Zimbabwe Paralympic Committee (ZPC) secretary-general Lewis Garaba has urged the nation to treat athletes with disabilities with respect saying the National Paralympic Games held annually in the country contributed to the economy.
The games were officially launched at the Edmund Davies Hall at the Colliery Club in Hwange on Friday. “The vision of the ZPC is to create an enabling environment for sporting excellence. These games that we will be witnessing in April contribute immensely to the development of the economy, social life as well as spiritual well-being.
Of course these are universal benefits in sport. We as the ZPC are saying let us not discriminate, stereotype or stigmatise sports for people living with disabilities.
“Disability does not mean inability, hence let us work closely as a family in our mandate to deliver sport people living with disabilities in Zimbabwe,” Garaba said.
This comes against the backdrop of sentiments raised by the ZPC president Michael Bulagango at a recent wheelchair tennis tournament hosted by the British Embassy at Bulawayo Athletics Club that the association is facing serious financial challenges as they strive to come up with a team to take to the London 2012 Paralympic Games in September.
Bulagango said ZPC was making frantic efforts in a bid to send a team to the games.
