Para-athlete bags four gold medals
Westcliff Hope School learner, Warren Tefo secured four gold medals for Gauteng in the recent Nedbank National Championships for Physically Disabled held in Stellenbosch.
Gauteng dominated the event, coming away with a total of 283 medals across various sporting codes at the 23rd staging of this event with Western Province in second, and North West in third place.
Tefo secured the number one spot in the F57 javelin (19.14m), shot-put (7.17m), and discus (19.33m) items and in the T57 100m wheelchair race.
A number of young lower limb amputees helped to secure the top spot by scooping 24 medals between them.
Tough competition was seen between the older athletes as Junior Mavuso (19) and Bongani Mahlangu (17) battled for gold in various T/F44 items.
In the T44 U20 200m, it was Mahlangu for gold (0:30:24) with Mavuso running a 0:30:24 for silver.
Mahlangu also took gold in the 100m (0:14:08) in a close race with Mavuso who clocked 0:14:10, just missing first place.
In the F44 long jump, tables were turned when Mavuso leapt to a new SA record of 4.74m with Mahlangu in second place with a distance of 4.68m.
Mavuso went on to secure his second silver in the F44 Men’s U20 javelin item.
A second competitive duo emerged between U16 double above-knee amputees, Brandon Menezes (13) and Ntando Mahlangu (12).
Mahlangu blitzed to gold in the 100m with a time of 0:17:02 seconds with Menezes in second (0:18:57).
Menezes then set a new SA record in the long jump measuring 2.88m with Mahlangu in close second with a leap of 2.81m.
The group of up-and-coming para-athletes accumulated 18 gold and seven silver medals as they continue to work towards the ultimate goal – being selected to represent South Africa on the international stage.
