OPINION: More Paralympic medals will require more funding and support

South Africans might not be overjoyed by the national team’s medal haul at the Paralympic Games, after they ended 45th with six podium performances, but we shouldn’t really be surprised.

The Paris Games, which ended on Sunday, was the first time the SA team finished outside the top 40 in the medals table at the Paralympics, with the squad claiming the fewest medals in South Africa’s 60-year history at the showpiece.

Two things, however, are notable in trying to understand the national squad’s below-par all-round performance.

Firstly, the 31-member team was the smallest squad to represent South Africa at the Paralympic Games since 1992. Secondly, a shortage of funding left athletes stranded in the build-up.

Bigger squads

If we want Paralympic teams to punch above their weight, as they often do, they need a large enough arsenal to launch a realistic assault, and bigger squads are required.

Since the Barcelona Games in 1992, only twice has the SA squad consisted of fewer than 40 athletes, and both times they failed to reach double figures in the medals table.

Conversely, on the four occasions the SA team has consisted of more than 50 athletes, they have bagged well over 20 medals at each edition.

Sufficient funding

In addition, in terms of funding, Paralympic athletes struggle more than Olympic athletes (who compete more often and receive more media coverage) in securing sponsorships.

Much of their support depends on how much the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) can offer as part of its Operation Excellence (Opex) programme.

But for a lengthy period during the last Paralympic cycle, Sascoc did not have the funding to assist athletes to qualify and prepare for the Games. This resulted in a smaller team and far less medals than we are used to seeing at the Paralympics.

In order to improve, athletes with disabilities need sufficient support, and while Bidvest has thrown Sascoc and the nation’s elite stars a lifeline by assisting with Opex funding, the Olympic body needs to ensure it has enough long-term support in the build-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Games and beyond.

Small teams which are not being backed enough are always going to battle.