Wheelchair basketball player, Melusi Maseko, is not letting his disability get him down
Born and living with the disability which has confined him to a wheelchair, the captain of the Bees Wheelchair Basketball Club is breaking boundaries in the local sporting circles.
Melusi Maseko is not letting anything get in the way of achieving his ultimate dream of playing in the Paralympics.
The 25-year-old is living with cerebral palsy but is a star on the basketball court.
Born living with the disability which has confined him to a wheelchair, the captain of the Bees Wheelchair Basketball Club is breaking boundaries in the local sporting circles.
His team has broken new ground and is the only wheelchair basketball team in the Msukaligwa region competing in competitions throughout the district.
The team has achieved so much in its short lifespan, raking in medals and awards at various sporting tournaments.
With many people living with disabilities and mental illness often ostracised and shunned, leading to them being hidden in back rooms and shacks where they will not be seen or heard in Wesselton, Melusi and his teammates are breaking the norm and actively changing the status quo.
“We founded the team in December because we wanted to be active and not just laze around and be despondent in the township,” Melusi said.
The team practices every Friday and Saturday at the Mpumalanga Stadium netball courts, honing their skills to compete with the best when the call comes.
The Bees consist of 10 players but Melusi and company are hoping to add more.
“We appeal to wheelchair-bound persons to come through and join the team and not just roam around Wesselton with nothing to do.”
Melusi and his teammates play with their normal wheelchairs, which makes it hard, especially in rainy weather.
“There are specialised wheelchairs and courts for wheelchair basketball but with limited funds, we make do with what we have.”
The ultimate dream for this young man is to play for the South African wheelchair basketball team and participation in the Paralympics would be the icing on the cake.
“He is very determined and disciplined and does not let his disability get him down,” his mother, Ms Mavis Motha, said.
She has been taking care of Melusi, driving him to practice and competitions throughout his sporting career.
His dreams have become her dreams and the duo is confident all the work they have done, is the foundation of bigger things to come.
Melusi is a proud Wesselton product and is a familiar face on the streets of Khayelisha.
Even though he was schooled in facilities designed for children with special needs, that does not deter him as he is a GS TVET College graduate in End-user Computing.
“Anything to do with computers, I am all over it,” Melusi said.
His wish is to study further in the field to fall back on his qualification once he stops playing basketball.
