Zimbabwe set for Para Africa Games

Lovemore Dube, Sports Desk Co-ordinator

ZIMBABWE will take part in the Para Africa Games in Ghana in September marking a return to international sport after a Covid-19 inspired break.

This was confirmed by Johanne Marufu, the chief executive officer of the Zimbabwe Association for Sport for People with Disabilities. He said sporting activities within their association had suffered a great deal during the Covid-19 days as sporting activity among their members were banned.

“At the moment we are taking stock of who is where and doing what sport. The selectors are all over the show trying to identify eligible and competent athletes to represent Zimbabwe at the multi-discipline African championships,” said Marufu.

The way forward will be guided by the organisation’s introspection process with provincial and national competitions to be resuscitated. Marufu said wheelchair basketball looks to be the first sport to get into action with workshops planned for Bulawayo and Zvishavane.

Marufu said negotiations were at an advanced stage with Kwekwe Polytechnic for the mass manufacture of wheelchairs for basketball and tennis. He said there were delays in setting up the unit to manufacture that as the engineer who they had worked with on design and material to be used had migrated to Sudan.

“We are at an advanced stage to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Kwekwe Poly for the manufacture of sports wheelchairs. It’s been a problem area for us as athletes struggle to buy imported ones.

This has made sport for people with disabilities look a bit more expensive,” said Marufu.
He is appealing for donations for sports equipment. “We need sports wheelchairs, rackets, balls, nets, training cones, chess and dart boards.”

Zimbabwe has previously done well in international sport for people with disabilities with Elliot Mujaji (athletics) and Connie Sibanda (bowls) among the most outstanding.

Marufu admits that it would be a weakened Zimbabwe team at the Para Games in Ghana because of Covid-19 induced inactivity.