60th SASAPD National Championship

Rolling Inspiration
By Rolling Inspiration
3 Min Read

Next week (18 March 2022) the 60th edition of the SASAPD National Championships will kick off at the Germiston stadium in Johannesburg. The event will run till March 22 and includes various sporting codes such as Para Athletics, Para Powerlifting, Boccia, Para Cycling, Goalball, CP Football and Judo for the blind.

At the media launch for the event, SASAPD vice president Jean Miggels said: “The event plays a vital role in making a difference by taking athletes to a national level. It provides them with an opportunity to compete against their peers and qualify for international competitions.”

Last year, the Championship offered athletes the opportunity to qualify for the Paralympic Games. This year, many are focused on the 2022 Commonwealth Games, which kicks off at the end of July. As the event complies with International Paralympic Committee requirements, the Championship allows athletes to improve their global rankings and break world records.

This year, there are over a thousand athletes expected including competitors from several African countries. Organisers are also excited to welcome back some of the sporting codes, which were unable to be present at the 2021 Championship due to the global pandemic and local lockdown restrictions.

This is also the fourth year that the event is sponsored by Toyota South Africa (Toyota SA). Speaking at the media launch, Toyota SA brand ambassador Pieter Badenhorst said that the company looks forward to many more athletes achieving their impossible – a reference to the Paralympic Games campaign.

With the 2020 Toyko Paralympic Games, Toyota launched a global Start Your Impossible campaign, which highlighted the seemingly impossible dreams that so many people were able to achieve. Pieter explained that the focus has shifted to “starting the journey” as no ‘impossible’ dream can be achieved without getting started.

“With the Championship, there will be many ‘start your impossible’ stories again,” Pieter said. “There is nothing better than seeing athletes achieve their best, or really anyone who wants to achieve something new.”

Keep an eye on our social media pages and website for updates of the event or read the full review of the Championship in our Issue 2 2022.

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