Effects of Covid19 damaging ZNPC
The effects of the pandemic have been described by stakeholders in sport for people with disabilities as being damaging as it struck the sector at the worst time.
The Zimbabwe National Paralympic Committee had concluded preparations to send a team for the 2020 Paralympic games qualifiers that were set for Dubai in March but had to call off the camp two days before departure
Athletes have resorted to training at home ever since with another qualifier now set for Dubai in February next year.
Zimbabwe National Paralympic Committee President, Michael Bulagango, revealed that with 8 athletes being registered to take part at the Tokyo 2021 Games, focus this time around is on sending quality as opposed to quantity.
UPSOUND:
“We are not sending a team to just make numbers at the Tokyo 2021 Paralympic Games. We are intending to send a team of athletes who are the best. Athletes who are talented because the universality wildcard and the bipartite entries are an indication that the country has failed to send talent. Those two entries show that the paralympic Games just felt pity for us. That is not what we want.”
Zimbabwe has won a total of 2 gold medals, 9 silver, and 6 bronze with1980 by far being the country’s most successful year, after clinching 8 silver medals and 4 bronze; all but two won by Sandra James and Eileen Robertson, across events in several sports.
Zimbabwe’s first gold medal was won by Elliot Mujaji in the year 2000, in the 100m sprint, which is the T46 category before scooping the country’s last medal at the games with a gold in 2004.