Mpumalanga Paralympian Collen Mahlalela won a bronze medal for South Africa at the World Para Athletics Championships (WPAC) in New Delhi, India, on Thursday, October 2.

He delivered a blistering run in the men’s 400m T47 final, racing to third place in his personal best of 48.04 seconds. With his performance, Mahlalela added a second bronze medal for South Africa at the championships.
He said he had a good race, although he was aiming for second. “I made a minor mistake during the race, but it was also delayed because of the rain.”

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On Wednesday, October 1, he participated in the first round of the men’s 400m T47 and he took first place. He completed the race in 48.76 seconds.

Mahlalela participated in the first of the WPAC events on September 27. In the men’s 100m T47 he took third place, completing the race with a time of 11.18 seconds. He went on to take fourth in his second men’s 100m T47, finishing in 11.21 seconds.
He said it felt good participating in these fun, starter events ahead of round one of the men’s 400m T47.

Before travelling to India for this competition, Mahlalela trained extensively under the guidance of his personal trainer and coach, Hennie Kriel, at Tuks in Pretoria. He did quality training and tempo sessions every morning at about 08:00, took long runs and carefully monitored his diet.

Mahlalela, who hails from Nkomazi, qualified for the WPAC during the 2025 Toyota SASAPD (South African Sports Association for the Physically Disabled) National Championships in Gqeberha, held at the end of March, where he claimed gold in the 100m and 400m races.

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The Mpumalanga MEC for culture, sport and recreation, Leah Mabuza, congratulated Mahlalela on his outstanding performance. “Collen has made our province and country proud. His determination, hard work and resilience are an inspiration to all South Africans, especially the youth and aspiring para-athletes.

“His success is proof that with commitment and perseverance, our athletes can compete and shine on the global stage. We are extremely proud of Collen, and wish him continued success in his sporting journey,” said Mabuza.