DELTA Corporation has committed US$13,000 towards athlete awards at the 2026 Danhiko Annual Games, extending a partnership with the disability sports showcase that has now run for 36 years.
The latest edition of the Games opened in Harare on Saturday, bringing together athletes competing in swimming, goalball, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.
While the longevity of Delta’s involvement stands out, the company says the focus of the partnership has increasingly shifted towards creating competitive opportunities and pathways for athletes with disabilities.
“Delta Corporation is proud to have supported the Danhiko Annual Games for 36 years,” the company said at the official opening.
“This partnership reflects our belief that talent exists everywhere, even when opportunity is not equally available. These Games help create a fair platform on which athletes can compete, pursue excellence and be recognised for their achievements.”
Delta’s association with the Games stretches back to their inception.
Until 2010, the competition was known as the Chibuku Danhiko Games, reflecting sponsorship through the company’s Chibuku brand.
The partnership subsequently moved under the Delta Corporation corporate brand, with the company continuing its support without the Chibuku naming rights.
This year’s US$13,000 contribution has been directed towards athlete awards, placing competitors at the centre of the sponsorship.
The Games have over the years provided athletes with disabilities an opportunity to compete in an organised environment while challenging perceptions about disability and sport.
Delta said such competitions were important not simply because they provided participation opportunities, but because they allowed athletes to be recognised for their sporting ability.
“Sport has the power to change how people see themselves and how society sees them,” the company said.
“It creates visibility, challenges stereotypes and shifts attention from limitation to capability.”
The company added that meaningful inclusion required more than allowing athletes to participate.
“Inclusion is not simply an invitation to be present; it is the provision of a fair chance and the creation of a platform on which every person can compete, contribute and excel.”
Beyond the annual competition, Delta called for stronger development structures that would allow promising athletes to progress from community sport into national teams and ultimately regional and international competition.
Such pathways are particularly important in disability sport, where access to specialised equipment, coaching and regular competition can influence an athlete’s development.
Delta also acknowledged the Government, Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Danhiko Board of Trustees, coaches, officials, families, caregivers, volunteers and other partners involved in staging the Games.
“After 36 years of partnership, Delta Corporation remains proud to stand with Danhiko,” the company said.
