adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
THE Danhiko Annual Paralympic Games set to start tomorrow got a shot in the arm when they received $40 000 from the Ministry of Sport and Recreation yesterday.
This year’s Games are expected to feature 2 300 athletes from 112 clubs from across the country, as well as a team from Botswana, with participants competing in athletics – track and field, goal ball, wheelchair basketball, netball, soccer, five-aside soccer, wheelchair tennis, slalom and swimming.
There will also be a 1 500m wheelchair race demonstration during the Games.
Sport and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane presented the money to the organisers of the Games yesterday led by Danhiko Project director Phone Kufakwedeke and Games organising committee chairperson, Godfrey Majonga, at Danhiko.
Hlongwane said as a stakeholder to the Danhiko Games they have a role to play in ensuring that the event is a success.
“The Ministry of Sport and Recreation is an important stakeholder to the Danhiko Paralympic Games because what the Danhiko Paralympic Games do is to provide athletes that are Paralympians with an opportunity to participate in the Games first and foremost which is an important aspect of sporting.
“But beyond that to say that participation enables them to ground themselves, to prepare themselves for high performance when they now go to the African Games, when they now go to the Paralympic Games, for instance, they have had enough time in practice, enough time in participation, that for us is very important.
“So, in order to facilitate and enable that, we have to support the Danhiko Games because they do provide for us that very important opportunity.
“This is very important for us, we are very happy that we have the Danhiko Games, we are very happy with the opportunity the Games provide our athletes in terms of refining their skills, providing this mode of competition to enable them to feed into the high performance sector, for us that’s important,” said Hlongwane.
The ministry also provided a bus to be used during the Games.
Majonga said they were relieved by the ministry’s intervention as they had some outstanding items on their budget and added that it’s now all covered.
“Now we can sleep comfortably with the knowledge that everything has been covered. So as the athletes arrive tomorrow we are very happy that we will be able to meet them when they arrive, bring them to Danhiko and also keep them happy while they are here so that the competition goes well. “We are very happy that the minister has taken so much interest in the success and Danhiko hosting these Games.
“So we want to thank him and hope that our association and his interest continues into the future.
“He has provided us with the remaining cash budgetary requirements together with a bus from the ministry so that is fantastic news for us as organisers,” said Majonga.
The First Lady Dr Amai Grace Mugabe, who is the patron of the Danhiko Annual Paralympic Games, is expected to officially open the Games on Saturday.
Participating teams are expected to arrive today and registration will also be done today.
Online Reporter