Disability academy participates in championships
KwaThema – The KwaThema Disability Sports Academy team took off for the Nedbank National Championships for the Physically Disabled in Bloemfontein last week Friday.
The 18 athletes of different age groups, representing Gauteng, are participating in various sports, including soccer, athletics, javelin, shot-put, long jump and discus.
KwaThema Disability Sports Academy chairperson Aubrey Mathebela says this comes after the athletes participated in the Central Gauteng for the Disabled trials that were conducted in August last year.
From there selections were made until these athletes made the cut.
He adds that those who will do well at the championships stand a great chance of being selected for South Africa’s team for the Paralympics Games in Rio in September.
Princess Kerr (12), who started with the academy at the age of seven and is now one of the athletes who are running at the championships, says she aims to do well as she wants to see herself competing at international level some day.
Mbali Precious Dhlamini (12), who is also one of the young stars of the team, adds that though she is a bit nervous, she wishes to perform well and to make her teammates and family proud.
Dhlamini will be running and participating in the long jump categories.
