POLOKWANE – Emmanuel Makuwa (23) from Jane Furse participated in the National Sitting Volleyball Club Championships that took place at the Ngoako Ramatlhodi Sports Complex from April 12-14.

Sitting volleyball or paravolleyball uses a smaller court and lower net, and the game is notably faster than standing volleyball.

Makuwa plays for the Mapungubwe Warriors and said he started playing sitting volleyball in 2015 when one of his friends, Pretty Maloma invited him to be part of her team since she saw how passionate he was about the sport.

“When I first started playing sitting volleyball I doubted myself because of my disability and the things that other people used to say about me. But I proved them wrong and showed them that people who are disabled can also do anything they set their minds to,” he said.

“Sitting volleyball is difficult compared to standing volleyball as it is not easy to move your whole body in order to save the ball, but for standing volleyball, it is easy because you can run and save the ball fast.”

During the National Sitting Volleyball Club Championship, Makuwa won a recognition award as the most valuable player of the tournament.

He told BONUS he was selected to represent South Africa in 2019 in Rwanda, and that his current goal is to win a trophy for South Africa.

“I will continue playing sitting volleyball until I get old. I will not retire anytime soon,” he said.

People who are disabled, should not be be afraid of playing sitting volleyball or competing in any other sport, he said. “They should just follow their dreams.”