Netcare Clinton Hospital’s wheelchair basketball star thrives
Netcare Clinton Hospital switchboard operator and coach Simphiwe Mntambo accepted an award on behalf of his team on October 7.
The thriving wheelchair basketball star and coach for team Gauteng Lioness was recognised and awarded by Johannesburg Women in Sports Awards as Team of The Year.
Mntambo, who has coached the wheelchair basketball team for over a year, gladly received the accomplishment on behalf of Gauteng Lioness after a successful journey.
He was selected for the South African u-23 men’s wheelchair basketball team in 2007. In 2008, he became a member of a team that qualified for the 2009 men’s u-23 Wheelchair Basketball World Cup in Paris.
He previously told the RECORD he has been working towards this coaching goal for a long time.
“I want to give back to Netcare by sharing my coaching skills to hopefully help motivate differently-abled persons as part of their physical rehabilitation programme,” said Mntambo.
Milestone achievement
The overjoyed Palm Ridge resident said his team achieved this award after being selected as finalists in the previous year after victories in a few games.
“They played against KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Cape Town and Free State and managed to get to finals, hence they were given the award. I’m so excited about this achievement, it shows that in Gauteng there’s improvement in development,” he said.
A proud Mntambo attained his coaching experience while coaching a KwaZulu-Natal women’s wheelchair basketball team since 2016.
“We would always finish in second place and get silver medals because of our excellent participation. We were only defeated by one team from North West. Earlier in the year I also coached a KZN senior team and we got t finals,” he said.
He reiterated that he loves coaching and he is looking forward to it while growing from strength to strength.
He has also been recently selected as coaching commissioner.
