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Tadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
SPECIAL Olympics Zimbabwe have started to take different sport codes under its umbrella to marginalised communities across the country.
One of the best-performing associations, in no small part, in international events, the Special Olympics have however, remained concentrated in a few cities including Harare, Bulawayo, and Gweru.
There is little or no activity in other areas and the association has committed to start spreading their sporting disciplines to other areas.
With funding the main impediment towards this goal, they have put together a golf tournament together to raise funds to help decentralise their initiatives.
The contest is slated for tomorrow at the ZRP Golf Club in Harare, where hordes of individual and team golfers are expected to converge.
Special Olympics Zimbabwe national director Lillian Chikara told Zimpapers Sports that the golf day fundraiser will also see a lot of prizes being won.
“As you may be aware, Special Olympics Zimbabwe is the custodian of sport for people with Intellectual Disability (ID). We are different from the Paralympics as most people confuse the two.
“Our athletes are performing incredibly well in international events and we feel that we have the potential to be a global powerhouse in all the sporting disciplines that we partake in.
“So, we want to expand to other areas across the country in all the sports that we do,” she said.
“But we do not have funding from corporations as we mostly rely on volunteers. But we can’t fold our hands and just say, funding is not coming.
“We have organised a golf tournament which will take place at the ZRP Golf Club. We are partnering with the ZRP to raise funds for us to expand to other areas.
“So, we are saying $50 for individuals and $200 per four ball inclusive fees for participants. This is for a worthy cause and we are eager to make sure that we develop sports for athletes with ID and spread nationwide.
“We will start with golf where most of our athletes have proven to be very good. So we will have eight of the best that we have in our association also participating in this tournament on Friday (tomorrow). The tournament will work as a fundraiser as well as preparing our golfers who will be going for an international competition in China in September.”
Besides golf, the Special Olympics also have athletics, football, volleyball, darts, and netball under their shade.
Online Reporter