Limpopo para-athlete wins triple gold
Masala Makatu won three gold medals at the 2025 SASAPD Championships in Gqeberha, continuing his inspiring track record.
LIMPOPO – Masala Makatu (18), a member of the Isability Sports Club Limpopo, returned home beaming with pride after winning gold medals in the T12 100m, 200m and 400m events at the 2025 Toyota SASAPD (South African Sports Association for Physically Disabled) National Championships in Gqeberha.
Held from March 30-April 1, the championships are South Africa’s premier sporting event for para-athletes. Makatu, from the Kutama area in Makhitha village, is a Gr 11 learner at the Champion Christian Academy. He was initially enrolled at Rivoni, a school specialising in the education for blind learners, due to his severely limited vision.
Despite his impairment, Makatu has never allowed his condition to define him, proving himself to be a determined and hardworking athlete.
His recent achievements add to an already impressive record. In February, he won a silver medal at the Dubai World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025 and last year, he dominated the SASAPD National Championships in Bloemfontein, also winning three gold medals in the u/20 T12 category while setting South African records in the 100m and 400m events.
Makatu, known for his drive and commitment, sees his three-gold-medal performance as both an accomplishment and a lesson. “Winning these medals felt like a setback because I wanted more than I could give at the time. But it taught me an important lesson – rushing the process isn’t always the answer. If you take your time, focus on the details and correct your mistakes, you will get there,” he said.
He is also an advocate for greater inclusion of athletes with disabilities in sport.
“People with disabilities are underestimated in many sporting codes, which only motivates us to prove people wrong. I will continue to work hard, raise awareness, and be a constant reminder that anything is possible,” he concluded.
