Lango Sinkamba
Encyclopedia
Lango Sinkamba, born in 1968 or 1969, is a Zambia
n former athlete
who specialised in the wheelchair
marathon
. As a wheelchair athlete, he represented Zambia on two occasions
at the Paralympic Games
, and was his country's first Paralympian. He subsequently became President of Zambia's National Paralympic Committee
, and has been active in raising the profile of disabled sports
in his country. He is also an Athlete Ambassador for the international humanitarian organisation Right to Play
.
In addition to his efforts in that field, he owns and runs a "small business centre, which deals with computer repairs, software, and office supplies".
Zambia first participated in the Paralympic Games in 1996, sending Sinkamba as its sole representative
. He was entered in three events in track and field. Opting to focus on the marathon, however, he withdrew from the other two events (the 800m and 1,500m races). He completed the marathon in 3:09:17. He thus came 56th and last among those who finished the race (seven did not), over half an hour behind Ecuador's Angel Quevedo in 55th - and more than an hour and a half behind Franz Nietlispach
of Switzerland, who took gold and set a Paralympic record with a time of 1:29:44.
Returning to the Paralympics in 2000
, as one of his country's two representatives (along with female visually impaired sprinter Nancy Kalaba), Sinkamba entered only the marathon. He completed the race again, but finished last once more among the 45 athletes who reached the finish line (four did not). His time of 2:51:55 was an improvement on his previous performance, but remained nineteen minutes slower than the second slowest competitor (Yevgeniy Tetyukhin of Kazakhstan
), and almost an hour and a half behind Franz Nietlispach's winning time of 1:24:55.
In 2004, he urged that, unless he was able to obtain a new wheelchair -which would require a donation, or assistance from the government-, he would be unable to compete in the 2004 Paralympics
. Ultimately, he was unable to compete, and Zambia sent no delegation to the Games.
Paralympic results
, he drew public attention to the everyday difficulties faced by persons with disabilities in a country where little had been done to facilitate their access to public transport, for example. After organising a conference bringing together several associations for disabled persons, in 2002, he called upon the government to "procure goods and services produced by businesses run by the disabled", and to "allocate more money for programmes and services for people with disabilities". He had previously chaired a similar conference, urging the media to "cover the problems of disabled people".
As an athlete, and as Secretary General for the Zambia Paralympic Sports Association, he drew attention to a lack of government financial and material support for Zambian sportspeople with disabilities. Noting the lack of a clear government policy in promoting and facilitating disabled sports, he urged support also from businesses and from the media. His own efforts took the form of participating in a variety of sports committees to speak up for disabled sports.
In 2006, he spoke on the theme of "skills training for people with disability" at an International Labour Office workshop in Lusaka on "Pathways to Decent Work" for persons with disabilities. He emphasised in particular the need for vocational rehabilitation.
In 2005, he became the first President of the newly established National Paralympic Committee of Zambia. As such, he aimed to ensure the training of coaches for athletes with disabilities, to facilitate the forming of sports clubs, to organise disability games, to spot and train young athletes, and to enhance the latter's confidence. By 2008, he was noting the NPCZ's "excellent" relationship with the government, which funded the Committee. He continued, however, to draw attention to the difficulties disabled people faced in accessing public transport, due to poor design and to the fact that passengers in wheelchairs or with guides for the blind were asked to pay extra by private transport providers. He also stated that there remained a "stigma" attached to disability in many's people's minds, which he aimed to change by raising the profile of disabled sports.
In 2009, the NPCZ received a donation of fifteen sports wheelchairs from the South African branch of Rotary International
. Sinkamba noted that this would help Zambian athletes prepare for the 2012 Summer Paralympics
, as well as for the 2011 All-Africa Games
(initially due to be hosted in Zambia, until the hosts withdrew due to lack of funds).
