Preparations for Special Olympics Los Angeles 2015 World Games have gathered momentum, with Team Zimbabwe trooping into camp at Bronte Hotel on Saturday in preparation for departure for the US on Monday. By Nyambira Chivasa
US First Lady Michelle Obama will officially open the 2015 Special Olympics, which will run from July 25 to August 2.
This year’s Special Olympics event will feature 26 Olympic style sporting disciplines in venues throughout the Los Angeles region after the opening ceremony in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Special Olympics is a sport event that seeks to address inactivity, injustice, intolerance and all forms of discrimination associated with people of intellectual disabilities leading to a more welcoming and inclusive society.
The Special Olympics also come after the realisation that sport was lacking in the care and education of the intellectually challenged.
Viola Musariri, head of delegation to the Special Olympics expressed confidence with developments so far but lamented lack of funds which has forced them to trim the delegation with the football team having to be dropped due to the unavailability of funds.
“All is in place now and the team will go into camp on July 18 [yesterday] at Bronte Hotel in Harare and depart for Los Angeles on Monday,” Musariri said.
“Fundraising was an uphill task and the deadline for submissions was imminent. We were therefore forced to trim the delegation.”
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
She took the opportunity to salute the few sponsors who made the trip a success.
Ishmael Chigumo, the Headmaster of Ratidzo Zimcare School in Masvingo expressed dismay at the trimming of the squad, saying it had impacted negatively on both students’ rehabilitation, parents, individuals and the corporates who funded the provincial games.
“The trimming of the delegation has impacted negatively on students who were dropped due to financial constraints. Imagine a whole football team was dropped and one of our students Allan Mapurisa was part of the team. Allan has been showing signs of positive behavioural change and he was now more responsible since he was anticipating to scale greater heights,” Chigumo said.
He added, “Parents ran around securing money for passports and other preparations, only to be told the team has been dropped. Individuals and corporates who helped with the funding during the provincial games are equally demoralised.”
Tafadzwa Mutasa, who will be representing Team Zimbabwe in athletics, is the only student from Ratidzo set to travel to the US.
Ratidzo School also produced students who were part of the soccer team that scooped Gold Medals in the Ireland-Dublin Special Olympics of 2006.
A record 177 nations and 7 000 athletics will participate in this year’s edition of the Special Olympics.
