Muriel Brand’s golden pupils
Gauteng dominated at the recent Nedbank National Championships for Physically Disabled in Stellenbosch.
The province won a total of 283 medals across various sport codes at the 23rd staging of this event with Western Province in second and North West in third place.
A number of young lower limb amputees, associated with Icexpress Progressive Prosthetics and its Jumping Kids Fund, helped to secure the top spot by scooping up 24 medals between them.
Tough competition was seen between the older athletes as Brakpan’s Muriel Brand School learner Junior Mavuso (19) and Bongani Mahlangu (17) battled for gold in various T/F44 items (single below-knee amputation).
In the T44 u-20 200m, it was Mahlangu for gold (30.24 seconds) with Mavuso running a 30.24 for silver.
Mahlangu also took gold in the 100m (14.08 sec) in a close race with Mavuso who clocked 14.10 seconds, just missing first place.
In the F44 long-jump, tables were turned when Mavuso leapt to a new SA record of 4.74m with Mahlangu in second place with a distance of 4.68m.
Mavuso went on to secure his second silver in the F44 Men’s u-20 javelin item.
F42 (above-knee) field specialist, Omar Abdul ended his campaign with three golden performances.
Abdul, who also attends Muriel Brand School in Brakpan, threw a 5.53m in the u-18 Shotput item, 15.87m in discus and finished off with a first place in the F42 long-jump (2.9m).
Abdul received his sponsored sport prosthetic only a couple of weeks before the start of the championships.
He participated in long jump for the first time at national level.
