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HOD for Sport Department Veronica Mokgonyana says they are providing a variety of support to athletes, including technical support.
Athletes with intellectual disabilities in Limpopo have raised concerns about lack of resources to enable them to compete. More than 300 athletes from all five districts in the province have competed in Special Olympic Games in Seshego, outside Polokwane.
[WATCH] This morning, we bid farewell to our Special Olympics team as they fly to Turin, Italy, to compete in the Winter Games from March 8 to 15. SABC News’ Vusiwe Ngcobo has the details. pic.twitter.com/GACnUAZVSy
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One of the athletes, 31-year-old Bongani Mthombeni, ran 1500 meters distance barefooted due to lack of running shoes.
“I’m a very committed person and always try everything that would assist me earn income. I want to leave a mark in this province because I have been running for years, but I wasn’t getting position 1. We need more training to enable us to compete. It’s hard to run on barefoot. I will appreciate it if we can be provided with running sneakers by department,” says Mthombeni.
Meanwhile, HOD for the Sport Department, Veronica Mokgonyana says they are providing a variety of support to athletes, including technical support and adequate attire.
“The support that we are actually being given as a province; just the organisation and coordination of the games, the technical support from the area of sport,” says Mokgonyana.
She says the support to coaches, the training, the capacity-building programmes, the availability of the clothing attire for the learners and even when they go to the provincial games will also be supporting them in terms of availing sporting attire to ensure that the athletes are actually provided with the adequate attire.
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