Vambe on Tokyo Paralympics

Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE’S chef de mission for Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Ignatius Vambe, says they are continuously engaging the International Paralympic Committee regarding the rescheduled Games.

Initially, the Games were scheduled to start on August 25 and run until September 6, this year.

But, they were then pushed back to 2021 from August 24 to September 5.

Zimbabwe are still chasing qualification for the Games, after missing out on the targeted qualifying event which was set for Dubai in March, but was cancelled.

The team could not travel to Poland for another qualifying competition, a Para athletics event, last week.

However, Vambe said, just like several other countries that could not take part at the event, because of the current restrictions, they have engaged the IPC on the matter.

“In terms of qualifiers, not only locally but internationally, we have not been able to travel to go for qualifiers,’’ Vambe said.

“There was a qualifier in Poland, Para athletics competition last week, and most countries did not travel because of issues to do with quarantine.

“It was used as one of the qualifiers but we have raised this with the IPC and they understand the issue.

“For example, the Dubai event, the government had fully funded the event but our athletes were not able to travel.

“In the meantime they have asked for the long list, in terms of our hopefuls, so we have submitted that long list.

“It is mainly made up of those athletes that were supposed to go to Dubai.’’

Vambe said athletes, who are from different provinces, have been encountering challenges, to access facilities for training. “We have been updating IPC on the challenges that we have, like issues to do with travelling and training venues, because of the documentation that is needed to travel.

“In terms of venues themselves we would have loved at this time, even in provinces where they are, to have athletes training at High Performance Centres.

“Like in Harare, we have Prince Edward School, in Matabeleland North we have Gwanda High and Chaplin High in Gweru where our athletes can train.

“At least, the facilities there are good.

“Japan has actually proposed they can provide us with a training camp in Japan and we have accepted that.

“But it will be prudent to go for the camp towards the Games,” said Vambe.

The athletes also need to go for classification at an international event.

Vambe said they were looking at a budget of around US$350 000 for the qualifiers and the actual Games.

Zimbabwe National Paralympic Committee president, Michael Bulagango, said their major challenge was on communication, and monitoring, the athletes training programmes.

They have, however, applied for the Covid-19 athletes’ relief fund to help their members with some of the needs towards training.

IPC president, Andrew Parsons, recently told BBC Sport they want to avoid a situation where member nations cannot compete due to finances.

“We want to avoid a situation where a nation cannot compete because of finances,” Parsons told BBC Sport.

“We are developing strategies and plans with governments, commercial partners and the Tokyo Organising Committee and are constantly in contact with various National Paralympic Committees.’’

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