adminSports Reporter
Hosts for this year’s Zimbabwe National Paralympic Games, Mashonaland Central, claimed the title for the event that ended on Monday after dominating most of the events.
The Games, held in Bindura from last Friday to Monday, saw athletes from across the country’s 10 provinces taking part in athletics for the visually-impaired, intellectually-challenged and amputees.
They also competed in football for the deaf, five-aside football for the intellectually-challenged, netball for the deaf, goal ball, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.
The hosts got 45 medals — 24 gold, 15 silver and six bronze to top the medals table.
Mashonaland Central general manager Stanslous Nyachowe praised the province’s team.
“The province has a lot of talented paralympians but I think over the years what has been starving us in terms of producing good results has been our poor preparations for the Games due to unavailability of resource in terms of support.
“Going into this edition, obviously as the host province, I was very confident that this time we were going to make it because we had the opportunity to bring the majority of our athletes.
“We had 113 athletes and seven officials to make them 120. So we competed nearly in every sport code save for wheelchair basketball,” said Nyachowe.
In second place were last year’s champions Mashonaland West with 46 medals but were beaten by Mashonaland Central in terms of gold medals where they managed 14, then 21 silver and 11 bronze.
Masvingo finished third with 25 medals, followed by Bulawayo and Midlands on fourth and fifth position respectively.
Harare were sixth while Matabeleland South settled for seventh position and Manicaland were eighth.
Mashonaland East and Matabeleland North occupied position nine and 10.
Sports Commission corporate communications officer, Tirivashe Nheweyembwa, said the Games were a success although most provinces failed to field a full complement in terms of their teams.
“Generally the Games were a success considering that we are operating in a highly constrained environment.
“Some provinces had depressed numbers in terms of athletes, most provinces were unable to reach the quota which is 168 athletes and officials.
“In some sport codes, for example Matabeleland North did not have any team sport,” said Nheweyembwa.
Online Reporter