LYDENBURG – A pupil with a disability from Estralita Special School has been selected to represent the country in the 2015 African Open International Futsal Tournament in Italy.
Paulos Dlamini is one of the few who are to compete against teams from all over the world this July.
Futsal is a football game played on a smaller field and mainly indoors.
The 15-year-old boy was diagnosed with Down Syndrome at birth, but that never stopped him from living his passion for soccer.
Last year Paulos represented Mpumalanga in soccer during the provincial open games in Secunda. Which was where his potential for futsal was discovered.
He recently participated in the National Open Games that took place in Port Elizabeth where he was selected as a member of the South African team to participate in Italy.
Paulos is one of seven children, with his parents, Phillip and Nompumelelo Dlamini, struggling to make ends meet.
His father is a groundsman at a school, his mother unemployed, and his father’s income is not enough to buy Paulos all the things he will need for his trip.
The school is reaching out to the community to help him raise funds.
According to the principal of Estralita, Ms Hanlie Swanepoel, their stunning star is an exceptional child with a warm personality and they believe he has a wonderful future ahead of him.
“We are asking the community to assist him with three casual tracksuits, one pair of Adidas/Nike sneakers, a travelling suitcase, one set of pyjamas (size large), one gown (large) and pocket money to spend.
“We at Estralita are really proud of his milestone and we have the utmost confidence in him,” she said.
If you would like to assist the school in sending their star to Italy, call
013-235-2378.