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
n former athlete
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
who specialised in the wheelchair
Wheelchair racing
Wheelchair racing is the racing of wheelchairs in track and road races. Wheelchair racing is open to athletes with any qualifying type of disability, amputees, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy and partially sighted . Athletes are classified in accordance with the nature and severity of their...
marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
. As a wheelchair athlete, he represented Zambia on two occasions
Zambia at the Paralympics
Zambia made its Paralympic Games début at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, with a single athlete competing in men's track and field. In 2000, Zambia had two representatives, once more in track and field...
at the Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
, and was his country's first Paralympian. He subsequently became President of Zambia's National Paralympic Committee
National Paralympic Committee of Zambia
The National Paralympic Committee of Zambia is, as its name suggests, the National Paralympic Committee of Zambia, and is a member of the International Paralympic Committee. It was set up in 2005, replacing the Zambia Sports Federation of the Disabled...
, and has been active in raising the profile of disabled sports
Disabled sports
Disabled sports are sports played by persons with a disability, including physical and intellectual disabilities. As many of these based on existing sports modified to meet the needs of persons with a disability, they are sometimes referred to as adapted sports...
in his country. He is also an Athlete Ambassador for the international humanitarian organisation Right to Play
Right to Play
Right To Play is an international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play programs to improve health, develop life skills, and foster peace for children and communities in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world...
.
In addition to his efforts in that field, he owns and runs a "small business centre, which deals with computer repairs, software, and office supplies".
Paralympian
Sinkamba lost the full use of both his legs during childhood, as the result of contracting polio. He became involved in disabled sports at a young age, organising wheelchair races while in secondary school.Zambia first participated in the Paralympic Games in 1996, sending Sinkamba as its sole representative
Zambia at the 1996 Summer Paralympics
Zambia made its Paralympic Games début at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, United States. The country's delegation consisted in a single competitor, wheelchair athlete Lango Sinkamba.- Athletics:...
. He was entered in three events in track and field. Opting to focus on the marathon, however, he withdrew from the other two events (the 800m and 1,500m races). He completed the marathon in 3:09:17. He thus came 56th and last among those who finished the race (seven did not), over half an hour behind Ecuador's Angel Quevedo in 55th - and more than an hour and a half behind Franz Nietlispach
Franz Nietlispach
Franz Nietlispach is a Swiss wheelchair athlete, handcyclist, and politician.He has competed in every Summer Paralympic Games from 1976 to 2008, winning a total of fourteen gold, six silver, and two bronze medals. All of these medals were for athletics, except for one bronze earned in handcycling...
of Switzerland, who took gold and set a Paralympic record with a time of 1:29:44.
Returning to the Paralympics in 2000
Zambia at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
Zambia competed at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, Australia. It was the country's second participation in the Paralympic Games. Wheelchair athlete Lango Sinkamba, who had competed in the 1996 Games, took part for the second time, entering the marathon. Visually impaired sprinter Nancy...
, as one of his country's two representatives (along with female visually impaired sprinter Nancy Kalaba), Sinkamba entered only the marathon. He completed the race again, but finished last once more among the 45 athletes who reached the finish line (four did not). His time of 2:51:55 was an improvement on his previous performance, but remained nineteen minutes slower than the second slowest competitor (Yevgeniy Tetyukhin of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
There were 0 female and 2 male athletes representing the country at the 2000 Summer Paralympics.-External links:*...
), and almost an hour and a half behind Franz Nietlispach's winning time of 1:24:55.
In 2004, he urged that, unless he was able to obtain a new wheelchair -which would require a donation, or assistance from the government-, he would be unable to compete in the 2004 Paralympics
2004 Summer Paralympics
The 2004 Summer Paralympics were held in Athens, Greece, from September 17 to September 28. The twelfth Paralympic Games, an estimated 4,000 athletes took part in the Athens programme, with ages ranging from 11 to 66. Paralympic events had already taken place during the 2004 Summer Olympics as...
. Ultimately, he was unable to compete, and Zambia sent no delegation to the Games.
