Paralympics start

Chinhoyi last year slip through their fingers, though.
Bulawayo, Harare and Masvingo are doing well in wheelchair basketball, netball, wheelchair tennis and goal ball.
During yesterday’s wheelchair basketball matches at Don Bosco College, Harare and Bulawayo were running neck and neck and looked poised to meet in the final slated for today.
Bulawayo are the defending champions after winning gold in Chinhoyi.
Only five provinces are taking part in wheelchair basketball as other five provinces could not secure wheelchairs.
Hosts Matabeleland North, Bulawayo, Harare, Mashonaland Central and Midlands are battling for honours.
Harare walloped Matabaleland North 43-9, thumped Midlands 66-2 before dismissing Mashonaland Central 27-17.
As for Bulawayo, they beat Matabeleland North 28-8, edged Mashonaland Central 38-10.
In netball, Harare maintained the superb form that saw them book a place in today’s semi-final against Mashonaland West.
The other semi-final, at Nechibondo Primary School, sees Masvingo battling it out with Midlands.
Last year in Chinhoyi, Harare scooped the gold medal with Manicaland settling for silver and the bronze medal went to Masvingo.
In yesterday’s netball games, Harare edged Masvingo 10-9 in a closely fought encounter before a full house.
Other matches saw Midlands drawing with Mashonaland West 4-4, Harare walloped Matabeleland North 30-0 with Masvingo easing past Manicaland 15-5.
Mashonaland East is the only province not participating in netball at this year’s Paralympic Games.
Harare won Pool B with 12 points while Masvingo were the runners-up with nine points.
In Pool A, Midlands topped with seven points the same number of points with Mashonaland West.
However Midlands was the group winner because of the goal difference of minus seven.
In wheelchair tennis, at Megawatt Primary School, Harare is leading in the senior women category, with Bulawayo taking the lead in senior men and in the junior men.
Yesterday’s games saw Harare’s Nyarai Nechikute beating Plaxedes Chihokoyo of Masvingo 6-0, 6-0; Garry Vundla of Bulawayo beat Fungai Muchoko of Manicaland 6-0, 6-0; Daniel Buleya of Harare beat Gondayi Honondo of Masvingo 6-3, 6-1; Samson Muroyiwa of Bulawayo beat Addwell Hove of MIdlands 6-0, 6-0; Harare’s Brian Mapfuvise beat Munyaradzi Mamombe of Masvingo 6-3, 6-0.
In women wheelchair tennis matches at Megawatt Primary yesterday, Gary Gino of Bulawayo beat Chiedza Rutsito of Harare 6-0, 6-0; LIzzie Zvenyika of Midlands beat Plaxedes Chihokoyo of Masvingo 7-6, 7-6.
In goal ball games at Lwendulu Hall, Masvingo and Mashonaland East progressed to the semi-finals in Pool A of the women category with Mashonaland West and Midlands also through to the women semi-finals from Pool B.
In yesterday’s women matches, Mashonaland East beat Bulawayo 8-2, Masvingo dismissed Mashonaland East 4-0, Masvingo beat Bulawayo 8-3, Mashonaland West easing past Midlands 5-1, Mashonaland West destroyed Matabeleland South 13-3 and Midlands beat Matabeleland South 16-2.
Today’s goal ball women semi-finals sees Masvingo facing Midlands while Mashonaland West taking on Mashonaland East.
Meanwhile, Vice-President John Nkomo is expected this afternoon to officially open the fifth edition of the National Paralympic Games at Hwange Colliery Stadium.