By Razeen Gutta
South Africa’s 31-member national team are ready for the Paralympic Games to begin, with the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) offering big incentives to athletes.
The quadrennial multi-sport Games got underway on Wednesday with track and field athlete Mpumelelo Mhlongo and swimmer Kat Swanepoel carrying the flag for Team SA.
“We as Team SA are excited to play a significant role in the success of the Games and are excited to start our campaign on Wednesday. Everything is in place,” said the team’s chef de mission, Patience Shikwambana.
South Africa will do battle on nine fronts, with archery, athletics, boccia, cycling, equestrian, judo, triathlon, swimming and wheelchair tennis all on the agenda at the 12-day event.
In the lead up to the Games, Sascoc announced that gold medallists would receive R400,000 while silver medallists would earn R200,000 and bronze medallists would get R75,000 as bonuses.
“We have a strong blend of youth and experience in our squad, and we have representation across nine codes. We are excited about getting started,” Shikwambana added.
Pictured above: Kat Swanepoel will be flying the South African flag at the Paris 2024 Paralympics opening ceremony.
Source: @gsport4girls
