Wheelchair Basketball Tournament Preparations Advanced
Wolves Wheelchair Basketball Club is participating in the Peter Muruko Memorial basketball tournament to raise awareness and fight drug abuse among both abled and disabled individuals.
The tournament will take place in Mabvuku on October 28th and 29th.
The tournament that honours the life and work of the late Muruko is now in its second edition.
Drug and substance abuse has been rampant in Zimbabwe, affecting the youths, including people with disabilities and the world. This saw various governments and Civic Society Organizations carrying out campaigns to fight drug and substance abuse.
Wolves Organizing Secretary Job Kumunda said the tournament aims to encourage youth who have just finished school to stop taking drugs and participate in various sporting disciplines.
“The theme of the games is “Stop drug abuse, come let’s play sport”. This theme means we encourage all people, both able and those with a disability who have finished school, to stop taking drugs and to come and play sport,” he said.
This year’s edition has regional flavour, with a Zambian team set to its tournament debut.
“This year’s tournament promises to be bigger, and as it has attracted the attention of Didcare Sports, a Zambian team that will be gracing the games for the first time”, said Kamundira.
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“We have been inundated by many clubs who want to participate in the tournament because the late Mudhara Peter was a legend in sports, and many teams want to honour his memory.”
The event will bring together clubs as far as Matabeleland North, Bulawayo Mutare and Zvishavane, making it one of the biggest Wheelchair basketball festivals.
The tournament is taking place at Number One ground in Mabvuku as a way of bringing wheelchair basketball to the ghetto as well as having an outdoor tournament experience.
“We are expecting ten teams from different provinces. Victoria Falls and Bulawayo will bring in two teams each, the Midlands providing one team and Harare, the hosts will have four teams. These teams have both male and female teams,” he said.
This year marks 22 years of existence for the Wolves Wheelchair Basketball Club; therefore, the tournament will also celebrate the club’s formation.
Kamundira has also appealed to the corporate world to help with sponsorship and play a part in eliminating the scourge of drugs that is currently affecting the country.
“Our preparations are at an advanced stage, and we, therefore, appeal to corporates and individuals to help with sponsorship so that we can be able to put a show that should slam dunk the drug problem that is bedevilling our youths,” Kamundira told Entersportnews.
