Athlete Development
Performance at National Championships:
Since the inception of the Club, we have held mass athletics events, athletics meetings, visited schools and disabled communities in the remote areas of our province to motivate, capacitate and activate participation in sport, supporting and developing para-athletes to participate at the annual SASAPD National Championships.
The growth of the Isability component of the Limpopo Para-athletics team that participates annually at the National Championships, is evidence of the impact our initiative has.
The IsAbility Sports Club Limpopo is a registered Non-Profit Organisation with registration number 256/850NPO, and is a satellite IsAbility Club with its own constitution and is affiliated to LIMA (Limpopo Athletics Association) and Limpopo SAPD (Sports Association for the Physically Disabled) since early 2020. It has a similar vision and mission to the Is Ability Sports Club in Gauteng.
| YEAR | VENUE | SIZE OF LIMPOPO TEAM | ISABILITY MEMBERS IN TEAM | MEDALS | SA RECORDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Stellenbosch | 5 | 5 | 3 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze | |
| 2020 | Cancelled - Covid | ||||
| 2021 | Gqeberha | 5 | 5 | 4 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze | |
| 2022 | Gauteng | 35 | 23 | 18 gold, 9 silver, 9 bronze | |
| 2023 | Cape Town | 30 | 26 | 21 gold, 12 silver, 11 bronze | 6 new records. Four of these by Isability athletes |
| 2024 | Bloemfontein | 39 | 24 | 32 gold, 21 silver, 9 bronze | 13 new records. Nine of these by Isability athletes |
| 2025 | Gqeberha | 36 | 26 | 24 gold, 9 silver, 14 bronze | 3 new records by Isability athletes |
Classification Of Athletes
Participation of para-athletes cannot take place without official classification. This takes place on a regional level, and then at nationals. Athletes who wish to compete internationally must participate abroad at a sanctioned Para-athletic event in order to have their international classification confirmed. This is where our future Paralympians are nurtured. Annually, IsAbility hosts classification days where regional classification takes place.
In 2024, one of the IsAbility upcoming talented visually impaired athletes, Masala Makatu, obtained an international SDMS number and early in 2025, with the assistance of funding from various sponsors including Summit, Masala was able to attend the Dubai Para-athletics grand prix where his international classification was approved. He also achieved a silver medal on that international platform in the men’s 100m. He has since been invited to attend a GAPS Commonwealth training camp in Stellenbosch with the potential of taking part in the Commonwealth Games in 2026, should his performance warrant further selection.
Growth, Development and Affiliations, Area Co-ordinators
We are blessed to see the impact of our initiatives in the growing number of athletes on our data base
We are blessed to see the impact of our initiatives in the growing number of athletes on our data base. We currently (2026) hover at over 100 senior athletes and we reach out to juniors in schools across the province. Our chief coordinator, Lucas Mapitike, is very successfully activating people with disabilities in new areas, and in the areas where we have existing athletes.
Due to the extent of our growth in numbers in outlying areas, our first Area coordinators were appointed in 2023, their role being to keep lists of the athletes in their areas, coordinate with exco regarding events, liaise between athletes and exco, maintain an inventory of the equipment we issue to the rural areas and take responsibility for this equipment, arrange weekly practices for the members in their areas and manage the logistics of transport to combined practices in Louis Trichardt. The areas are Thulamela, Tzaneen, Makhado, Polokwane, Collins Chabane, Giyani, Maruleng and Blouberg.
Coach Development and Opportunities
In January 2025, five of our club members attended an Athletics South Africa (ASA) coaching course from 6 – 8 June. The course was held at Hoërskool Hans Strijdom in Mookgophong and coordinated by the highly respected and experienced level 3 ASA coach, Marna van der Merwe.
Two of the five coaches were part of a small group who participated in the gruelling level two coaching course which involves some serious academic theory regarding various topics including anatomy, physiology and sport related science, as well as practical components. To qualify to register for the level 2 course, a coach needs to have done the level 1 course two or more years previously and have built up experience coaching at least two athletes who attended National Championships. We are very proud of our new, certified level two coaches: Vhumbani Masakona successfully completed the level two course specialising in throws and Sheryl James successfully completed the level two course specialising in sprints. Three of our club members successfully completed the level one coaching course on the same weekend. They are Kamogelo Sekuru, (throws), Katlego Makwela (throws) and Masala Makatu (Sprints). The five coaches are pictured below.
It is our long term fund raising and sponsorship vision that each of our nine areas should have a qualified sprint and throw coach and we will continue to develop coaches year by year as funds and courses are available. Our qualified coaches mentor identified upcoming coaches in the outlying areas on an ongoing basis.