By By Laurianne Lingbondo
Yesterday, the 20th of September, the South African Paralympic team returned home to a hero’s welcome after winning a total of 17 medals, 7 of them gold, surpassing the able-bodied Olympic teams tally of just 8.
The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula took the role of “Father Christmas” by promising to change the athletes’ lifestyles, by providing them with larger cars.
Two University of Johannesburg students competed at this year’s Paralympics, Andrea Dale in the athletics T37 long jump and Dieter Rosselle in the rowing LTA mixed colour four, unfortunately, none of them won any medals but the achievement of competing in an honour as is.
There was a usual wave of controversy regarding the Paralympics receiving fewer media coverage. This could be seen by the amount of attention Caster Semenya’s race superseded the entire Paralympics coverage. This leaves an unanswered question: do we truly have an equal society? TOJ
Reporting by Laurianne Lingbondo; Editing by Lauren Pillay.
Youth Chronicle 