adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
SPECIAL Olympics Zimbabwe board member Viola Musariri has urged the corporate world and well-wishers to come on board and assist the team that is expected to compete in this year’s World Summer Games in the United Sates.
The Games will be staged in Los Angeles from July 25 to August 3 and Zimbabwe is hoping to send 25 athletes and 12 officials for the event.
The athletes will compete in athletics, golf and seven-aside-soccer.
Special Olympics Zimbabwe have embarked on a sponsorship drive to raise funds for the forthcoming Games.
Musariri said they have to submit their travelling itinerary to the world board by March 30 and they urgently need money for the air tickets.
Their total budget is US$101 000 and so far they have raised only US$15 000.
“We should have sent our itinerary to the international board by March 30 that is the deadline.
“That’s how you commit yourself because sometimes countries will say we are going to send this number of athletes and come the day for the games there will be no one,” said Musariri.
The national association is working with different stakeholders, including parents and schools, and Chief Mutoko has come on board to also assist in sourcing funds for the team as two of the athletes are coming from his area.
Musariri said they will be attending the fundraising event in Mutoko today as they continue with their efforts to raise enough money for the trip.
“He (Chief Mutoko) set up a fundraising committee and they have come up with a fundraising event tomorrow (today) in Mutoko at Chinzanga Primary School.
“They are going to be offering a lot of activities, one of the activities is they are going to have a raffle.
“They managed to talk to the business community in Mutoko to donate items that are going to be used for the raffle.
“They also managed to talk to the churches in the region to come with assistance in terms of coming up with the fund’s activities.
“Our target is to raise US$9 000 tomorrow (today). We have got people that have come on board with donations.
“We have also engaged the political leadership to come on board and support athletes that are coming from their regions. So this is one initiative coming from Mutoko.
“We have got another initiative here in Harare. We have got four athletes that are coming from Mufakose High School and they have taken the same stance.
“But also at board level we have also made commitments. We have only managed to raise $15 000 and our target is to raise $101 000. We have pledges that we are following up but still we continue requesting for companies that can come on board. They might not be able to give us cash but they can offer services,” said Musariri.
Musariri said as a nation there is need to look beyond the athletes’ disability but realise that this is a national team.
“This is Team Zimbabwe that we are talking about.
“We are not looking at their disabilities, we are looking at these athletes as ambassadors that are coming from Zimbabwe and we need that support to come on board.
“People need to realise that when our athletes go out there they are representing the country regardless of their disability.
“To us they are stars they have managed to conquer all injustices and the seclusion that they suffer.
“And they are coming out to represent our country so the appeal is still out there.
“This is an opportunity to showcase their brand at an international level, we have got big brands that are showcasing at that stage and they believe in breaking down barriers.
“We are supporting people with intellectual disability so that they can bring down those barriers,” said Musariri.
Zimbabwe lost their accreditation for the Games in 2007 due to economic challenges as they could not raise resources to compete.
However, they got it back in 2013 and these will be their first Games since they regained their accreditation.
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