adminAllen Khumalo, Sports Reporter
SPORTS and Recreation Commission (SRC) Bulawayo co-ordinator Sam Dzvimbu has bemoaned lack of funding for the provincial Paralympics team which forced them to send a team of 66 athletes instead of 160 to national competitions.
The National Paralympics Games kicked off yesterday and will end on Tuesday in Bindura.
Dzvimbu said leaving out some athletes for the Games might demoralise players who have worked very hard to make it into the provincial team.
“It is so unfortunate that we had to reduce the number of athletes representing Bulawayo from 160 to 66 due to limited resources. The committees have been working day and night to ensure that we accommodate everyone but lack of funding has forced the province to reduce its number of participants.
There was nothing we could do because we only had resources enough to cover 66 athletes. If it was up to us we would have taken everyone with us but financial challenges had to decide,” said Dzvimbu.
As a result, some paralympians have threatened to quit Paralympic Games saying there is no use practising without competing.
“What troubles me is that we have been practising on our own since mid January using our own funds and own wheelchairs as Bulawayo offers us no wheelchairs for the games. After all the effort we only find out at the last minute that we are not part of the team,” said an athlete.
A sitting volleyball player said: “It is very painful that some of us had to be left out of the team due to financial issues. I just want to plead with the organisers of the competition to help us in order to avoid disappointments in future. We are also like any other human being so we must also be treated as such. Being told at the last minute that I won’t be going to Bindura is not good at all. I would rather quit competing in these games.”
— @khumzallen
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