By Staff Reporter

In a significant breakthrough for inclusive sports innovation, Kwekwe Polytechnic has designed and created a multi-disciplinary sports wheelchair tailored for use in various sporting codes.

The project was spearheaded by the institution’s BTEC Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) Department in collaboration with the National Disability Association for Sports.

Speaking to this publication, department chairperson and lecturer Bothwell Kufa said the initiative was born out of a request from the association, which approached the polytechnic with the challenge of developing a sports wheelchair suited for athletes with disabilities.

“They came to Kwekwe Polytechnic and they wanted us to design a sports wheelchair for them. This is the design that we came up with. It is capable of being used in multidisciplinary sports. You can use it for basketball, tennis, rugby, even badminton,” he said.

According to Kufa, one of the unique features of the wheelchair is its adaptability to different body sizes, enhancing its usability across a wide spectrum of athletes.

“We can adjust it to suit different sizes of people,” he said.

The prototype has already been put to the test at major events such as the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) and at the Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC), where it received positive feedback and certification from disability sport stakeholders.

“BAC certified that it’s okay. Now, what we need to do is upscale and take it to another level, so that it can be mass-produced and marketed for people in need of them,” he said.

The development marks a milestone in the intersection of education, engineering innovation, and inclusive sports development in Zimbabwe.

Kwekwe Polytechnic has over the years built a reputation for its practical, solution-oriented approach to industrial and community challenges, and this latest invention is expected to make a lasting impact on the accessibility and participation of people with disabilities in sports.