Paralympic Games begin today

afternoon in Chinhoyi, as Masvingo Province begin the defence of the title they won in Mutare last year.
All 10 provinces have confirmed their participation and this morning it will be a hive of activity as provinces descend on Chinhoyi High School – the games’ village – for registration and accreditation.
The majority of athletes who scooped gold and silver medals at the Zone Six Games held in Swaziland in December last year, will spice up the Paralympic games.
Some of the athletes who are assured of climbing onto the medals podium include Nyaradzai Tagarira, Laina Sithole, Rumbidzai Masvinge, Promise Chidume, Afrah Chiwanza, Tatenda Mapiyeh, Lorraine Muzondo, Timothy Chirava, Wellington Mutasa, Pamela Shumba and Emmanuel Masara.
Masvingo look set to face stiff competition from host province Mashonaland West, Harare, Bulawayo and Midlands, given their preparations ahead of the annual games.
Five disciplines – hearing-impaired netball, tennis, wheelchair basketball and five-aside soccer will be staged at Chinhoyi High School.
Chinhoyi University will host the intellectually challenged football, goal ball and hearing impaired football while Chinhoyi Stadium will be the venue for 11-aside football, netball and goal ball.
The stadium will also host the opening and closing ceremonies.
Only five provinces, Mashonaland West, Harare, Matabeleland North, Bulawayo and Midlands will take part in the wheelchair basketball, as the other provinces reportedly failed to secure wheelchairs.
This year’s Paralympic games will be used as a platform to select athletes who will represent Zimbabwe during this year’s All-Africa Games set for Mozambique in September.
The inaugural Paralympic games were held in 2008 in Bulawayo with only five provinces participating and Masvingo were the champions again.
In 2009, the games moved to the ancient town of Masvingo and the host province successfully defended the title.
Last year it was the turn of Manicaland to stage the games in Mutare but there was no stopping Masvingo from securing a treble of gold after they again won the competition.
From this afternoon, Masvingo will take to the field hoping to continue their dominance of the games and whether any of the provinces have found a formula to stop them remains to be seen.
At the end of the games, the hosting baton will passed on to Matabeleland North.