Tirivashe Nheweyembwa
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
VICE President Phelekezela Mphoko will be the guest of honour at the official opening and closing ceremonies of the eighth edition of the three-day Zimbabwe National Paralympics Games that begin in Gwanda tomorrow.
“I am informed that the local organising committee have settled for honourable VP Mphoko as guest of honour during the opening and victory parade ceremonies on April 3,” said Sports and Recreation Commission spokesman Tirivashe Nheweyembwa.
Athletes from the country’s 10 provinces are expected to be in Gwanda today ahead of tomorrow’s kick-off.
Thousands of sports enthusiasts from the host province are expected to throng various venues hosting the Games to cheer the country’s physically challenged and visually impaired athletes.
Host province Matabeleland South and their Bulawayo counterparts have already promised top notch performances from their athletes.
Lifa Mpofu, the Matabeleland South SRC provincial representative, said they were eyeing a top three finish while his Bulawayo counterpart Sam Dzvimbu was equally confident of a good performance by Team Bulawayo.
Matabeleland North, who have had serious challenges in their fundraising ventures, are likely to have the least number of athletes in Gwanda. Education officials in the province allegedly refused to grant permission for fundraising activities at schools arguing that sport fell under a different ministry, despite introduction of mandatory physical education classes in schools under the new curriculum.
SRC representative in Matabeleland North Newman Masuku said they will send a team of 40 athletes due to budgetary constraints.
Affiliation fees for this year’s Games have been pegged at $50 per athlete.