It’s shaping up to be an exciting time for South African athletes, starting with the Paralympic Games in Rio.
Wow, 2016 already. It feels like just yesterday that I was in London for the 2012 Games and here we are already in another Paralympic year. This year is going to be big for some Paralympians: there are a few athletes with something to prove; others will be trying to make their mark; while some will be saying goodbye after these games.
I was lucky enough to visit Rio in 2015 and do a site visit of the Paralympic Village and sports venues. The village looks set to be one of the nicest that the athletes have ever had the privilege of staying in. The venues are close to completion and I will hopefully be doing a final visit in March. These games are going to create a lasting legacy for Rio in terms of accessibility, and the people living with disabilities in Rio are going to benefit for years to come.
But back to sport. There were a number of World Championships last year with some athletes laying claim for selection for the Paralympic Games. Sandra Khumalo (Para Rowing) showed her talent by winning her event at the Rowing World Championships, Ilse Hayes showed at the Para Athletics World Championships in Qatar that she is one of the fastest Paralympians in the World. Kevin Paul started dominating the Breaststroke again at the Glasgow Para Swimming World Championships.
Unfortunately, no team has qualified for the Rio games, with the Sasol Wheelchair Basketball men’s team coming 3rd at the African Zonal Qualification tournament in Algeria and the Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team coming second at the Inaugural Women’s African Zonal Qualification Tournament (also held in Algeria). I have a great feeling about the future of the women’s team; I believe that they will soon be challenging to be the best in Africa.
Some people are predicting that the sweep of medals in Rio 2016 may not be as good as at previous Games, with the retirement from swimming of Natalie du Toit and Charl Bouwer, and the tragic Oscar Pistorius situation. Those three alone account for a loss of 13 medals! However, it’s in adversity that people shine and I am sure that the athletes there will once again deliver when called upon to do their best.
A huge accolade for South Africa is also being awarded the rights to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Durban. The implications of this are enormous for athletes with a disability as these games have a number of events for para athletes and will also leave a lasting legacy, not to mention the investment in the sports to ensure South Africa fields a competitive team for the Games.
The Nedbank National Championships for the Physically Disabled and Visually Impaired will be held in Mangaung from 18 to 24 March this year, with athletes hoping to qualify for the Paralympic Games. Let’s get behind them and support them all the way – Going for Gold in Rio.
Leon Fleiser has been involved with sport in the disability sector since 1992, when he started playing wheelchair basketball. He captained the national team to the Sydney Paralympic Games and the 2002 World Championships. He started working for Disability Sport South Africa in 2001 as a Coordinator for High Performance. It merged into SASCOC in 2005 and he is now the Manager for Team Preparation and Academy Systems. He has delivered Team South Africa to numerous Olympic, Paralympic, Commonwealth and African Games.