SASAII athletes bring home medals from world championship
Eleven intellectually impaired athletes from the province were part of the national teams that represented the province during the third World Athletics and first World Table Tennis championships for People with Down Syndrome that were held in Bloemfontein recently. Results for Limpopo athletes are as follows:
POLOKWANE – Eleven intellectually impaired athletes from the province were part of the national teams that represented the province during the third World Athletics and first World Table Tennis championships for People with Down Syndrome that were held in Bloemfontein recently.
According to South African Sport Association for the Intellectually Impaired (SASAII) president, Lizzie Vogel, all the athletes did their best and she is happy with their performance.
“Our athletes went all out and represented the country well. They made us proud and I would like to thank each and every one of them for an outstanding performance. We will be preparing for the Trisomy World Games that will be held in Florence, Italy next year in June,” Vogel said.
She further said the championship will cover sporting codes such as swimming, judo, table tennis, athletics, gymnastics, tennis and futsal (Futsal is a modified form of soccer played with five players per side on a smaller, typically indoor, pitch)
Alex Taylor, one of the athletes from Limpopo, broke the world record in discus after throwing a distance of 29,73 m and was announced as discus world champion. Vogel congratulated Taylor on his achievement and said he made the country proud.
She wished him the best of luck in his future endeavours.
Results for Limpopo athletes:
Athletics
• Juliet Mailula – 100 m – 2 silver.
– 400 m – 3 bronze.
– 800 m – 2 silver.
– 200 m – 3 bronze.
– Triathlon – 3 bronze.
– 4 ×100 m relay – 2 silver.
• Charles Mailula – 1500 m – 1 gold.
– Long Jump – 2 silver.
– 400 m – 3 bronze.
– 800 m – 2 silver.
• Lebohang Mogale – 4 × 400 m relay – 1 gold.
• Alex Taylor – discus – 1 gold.
– Shot put – 2 silver.
• Tebogo Mabitsi – 4 × 400 m relay – 1 gold.
• Puleng Makofane – 4 × 400 m relay – 1 gold.
• Koos Matsaung – 4 × 400 m relay – 1 gold.
– 4 × 100 m relay – 3 bronze.
• Vukosi Rikhotso – Triathlon – 2 silver.
– 4 × 100 m relay – 3 bronze.
Table Tennis:
• Selaelo Rapholo – 3 bronze.
• Lebohang Mogale – 3 bronze.
• Salmita Mdluli – 3 bronze (team) and 3 bronze (doubles).
• Mahlodi Nkadimeng – 3 bronze (team) and 3 bronze (doubles).
