WOLVES Wheelchair Basketball team has been invited to participate in the Zambia Independence tournament slated for next month.
The games are set to run between October 28-30. However, their trip hangs in the balance due to a lack of funds.
Wheelchair basketball made its debut at the Independence tournament last year. The organisers of the tournament have extended their invitation to Zimbabwe’s Wolves basketball to give the tournament some regional flavour.
The team faces serious financial constraints and is racing against time to raise the money required for their travel and upkeep whilst in Zambia.
Job Kumunda the team’s Organising Secretary and Acting Coach, believes that Wolves can bring the trophy home if they can manage to secure the funds to participate in the tournament.
“Our biggest challenge is funding. We don’t have anything in our account. But given the opportunity to go and play, we will bring results and the trophy,” he told EnterSportNews.
Kumunda believes that such a good gesture extended to his team must be reciprocated by participating, which will open room for hosting the Zambian team in Zimbabwe.
“It is a great achievement when a team from another country invites you to come and participate in an important event like this (Independence tourney). It also pushes us to have a similar tournament and invite them also,” said Kumunda.
Financial handicap aside, the team is raring to go despite not being active due to Covid-19, which caused the country’s suspension of most sporting activities.
“The team is ready and only waiting for those who were out of town to come and get vaccinated, then we start our training. Yes, it going to be hard to bring back the team where it was in terms of fitness because it’s been two and half years without touching a ball,” added Kumunda.
Different Abled athletes have been the hardest with the Covid-19. Unfortunately, their plight has played second fiddle to that of non-disabled athletes.
