Nkomazi athlete scoops two first places at Winelands International Para Athletics meet
Collen Mahlalela was invited to participate in this para athletic meeting after he represented the country at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.
Paralympian Collen Mahlalela delivered a great performance at the Winelands International Para Athletics Competition held at the Coetzenburg Athletics Stadium in Stellenbosch on Saturday, February 22.
He participated in the 100m and 400m races and he took the lead in both. He ran the 100m in the morning and completed it with a time of 11.06 seconds. He clocked a time of 49.21 seconds during the 400m race, which he ran in the afternoon.
After the event they awarded the overall winners for their performances, and Mahlalela scooped up second place in his items and received an award. This athlete from eMasibekela in Nkomazi was invited to participate in this race after the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
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Mahlalela told this publication that during the 400m race he made sure he didn’t look at anyone and focused on what he was he doing. “I was running at my own pace and I didn’t look at what was happening around me. Because if I focus on my opponent, it tends to make me feel tired.”
He said he didn’t face any challenges during the race and he enjoyed it.
He is currently preparing for his next event, the 2025 Toyota SASAPD National Championships in Gqeberha at the end of March. He said after that he plans to participate in the 2025 World Championships at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, India, in September.
He represented the country at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where he took part in the first round of the T47 400m race. He won a silver medal in the men’s 400m T47 at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, in May. He participated at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2024 in Dubai in February, and he won two medals – a silver and a bronze.
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His advice to young people in Mpumalanga is to be patient and to focus on their dreams.
Mahlalela said he would like to thank everyone for their support.
“In this sport that I do I need a lot of support, which includes equipment, travelling and funds. I appreciate what the Bambanani Mlambo Trust and the Mpumalanga Department of Sports are doing for me.”
