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Zimbabwe: 38 Athletes Shortlisted for Paralympic Team
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
7 May 2008
Posted to the web 7 May 2008
Augustine Hwata
Harare
Zimbabwe are bracing themselves to send their biggest ever delegation to the Paralympic Games after 38 athletes were shortlisted for the 13th edition of the competition set for Beijing, China, in August.
The Zimbabwe Paralympic Committee members from the Northern and Southern Regions met in Bulawayo last weekend where they drew a working list with each region proposing 19 athletes.
Sport and Recreation Commission acting manager for growth and development Tendai Mukuruva, who is also the Paralympic Games co-ordinator, yesterday said the Zimbabwe Paralympic Committee are scheduled to meet in Gweru at the weekend to come up with a final list. "Over the years, Zimbabwe had been having just Elliot Mujaji and maybe one other representative at the Paralympic Games but we are geared to increase the representation.
"Our biggest obstacle in sending a huge squad is the limited finances although we are exploring other avenues of getting external funding. "In our preparations, we have been short-listing athletes from the various competitions held. "Now we have a working number of athletes who have qualified with B and A standards but there is still need to streamline our squad," said Mukuruva. The Zimbabwe Paralympic Committee is the forerunner in organising the team and now has a constitution in place that was agreed to by stakeholders involved in sports for people with varying disabilities. The ZPC operates on the same lines as the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee as it champions Paralympicism and is this year looking at fielding athletes in wheelchair racing, wheelchair tennis, goal ball, field and track events.
Mukuruva is also hopeful the selectors will start serious preparations for the Games after their weekend meeting. When the selectors meet at the weekend, Mukuruva hopes that they will be able to finalise on the athletes who will start serious preparations for the Games in China.
"As of now there are 38 people on the list but not all will be able to go. "Yes, we might need to get everyone in China but we should not be getting athletes for the sake of numbers. "I am glad to announce that we have a plan where we are trying to cater for our physically challenged athletes across the board. "We have elite athletes like Elliot Mujaji, who has won medals before, and wheelchair tennis player Nyasha Mharakurwa, who has an International Tennis Federation wildcard, as our medal hopefuls.
"There are some with B qualification standards who can also go as development athletes "In the end, we could be having a squad of 15 to 18 people for the Games," said Mukuruva. Other than Mujaji and Mharakurwa, top wheelchair racers Edmund Makutya and Elford Moyo have also been included in the list.
The first Paralympic Games were held in 1948 when Ludwig Guttmann organised a sports competition involving World War II veterans with a spinal cord injury in Stoke Mandeville, England.
In 1952, the competition physically challenged athletes from The Netherlands joined the Games as an international movement was conceived.
Olympic-style games for physically challenged athletes were held in Rome in 1960 and named the Paralympics that have grown to be the elite sports with over 3 806 athletes from 136 competing at Athens 2004.
Squad
Wheelchair: E. Makutya, E. Moyo, W. Nyakoko, M. Majoni, M. Bangajena
Visually impaired: I. Nyamukapa (T12), M. Mhandu (T12), N. Dube (T13), A. Mangure (T12), D. Kahungwe (T13),
Field athletics: C. Marimo (F56), F. Ganyaupfu (F57), C. Tarupira (F58), M. Madzimure, D. Hwatira (F57), T. Ndlovu
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Wheelchair tennis: N. Mharakurwa, C. Mutwira, C. Makwanya, A. Mkandla, S. Phiri,
Athletics: E. Mujaji (T46), M. Sithole
Powerlifting: M. Mwale, T. Mudzengerere, N. Chigwinya.
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