Controversy once again hit the 2012 Zimbabwe National Paralympic Games in Hwange with allegations that Masvingo, the winners, were awarded some medals for events they did not win.
Masvingo were declared winners of the fifth edition of the games at the end of the games last Friday at the Hwange Colliery Stadium.
They scooped 26 gold, 13 silver and 20 bronze medals to clinch this year’s Champions title. Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Sports and Recreation Commission, (SRC) coordinator Sam Dzvimbu yesterday said they were challenging the results of this year’s games.
“It is true that there was wrong interpretation, tabling and placement of results in Hwange which disrupted the whole medal log-standings in the end. We are writing to the SRC condemning what has happened. It is not good that we have to deal with such problems every year,” he said.
“We got gold in men’s goal ball, wheelchair tennis for men and girls, which were given to Masvingo and Midlands. We were also not given gold for men’s wheelchair basketball and our 1 500m athlete was also denied gold.”
In the 1 500m race for the intellectually challenged Samuel Kunaka of Mashonaland West was declared winner yet he clocked four minutes 47, 08 seconds while Bulawayo athlete Enock Matupire got silver at a better time of four minutes 45, 85 seconds.
“We have a problem with that result because our athlete got a better time. The Mashonaland West athlete was also disqualified for pulling another athlete and also we need to ensure that the results are verified before we announce them. This is discrediting the games,” said Dzvimbu.
Former champions Midlands came position two with 25 gold, 14 silver and 19 bronze while Bulawayo followed with 19 gold, seven silver and five bronze.
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“If the results are verified Midlands will be on position one and we (Bulawayo) will be second because Midlands have more silver medals,” he said.
Contacted for comment SRC Community Sports Development Programme manager Martin Dururu could only say they would verify the results.
“We are having a meeting with all competition directors on Wednesday (tomorrow). That is when they will verify and finally declare the results. We will go through the results just like last year,” he said.
