THE Bulawayo Metropolitan Province has started preparations for the 2013 edition of the Zimbabwe National Paralympic Games to be held in Gweru in April.
REPORT BY SUKOLUHLE MTHETHWA
Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) co-ordinator for Bulawayo Province, Sam Dzvimbu, yesterday said they held a meeting in the city on Tuesday to plan for the Paralympic Games.
“We had a meeting on Tuesday and we dealt with the issue of sending our team to the Paralympic Games. We decided that all five districts in Bulawayo should have held their preliminary selection on March 15 before we finalise the provincial team on March 23,” he said.
The five Bulawayo districts are Khami, Reigate, Mzilikazi, Bulawayo Central and Imbizo.
A total of 154 athletes will represent Bulawayo in the games and will be accompanied by 22 officials.
The athletes will participate in athletics for the amputees, athletics for visually impaired and for the intellectually challenged.
Wheelchair racing, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, netball for the hearing impaired, five-a-side football for the intellectually challenged (high and low ability), football for the hearing impaired and goalball will be on offer.
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The games will be held from April 9-13 although there have been calls from some provinces to have the games start on an earlier date since schools close on March 27.
“If the games are on April 9-13 there will be a lot of expenses because it will mean athletes will be in camp for two weeks. We might lose some athletes because it might be difficult for them to go home and later regroup. Some of the athletes are boarders at institutions like King George School,” he said.
Dzvimbu said the finance team was working on the budget for sending the team to the Midlands.
Matabeleland North Province hosted last year’s Paralympic Games. This year the games are expected to attract 1 500 athletes from the country’s 10 provinces.
