Team Zimbabwe's coach at the ongoing Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Elliot Mujaji has underscored the importance of continuous talent identification and exposure for local athletes to prepare them for major competitions.
Zimbabwe have two athletes -- Kudakwashe Chigwedere and Tinotenda Bango at the Games that are running until September 8.
The quadrennial show-piece began on August 8.
Chigwedere and Bango received universality wild cards to represent the country in Paris.
They were both competing at the Games for the first time.
Chigwedere reached the men's 100m T47 final, where he finished eighth in 10.94 seconds.
He had come third in the heats to secure his passage to the final, posting a personal best time of 10.78 seconds in the process.
His previous personal best going into his maiden Games was 11.63 seconds.
Bango represented the country in the women's 100m T47 but could not mark her Games debut with a place in the final.
She clocked 13.71 seconds to finish in ninth place in the heats.
Bango however, got some measure of consolation in that she recorded her personal best time.
And the women's 100m T47 on Tuesday was the last event for Team Zimbabwe, with Chigwedere having competed in the men's 100m T47 last Friday.
Speaking after the conclusion of their events, Mujaji said considering that this was the first time that the two athletes were taking part in the Games, they had done well.
Mujaji believes the pair will come better placed to excel at the next edition of the Games, scheduled for Los Angeles in the United States in 2028.
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"The athletes did very well since it's their first time on a big stage like this.
"I am proud of them posting their personal best times as well as vast improvement since April, Kuda was 11.63 seconds and ran 10.78 seconds, Tinotenda was 15.6 and ran 13.71 seconds.
"Not Kudakwashe alone but both athletes are the future and hope for 2028 LA Paralympic Games and work should continue tirelessly," said Mujaji.
Mujaji, a former athlete himself and gold medallist at the 2000 and 2004 Paralympic Games, said there is need for continuous talent identification and nurturing in and out of the Games cycle.
"We need to be very patient as well at scouting more talent and nurturing them plus exposure, going to a lot of competitions before such big stages.
"We are not very far away (in terms of competitiveness) from others. It's only that back home our seriousness comes towards the Games," Mujaji said.
The team will remain in Paris until the end of the Games.
After fielding just two athletes, the Zimbabwe National Paralympic Committee will be hoping to increase the numbers for the next edition.
