Paralympic Games preps underway

AS the countdown to this year’s National Paralympic Games continues, the Sports Commission have hailed the event as one of the major contributors to Zimbabwe’s participation at the African Union Sports Council Region Five Under20 Youth Games.

This year’s edition will be held in Bindura from April 7 to 11 and marks a decade of hosting the Games, which are meant to create opportunities for the people living with disabilities to access sport and recreation activities of their choice.

Sports Commission corporate communications officer, Tirivashe Nheweyembwa, said the Games have been a major contributor in terms of medals at the AUSC Region Five Youth Games.

“It is through these Games (that) we have been able to reach out to all the provinces and even to the remote areas which were previously marginalised in respect of sport and recreation

“These Games have also contributed to our participation in the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games since 2004. And this is a demonstration that disability does not mean inability.

“Over the years we have come second in the competition and by aggregation of the medals, athletics for the visually impaired will be carrying the majority of the medals,” said Nheweyembwa.

Zimbabwe last year came second at the Region Five Games in Angola after amassing 96 medals and athletics for the visually impaired contributed more than 20 medals including 11 gold.

The local organising commit- tee for the Games in Bindura have identified the venues for the various sporting disciplines with athletics for the visually impaired and the amputees set for Chipadze High School.

“Efforts are now underway to ensure that the facilities are user friendly to our colleagues.

“It has been demonstrated before that these people can put us on the world sporting map through their undoubted exploits on the field of play and athletes like Elliot Mujaji, Laina Sithole and Nyaradzai Tagarira are some of the fine examples that the country can boast about,” added Nheweyembwa.

The target budget has been set at $750 000 to successfully host the Games.

LOC general manager technical, Tsitsi Muzuva, said committees have been set up to fundraise.