South Africa banks on experience as Paralympic Games begin

Charl du Toit & KG Montjane TeamSA 2020

The bright lights of Tokyo once again provided a dramatic backdrop for the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games on Tuesday, with athletes from 162 nations gathered in the Japanese capital.

While the word inspiration is often bandied about when it comes to the Paralympics – and understandably so – the majority of the 4 000 elite athletes competing at these Games are eager to be recognized and remembered for their incredible athletic feats over the coming 12 days – their grit and determination, the years of training and preparation that have gone into their performances and, just like their Olympic counterparts, exactly what the human body, in all its forms, is capable of.

Nine of South Africa’s 13 medalists from the Rio Paralympics will be gunning for more glory as of the Games in Tokyo.

The team collected 17 medals in Rio, seven of them gold, and leading the way in Brazil was sprinter Charl du Toit who, after recovering from Covid-19 a few months ago, will be aiming to defend his titles in both the T37 100 and 400m, while also competing in the 200m.

The 28-year-old was selected as one of Team South Africa’s flagbearers at Tuesday’s opening ceremony in the Japanese capital along with tennis ace KG Montjane.

Speaking about the team of 34 that is representing South Africa in Tokyo, he said: “This is a smaller team than in the past, but I think this is a very special team with athletes that are more experienced – in their third or fourth or even in their fifth Paralympic Games. We have Zanele Situ competing in her sixth and it’s Ernst van Dyk’s eighth, so I think it’s very special to be part of this amazing team.

“Then we also have a lot of youngsters with tremendous talent. I think of a guy like Kerwin Noemdo who is competing at his first Paralympic Games and also being mentored by some of the older, more experienced athletes and the same goes for Ntando Mahlangu, being 19 years old but already has accomplished so much.”

South Africa has competed at 11 editions of the Paralympic Games (having only been ousted from the global showpiece after the 1976 Games – unlike the Olympics where SA’s isolation began after 1960). During that time 173 of their 297 medals have come from athletics.

This year is likely to produce a similar result with the likes of returning medalists Mahlangu (who claimed silver at the age of just 14 in Rio and is now a multiple world record holder), Dyan Buis, Anruné Weyers, Reinhardt Hamman, Jonathan Ntutu, Tyrone Pillay and Situ all in the team.

Adding to that force are the likes of Mpumelelo Mhlongo (T44 100m, 200m, and long jump) and 16-year-old Michael Mabote (T63 200m and long jump), who are both world record holders in their respective events and Simoné Kruger, who broke the F38 discus record in 2019, which has since been eclipsed.

That doesn’t mean all the focus will be on the track though, with eight-time Paralympic medalist and 10-time Boston Marathon winner Van Dyk in action in the hand cycling, where he’ll be looking to defend his H5 road race title.

The 48-year-old is part of a formidable cycling lineup with five-time world champion Pieter du Preez (H1) and Toni Mould (T1) while the country’s swimmers will be eager to emulate the success of 15-time Paralympic medalist Natalie du Toit, who retired after the London Games.

Then, of course, there’s Montjane, who has had a phenomenal year on the tennis court, reaching the doubles final of the Australian open and then both the singles and doubles finals at Wimbledon a few months later. She’ll be in action in the doubles with Mariska Venter, while a podium place in the singles is now a realistic target.

Speaking about carrying the flag at the opening ceremony, Montjane said: “I never thought in my career that something like this would ever happen. But what I know deep down is that I always make sure I represent South Africa with a lot of pride.

It’s a great moment for me and I’m honored and grateful.”

A total of 44 African countries will be taking part in the Tokyo Paralympics. It was Nigeria that was the highest-placed team from the continent on the Rio medal table five years ago with eight gold, two silver, and two bronze medals – most of those coming in powerlifting – placing them 17th overall, with Tunisia second (21st overall) and South Africa third (22nd).

SOUTH AFRICAN PARALYMPIC TEAM

ATHLETICS

Athletes: Ntando Mahlangu, Charl du Toit, Dyan Buis, Reinhardt Hamman, Kerwin Noemdo, Mpumelelo Mhlongo, Tebogo Mofokeng, Tyrone Pillay, Daniel du Plessis, Puseletso Michael Mabote, Ndodomzi Ntutu, Anrune Weyers, Sheryl James, Simone Kruger, Ntombizanele Situ, Louzanne Coetzee, Johanna Pretorius, Liezel Gouws

Coaches/management: Cornelia (Lappies) Swanepoel, Suzanne Ferreira, Daniel Damon, Cathy Lansberg, Claus Kempen, Erasmus Badenhorst

ARCHERY

Athlete: Shaun Anderson, Philip Coates-Palgrave

Coach/manager: Barbara Manning

CYCLING

Athletes: Nicholas Pieter du Preez, Ernst van Dyk, Toni Mould

Coaches/management: Elrick Kulsen, Pieter Jansen, Gillian Evans, Walter Lutch

EQUESTRIAN

Athletes: Philippa Johnson-Dwyer, Cayla van der Walt

Coaches/management: Ingeborg Sanne, Chris Hazen, Robyn van Lijsdonk, Trisha Bell

SWIMMING

Athletes: Christian Sadie, Hendrik van der Merwe, Katherine Swanepoel, Alani Ferreira

Coaches/management: Theo Verster, Keith Jansen

TABLE TENNIS

Athlete: Theo Cogill

Coach/manager: Anver Lyners

WHEELCHAIR TENNIS

Athletes: Kgothatso Montjane, Mariska Venter, Eliphas Maripa, Leon Els

Coaches/management: Gerald Stoffberg, Saidi Moruame

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