NKULUMANI MLAMBO
MASVINGO-Sport, the world over has become a multibillion dollar industry and a case in point is the recent FIFA World Cup in Qatar where the association racked in US$7.5 billion in revenue.
Unfortunately this is not the case for people with albinism in Zimbabwe as they cannot participate in most sporting activities due to lack of proper gear that they require to prevent them from being injured.
People with albinism require special equipment like elbow and knee padding, hip padding and sometimes chest protection, something that they cannot afford or is not available at all in the country, said Agnes Memory Gurunhe (pictured), Masvingo Province vice chairperson, Zimbabwe Albino Association.
“People with albinism are also talented just like any other human being. They can engage in active and full sporting including athletics, soccer, archery, bowels, soccer, chess, basketball and handball.
“For us to participate in those sporting disciplines we require soft equipment so that when we are hit we do not get injured since our skin can be easily injured.
“We also need long sleeve uniforms and the grounds must be user friendly so that if one falls one does not get injured, we also need special spectacles to protect our eyes since most stadiums do not have wide shades to protect us from the sun. We also need sunscreens with sun protection factor which will make it easier for us to even play in the sun,” said Gurunhe.
Albinism is a rare genetic disorder that cause the skin, hair or eyes to have little or no colour, most people with the condition have pale skin, eye problems and are very sensitive to the sun.
A snap survey by publication found out that most sports equipment shops do not sell gear for people with albinism as they claimed that it is expensive and has no takers as well hence there is no business wisdom in having such stocks.
“We don’t have equipment for people with albinism for the simple reason that there is no market for it, ever since I started working here I have not had a single enquiry, you are actually the first person to talk about such equipment,” said Emmanuel Marume a supervisor at Dunstan Sportsware.
Gurunhe said the other major problem that they face is lack of sponsorship to take part in sport since it is expensive to buy the required material let alone having proper play fields.
“We have no people willing to sponsor us to participate in sports like any other persons, that is also coupled by lack of investment in the sport where the play grounds are not conducive for us as they pose a lot of danger to our skin which require soft surfaces.
“The manufacture of user friendly equipment in the country is very limited or not there at all, it is mostly found from outside the country making them very expensive hence we call upon those with the means to assist us so that we are not left behind in sports,” said Gurunhe.
Cathrine Chari (24) from Mucheke, a prolific chess player of her time also bemoaned lack of sponsorship and proper policies as what contributed to her failure to realise her dream.
“My dream was to participate at the chess Olympiad for people with disabilities unfortunately that was not to be, my dream was shattered because I could not get proper glasses for me to participate further in the sport although I was good at chess,” said Chari who has resigned to her fate and is now married with two children.
Sports and Recreation Commission spokesperson, Elleta Nengomasha requested questions on email and she had not responded by the time of going to publish.
The Minister of Sports, Arts and Recreation, former Olympic record holder in swimming, Kirsty Coventry was unreachable on her mobile number, while questions texted to her were not replied to as well.
The story is published with support from the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) and the Embassy of Canada in Zimbabwe under the Investigative Journalism Fund Program.
