INAS FID - CROSS COUNTRY EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP - 2008

YOUR SPORT MAGAZINE - CROSS COUNTRY - 3rd QUARTER 2008

The South African Sports Association for the Intellectually Impaired (SASA-II) serves as the governing body in matters pertaining to the amateur sporting activities for all intellectually impaired persons who belong to this Association. SASA-II is a full member of SASCOC and INAS-FID (International Sport Federation for people with Intellectual Disability) INAS-FID is a member of the International Paralympic Committee.

SASA–II adheres to an international definition of intellectual disability that is recognized by the United Nations World Health Organisation (WHO) as well as other professional organizations.

According to this definition, the intellectual disability must be evident during the developmental period, with an intellectual functioning that is significantly below average (IQ score within or below 70-75 range) and an adaptive behaviour that is significantly impaired in two or more areas.

Against this background do we facilitate sport in the following codes (regional, national and international):

Athletics

Cross Country

Cricket

Swimming

Table Tennis

Basketball

Football

Netball

Hokker

Our National Championships (amongst Eastern-Cape, Western-Cape, Northern-Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Gauteng, Gauteng North, Limpopo province,Free State and Mpumalanga) serve as the platform for selection to all INAS-FID sanctioned World Championships.

So much so that our cross country team has just competed in one such event in OSTRZESWIEZ POLAND from the 10 April 2008 – 15 April 2008 hosted by INAS FID Europe.

Eight countries i.e Poland, Great Britain, Portugal, Ukraine, Hungary, France, Czech Republic as well as South-Africa were competing at this year’s championship. This year has been the fourth time since 2002 that South-Africa has competed in a cross country event of this stature. The average team size per country was about 6-8 athletes.

Team South-Africa has grown from strength to strength every time that they have competed. It just go to show that if one wants your athletes to compete at this level and do well, than one need to expose them more regularly to this kind of intense competition.

This year proved to be exactly that, in that seven out of the nine athletes has come under the top 10 athletes in the world (+-30 athletes in a race). Two i.e. Abram Matloga and Mncedi Kanti has received individual bronze and silver medals respectively.

The team results were just as astounding in that the Men’s Team received Gold in the 6km race and silver in the 3km race as well the Ladies Team received two Bronze medals for 2 km and 4km races. I think anyone will agree that this team has really made South-Africa proud.

Herewith are the details of Team South-Africa as well as there respective Individual performances.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

NAME	PROVINCE	EVENT	POSITION
Abram Matloga	Limpopo	3 km	3
		6km	6
Mncedi Kanti	Eastern Cape	3 km	6
		6km	2
Boitumelo Pule	Free State	3 km	7
		6km	5
Khedzi Ndivhumo	Limpopo	3 km	11
		6km	8
Daniel Vulakazi	Mpumalanga	3 km	9
		6km	4
Jane Rasakanye	Limpopo	2km	9
		4km	7
Fulufhelo Mavhengele	Limpopo	2km	11
		4km	13
Smangele Tembe	Kwazulu-Natal	2km	15
		4km	11
Khensani Magagula	Limpopo	2km	8
		4km	10

TEAM RESULTS

COUNTRY	EVENT	POSITION
South-Africa	Men	1
Ukraine	6 km	2
Portugal		3
Ukraine	Men	1
South-Africa	3 km	2
Portugal		3
Hungary	Women	1
Poland	4 km	2
South-Africa		3
Portugal	Women	1
Hungary	2 km	2
South-Africa		3
MEDAL TOTAL
GOLD	SILVER	BRONZE
5	6	9

Well done Team South-Africa!!!