They gave us one of South Africa’s proudest moments of the year. Now, members of the Special Olympics Squad (who brought home 49 medals) and their coaches are being commended locally with nominations for the upcoming provincial Sports Awards in the North West:
North West, South Africa (17 November 2023) — The 2023 Special Olympics have already been documented as a historic moment for South Africa after our team brought home 49 medals from Berlin. Our Special Olympics Squad outshone other countries across disciplines, nowhere more evident than in the prestigious event’s nickname as the ‘Season of Gold’, which translated to 22 first-place moments for those who represented us so well.
While South Africa has collected many more moments of sporting excellence since June, the achievement of the athletes who shone in Berlin is still up there with the best-of-the-best.
So, it’s only fitting that many of the Special Olympics Squad members and those who led them to victory, have been nominated for the North West Sports Awards in the same breath.
The nominees extend to:
Kamogelo Moncho: Kamogelo earned the first gold medal at the Games and is nominated for Youth Athlete of the Year
Innocent Msikinya: Innocent placed first for Table Tennis and is nominated for Sportswomen with a disability
The male football team: Who earned gold for their game and have been nominated for Special School Team of the Year
Coach Thabo Bontsi: Nominated for Coach of the Year
Coach Azwindini Makanansi: Nominated for Sports Volunteer of the Year
Reflecting on the nomination news and honour as support for athletes with intellectual disabilities and the teams behind them continues to grow in our country, Special Olympics South Africa shared:
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“This nomination is a testament to the remarkable achievements of our athletes at the SO World Summer Games in Berlin and the unwavering support provided by our dedicated coaches.”
They also linked the nominations to what is dubbed the ‘Inclusion Revolution’, and we’re raising our glasses to all of it!
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