Lango Sinkamba

Lango Sinkamba (born 1968 or 1969) is a Zambian 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". Ultimately, he was unable to compete, and Zambia sent no delegation to the Games. GamesSportEventTimeRank 1996 Atlanta Athletics 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 Athletics 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 Lusaka, 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 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 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).