Tadiwa Ndiri, Tawananyasha Mlanda and Ashley Mudzukira for their outstanding outing."We are very happy with the performance and would like to congratulate our team," Muchandiona said.Adding to the recent success by SOZ athletes, the golf team, comprising Selasi Chiwisa and Simba Mushayi, also secured gold at the Macau Golf Masters, held from June 25 to 27, 2025.Despite these accomplishments, Muchandiona laments the lack of recognition for the Special Olympics team compared to other sporting disciplines. "If you look at the performance of our Special Olympics team over the years, the performances have been quite good, but we haven't received as much recognition from those in many sports.Special Olympics is an organisation that uses sports to bring out the best in an individual or any athlete suffering from intellectual disability. However, people face stigma around disability in the country. As a result of that stigma, we haven't received as much publicity as we think we deserve," Muchandiona said.Despite current funding challenges, there is a strong sense of optimism for the future of Special Olympics Zimbabwe. Muchandiona noted a growing trend of parents bringing their children with intellectual disabilities to participate in various sporting activities."I see the organisation growing despite funding challenges. There are more and more parents who are now bringing their children to participate in different sporting activities."He thanked those who have supported the organisation, acknowledging the dedication of coaches from different schools, who train athletes voluntarily.Muchandiona also applauded the support from Prince Edward School and the Royal Golf Club for providing essential training facilities, as well as Delta, CBZ and FAO Toyota for being all-weather partners.
