The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
LEGENDARY former Zimbabwe captain Moses “Bambo” Chunga believes people living with disabilities can excel if they are incorporated into the football fraternity.
The former Dynamos coach was one of the selectors at a six-team round-robin tournament for the deaf at Rufaro yesterday.
The tournament marked preparations for the selection of a national soccer team that is expected to represent the country in the qualifiers for the Deaflympics.
The Cool Splash tournament was organised by the Miss Deaf Pride Foundation.
While the national team’s selection exercise started in Harare yesterday, it will spread to other provinces in the next few weeks.
“The sky is the limit for some of the players I am seeing here. Deaf people need to be integrated into the sporting fraternity. They also like to play football, so they should be given a chance to excel.
“Hats off to the organisers and the sponsors — Cool Splash — for coming up with this initiative. We mourn against racism in football and yet here at home we are discriminating against our own.
“But it’s good we are now appreciating football talent amongst people who are deaf and dumb,” said Chunga.
According to Wellington Mpandare, who is the programme’s coordinator, Zimbabwe will soon have its own team, which will participate at the Deaflympics and the World Cup.
The Deaflympics are an International Olympic Committee -anctioned event that sees deaf athletes competing at an elite level.
The next World Cup for the deaf will be held in Korea in September 2020.
However, Zimbabwe will not participate as the country did not take part in the qualifiers.
“lndeed, deaf people have been marginalised, we haven’t seen them playing at the top,” said Mpandare.
“That is why we decided to organise some football for them, where they can have their own league running, and stand a chance to qualify for their own World Cup.
“Top coaches like Chunga are here to help us select the best 23 players from Harare. Sunday Chidzambwa, David “Yogi’’ Mandigora and former CAPS United, Highlanders and Dynamos star Stewart Murisa will also be joining us in the program.
“The other provinces will also come up with their squads, then the 10 provinces will clash in December. The national team will be selected from those players,’’ Mpandare said.
