The newly-appointed Matabeleland North Sport and Recreation Commission co-ordinator Newman Masuku hopes to take sport to great heights in the province with the 2012 National paralympic Games his first port of call.
Matabeleland North will be hosting this year’s National Paralympic Games in Hwange from April 8-12 and Masuku yesterday said as host he was hoping his province would participate in various sporting disciplines.
“I am excited. I am looking at taking sport to great levels in the province and my immediate task is to see the smooth and successful hosting of the 2012 Zimbabwe Paralympic Games in Hwange from April 8-12. I want to make sure the provincial team is ready by the end of the month and we participate in all disciplines: goal ball, tennis and athletics for the visually impaired,” Masuku said.
Masuku said the province had always been losing out in the paralympic games because they had only been sending out one team for basketball.
“We have always been sending one team, but I will give it my best this time. All the seven districts (Tsholotsho, Lupane, Binga, Hwange, Bubi, Nkayi, Umguza and Hwange) have promised to be ready by the end of the month. They will bring their district teams and we will have doctors to classify the athletes so that by February we have the provincial team,” Masuku said.
Masuku, who took over from Permanent Sibanda, who was relieved of his duties last year, said the province had already established a local organising committee (LOC) for the games, headed by Victor Rakabopa as the chief executive officer.
Also part of the LOC is Donald Khumalo (finance), Burzil Dube (marketing and publicity) and Tafadzwa Munodawafa (edutainment).
Patron of the games is Matabeleland North governor Sithokozile Mathuthu and the supervisor of the games is the provincial education director Boitathelo Mnguni.
