Laina Sithole and Shepherd Gumede are the only two athletes to have secured qualification for this year’s Paralympics after attaining A-standards at the 2015 African Games in Brazzaville last year.

Sithole has qualified in the 100 metres and 200m T13.

Gumede has achieved the qualifying mark in the 400m T13 and is also looking to secure a spot in the 200m.

ZNPC secretary general Lewis Garaba is hoping for others to join them. 

"We are looking to have more athletes qualify for the Paralympic Games," he told Standardsport.

"We have approached [the] Zimbabwe Tertiary Institutions Sports Union to see if they have athletes we can look at and we are inviting everyone in Zimbabwe who feels they have what it takes to make it to the Games to come forward.

"It’s an opportunity for all gifted physically-challenged athletes out there because there is only one International Paralympic Committee qualifier for African athletes which will be staged in Tunisia end of March.

"It’s also an opportunity for our qualified athletes to see their times and rate themselves ahead of the Paralympics."

Elliot Mujaji was the last athlete from Zimbabwe to win a Paralympic medal, claiming gold in the men's 100m T46 at Athens 2004, defending the title he won at Sydney 2000.

"We have been starved of medals in the last couple of years but the young athletes we have this time around are fired up and they could do something special at Rio this year," said Garaba.

"We have encouraged them to aim higher than just silver and bronze, but to gun for gold."

In December, Sithole and Gumede took part in a one-week training camp along with 11 other Paralympic hopefuls at the National Sports Stadium in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare.

Garaba, however, claimed the shortage of financial resources to ensure the Paralympics team is affecting preparations.

"We had our first camp last year after receiving support from [the] Agitos Foundation and we hope to have those camps once a month," he added.

"The problem is hiring the National Sports Stadium arena, which is extremely expensive at $300 (£207/€267) per day.

"We are appealing for assistance from all stakeholders to ensure that our athletes adequately prepare for the Games.

"We want to make sure we send athletes who are up to standard and who can compete at that stage."

Zimbabwe had just two athletes at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 with Mujaji being joined by fellow track and field athlete Molene Muza at the former and wheelchair tennis player Nyasha Mharakurwa at the latter.