adminNgqabutho Moyo Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Paralympic Committee is looking for about $100,000 for their team’s preparations and participation in the 2016 Rio deJainero Olympics set for Brazil.Michael Bulagango, the ZPC president said they need to raise the money to prepare and send athletes to Brazil for the Paralympics next year.
“We’re looking at raising at least $90,000 to properly prepare and send the team to Brazil for the Paralympic Games. We need about $50,000 to hold training camps and another $20,000 to get the necessary equipment for our athletes to use for their preparations and during the Paralympics while the estimated $30,000 is for airfares and the welfare of the athletes during their stay in Brazil,” said Bulagango.
He said they have put in a three-phase training programme that will run throughout the year.
“We’ve a three-phase training plan in place that’ll run throughout the year and it’ll require a lot of money to run the camps for our provisional squad we’ve selected.
“We’ll use our training plan to select the final 25-member squad that’ll represent the country at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics in Brazil but if we fail to raise the required money we’ll only send eight athletes,” he said.
Bulagango said they are counting on the government through the Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) and grants from Agitos Foundation which usually assists them with funds to prepare for international events.
“We’ll be relying on government funding, grants from Agitos Foundation who usually assist us in the preparations for international events.
“We’re appealing to the corporate world for financial assistance as we’ve a big challenge on how to raise the needed money to get the teams to compete in Brazil,” he said.
Bulagango said they are also running an athlete identification programme in preparation for the Japan 2020 Paralympic Games.
“We’re running an athlete identification and development programme for the Tokyo Japan 2020 Paralympics. The programme is meant to increase our chances of winning more medals,” said Bulagango.
Zimbabwe has not done well since 2004 in the Paralympic Games as age finally caught up with Elliot Mujaji. He won gold at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Paralympic Games.
Bulagango believes their athlete development programme can identify and nurture athletes who will fly the country’s flag high in future Paralympic Games.
The ZPC boss said they were working on sending athletes to take part in wheelchair races and tennis, track and field events for amputees, intellectually challenged and those with visual impairment.
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo