Team Zimbabwe's coach for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Elliot Mujaji has expressed satisfaction with the state of preparedness of the athletes to represent the country in France.
The Paralympic Games come to life tomorrow with the official opening ceremony and will run until September 8.
Zimbabwe is being represented by Kudakwashe Chigwedere and Tinotenda Bango in athletics.
Chigwedere will compete in the men's 100m -- T47 and Bango is up for competition in the women's 100m -- T47.
"I can simply say I just want to give my appreciation to the ZNPC (Zimbabwe National Paralympic Committee, the Ministry, and SRC for the support that they have given us.
"We have been in camp for almost a month and I think that is what is needed in terms of preparations.
"And I think we have done everything that an athlete needs in terms of psyching up, in terms of building for this high level of competition.
"So I can say that the government of Zimbabwe has done very well on our part as Team Zimbabwe in the Paralympic Games and I think we are good to go," said Mujaji.
The team left for Paris on Sunday.
The two athletes received universality wild cards after they missed direct qualification. Mujaji said they worked on several areas and they will be out to compete.
"There are a lot of things that we looked at; speed, endurance, and now we were looking at technique, the starting, reaction, simple things that matter most in sprinting. Those are the things that we have been working on for the few past days.
"Those are the things we were working on, and also looking at the times that they were posting, the guys are ready to go and they are good. We are not going there to make numbers.
"We are going there to compete and for sure we will be in the finals in both 100m, for the women, 100m for the men, we are going to be in the finals.
"But for them to win a medal that will be a bonus for us."
Mujaji, a two-time gold medallist at the Paralympic Games in the 100m -- T46 also shared some of their experiences with the athletes.
Chigwedere said he is ready for the Games.
"I think I am adequately prepared. We started camp on the 1st of August.
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"We have been training every single day, two times a day and the doctor has been there addressing every complaint in terms of the body if we have physical pain, anything."
He is confident of the work they have done under the guidance of Mujaji.
"I think he has been really good, especially our coach. I think he has been doing an excellent job on the track pre-paring us for the Paralympic Games.
"These are my first (Paralympic Games). I have not competed in any event before that's like at that scale. So, a lot of preparations have been put in especially mentally . . . You have to find a way to manage the pressure because there is a lot of expectations from different people," Chigwedere said.
Bango said she will give her best on her Paralympics debut.
"Since it's my first time to represent my country I am so excited. It's my first time to be in such a big event in my life.
"I think I will do my best to represent my country well," said Bango.
Chigwedere and Bango were part of the team that represented the country at the World Para-Athletics Grand Prix in Morocco, in April.
