The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE put up a splendid display at the recently held first ever Pan African Special Olympics Games that were held in Cairo, Egypt.
Team Zimbabwe managed to pick up four gold medals and the same number of silver honours. Sprint queen Barbra Njovo grabbed gold in the 100m and 200m while Mufarowashe Shambira (400m) and captain Patience Zvikomborero Mudarikwa (400m) also won gold in their respective categories.
Silver medals came from Lisalobuhle Hleza (100m and 200m) as well as Mufarowashe Shambira (800m) and Kadoma-based Cleo Mero pulled strongly in the last 50m to finish second.
According Paul Kaunda, the Special Olympics Zimbabwe national director who led the Zimbabwean delegation to Egypt, Njovo did not disappoint since she managed to attract attention and even made it to the front page of the games’ newsletter.
“It was Njovo who lived up to her pre-games billing with a starring show that saw her being the poster girl of the games — appearing on the front page of the games newsletter. She also seems to be using her experience from the Special Olympics World Games held in Abu Dhabi last year where she won silver in the 200m,’’ Kaunda said.
On the last day, all athletes embarked on a tour of Cairo where they visited great monuments such as the Pyramids and the Sphinx of Giza.