Paralympic results
| Games | Sport | Event | Time | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Atlanta 1996 Summer Paralympics The 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, USA were held from 16 August to 25 August. It was the first Paralympics to get mass media sponsorship, and had a budget of USD $81 million.... |
Athletics Athletics at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Athletics at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of 210 events, 155 for men and 55 for women.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :- References :... |
Men's 1,500m T52-53 | scheduled to run in heat 2, but did not start |
DNS |
| 1996 Atlanta | Athletics | Men's 800m T53 | scheduled to run in heat 1, but did not start |
DNS |
| 1996 Atlanta | Athletics | Men's Marathon T52-53 | 3:09:17 | 56th (last of those who completed the race) |
| 2000 Sydney 2000 Summer Paralympics The 2000 Paralympic Games were held in Sydney, Australia, from 18 October to 29 October. The eleventh Summer Paralympic Games, an estimated 3800 athletes took part in the Sydney programme. They commenced with the opening ceremony on 18 October 2000... |
Athletics Athletics at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Athletics at the 2000 Summer Paralympics comprised a total of 234 events, 165 for men and 69 for women. Athletes were classified according to the extent and type of their disability.* Classes 11-13: visually impaired athletes... |
Men's Marathon T54 | 2:51:55 | 45th (last of those who completed the race) |
President of the NPCZ
Sinkamba did not compete again in the Paralympic Games, but remained active in encouraging Zambian athletes with disabilities - and Zambians with disabilities more generally. As chairman of the Disabled Initiatives Foundation, based in LusakaLusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
, he drew public attention to the everyday difficulties faced by persons with disabilities in a country where little had been done to facilitate their access to public transport, for example. After organising a conference bringing together several associations for disabled persons, in 2002, he called upon the government to "procure goods and services produced by businesses run by the disabled", and to "allocate more money for programmes and services for people with disabilities". He had previously chaired a similar conference, urging the media to "cover the problems of disabled people".
As an athlete, and as Secretary General for the Zambia Paralympic Sports Association, he drew attention to a lack of government financial and material support for Zambian sportspeople with disabilities. Noting the lack of a clear government policy in promoting and facilitating disabled sports, he urged support also from businesses and from the media. His own efforts took the form of participating in a variety of sports committees to speak up for disabled sports.
In 2006, he spoke on the theme of "skills training for people with disability" at an International Labour Office workshop in Lusaka on "Pathways to Decent Work" for persons with disabilities. He emphasised in particular the need for vocational rehabilitation.
In 2005, he became the first President of the newly established National Paralympic Committee of Zambia. As such, he aimed to ensure the training of coaches for athletes with disabilities, to facilitate the forming of sports clubs, to organise disability games, to spot and train young athletes, and to enhance the latter's confidence. By 2008, he was noting the NPCZ's "excellent" relationship with the government, which funded the Committee. He continued, however, to draw attention to the difficulties disabled people faced in accessing public transport, due to poor design and to the fact that passengers in wheelchairs or with guides for the blind were asked to pay extra by private transport providers. He also stated that there remained a "stigma" attached to disability in many's people's minds, which he aimed to change by raising the profile of disabled sports.
In 2009, the NPCZ received a donation of fifteen sports wheelchairs from the South African branch of Rotary International
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
. Sinkamba noted that this would help Zambian athletes prepare for the 2012 Summer Paralympics
2012 Summer Paralympics
The 2012 Summer Paralympic Games will be the fourteenth Paralympics and will take place between 29 August and 9 September 2012. The Games will be held in London, United Kingdom after the city was successful with its bid for the Paralympics and Summer Olympic Games.Even though 2012 will be London's...
, as well as for the 2011 All-Africa Games
2011 All-Africa Games
The 10th All-Africa Games took place between September 3–18, 2011 in Maputo, Mozambique. Maputo's hosting marked only the third time the Games was held in the southern part of the continent.-Host awarding:...
(initially due to be hosted in Zambia, until the hosts withdrew due to lack of funds).