After three days of fierce competition, our 67-strong 2023 Special Olympics South Africa National Team was announced.
Limpopo, South Africa (30 November 2022) – From the 17th – 19th of November, over 700 Special Olympics athletes and coaches from across all nine provinces gathered in Polokwane, Limpopo, to compete in the 2022 Special Olympics South Africa Summer Games.
Athletes competed in 10 sporting codes, athletics, aquatics, basketball, bocce, equestrian, football, futsal, golf, netball, table tennis and ten-pin bowling, for a chance to advance to the World Games in 2023.
Highlights of the event saw the biggest Law Enforcement Torch Run on the African continent carry the Special Olympics Flame of Hope into the official Opening Ceremony of the National Games.
The Opening Ceremony MC was Special Olympics Ambassador Mr Gabriel Temudzani and entertainment was provided by South African Idols winner Musa Sukwene. Several high-profile dignitaries including the Ambassador of South Korea and a representative of the Ambassador of Germany, were in attendance.
The National Games were hosted by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture in Limpopo and the Municipality of Polokwane. The Games were also supported by the National Department of Sport, The National Youth Development Agency and African Bank.
Dr Mathews Phosa, The Chairperson of Special Olympics South Africa said, “I have been involved with Special Olympics for over 15 years and I still experience the same joy whenever I see our athletes being given the opportunity to showcase their abilities. We still have a long way to go as a country before athletes with an intellectual disability receive the recognition and support that they deserve, but I am extremely happy that, for the first time, the games received support from the National Department of Sport. I am also overwhelmed by the support we have received from the Department of Sport in Limpopo and the Municipality of Polokwane. This is the first time in our history that a Province has committed to hosting our games and we look forward to other provinces following suit. I know that our National Team will excel at the World Games and I hope to see Limpopo Province, the National Department of Sport, the National Youth Development Agency, African Bank and other provinces continue their support of our 2023 Special Olympics South Africa National Team all the way to Berlin, Germany!”
After three days of fierce competition, our 67-strong 2023 Special Olympics South Africa National Team was announced.
Our National Team will represent South Africa at the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, Germany, in June 2023, where they will compete against over 7000 athletes from over 180 countries.
Our National Team will be hoping to replicate the success of the 2019 Special Olympics South Africa National Team that returned from the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in the United Arab Emirates with 35 Gold, 15 Silver and 12 Bronze medals.
Special Olympics South Africa will be launching the “Road to Berlin” as they begin to raise sponsorship to ensure that our 2023 National Team is able to attend the World Games and represent South Africa.
Corporates and other donors will be able to “Adopt an Athlete” and help to cover the costs for an athlete to attend the Games.
Special Olympics South Africa CEO, Ms Ancilla Smith said, “Our athletes deserve the same support that all other athletes receive when they represent South Africa on a global stage. We want to make sure that they are able to stand beside the athletes from any country across the globe and represent our country with pride. Many of our athletes come from very impoverished backgrounds so we make sure to provide everything from playing kit to suitcases to underwear and toiletries. It is heartbreaking to see how little support our athletes get and we hope that South Africans acknowledge the success that they have achieved in previous World Games and that they get behind our 2023 National Team”
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