Five Mozambican disabled athletes

Five disabled athletes will represent Mozambique in the World Athletics Championships of the International Paralympic Committee (ITC) to be held from tomorrow, Thursday 22 October, until October 31, in Doha, the capital of Qatar.They are Guildo Zacarias in the T-13 category, Hilário Chavela (T-12) and Emilio Chirindza (T-36, a category specially designated for athletes with physical motor disabilities). The female Mozambican athletes selected are Denise das Dívidas (T-13) and Edmilsa Governo (T-12).The event is a qualifier for the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro next year.Two of Mozambique’s best disabled athletes, Pita Rondão and Maria Muchavo, both T-12 competitors, will not participate in the competition having failed to acquire entry visas for Qatar, denied in the act of accreditation, allegedly for bureaucratic reasons.According to the president of the Mozambican Sports Federation for Persons with Disabilities (FMDD) Jorge Bai-Bai, Mozambique’s goal in this competition is to secure places in the Rio Paralympic Games next year. To achieve the dream scenario of taking seven athletes to Rio, the five Mozambique runners who go to Doha must achieve top-two places.Twelve members of the Mozambican delegation leave for Doha this afternoon – the five athletes, two coaches, a masseur, a guide athlete and three directors including the FMDD president and Farida Gulamo, the President of the Paralympic Committee of Mozambique.