Toyota South Africa drives diversity and inclusion through ongoing support of SASAPD para sports championship
Toyota South Africa drives diversity and inclusion through ongoing support of SASAPD para sports championship
The 2025 Toyota SASAPD National Championships will be held in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape for the first time since the Covid restricted Games of 2021. The friendly city is eager for the annual multi-coded games in its full splendour with all 8 sport codes ready to crown their respective national champions between the 29 March and 1 April.
The centrepiece of the Games will be the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) Summerstrand track where the para-athletics and the para cycling (track) competition will take place. Fairview Sports Centre will be the venue for Goalball and CP football, while NMU-Missionvale will host Boccia, a sport exclusively for athletes with physical disabilities and one which South Africa celebrated its first ever Paralympians in 2024 at the Paris Games.
The Cape Recife High school will host powerlifting with Merryvale Special school playing host to the Para judo competition which will see first ever Paralympian in the sport, Ndyebo Lamani, enjoy home ground advantage. The Newton Park swimming pool is where the next generation of para swimmers will get their chance to swim for gold.
The Toyota SASAPD National Championships are a proud tradition in sport for the physically disabled in the country and has become a must-do event for other SADC nations. This year, athletes from Lesotho will travel to participate in the Games.
SASAPD President, Jean Miggels who hails from the host province says,
“We are looking forward to seeing you in the friendly and windy city for the 2025 Toyota SASAPD National Championships. The national championships bring people from all spheres of life together. It not only provides an opportunity to witness excellence, but it also serves as a reminder of the resilience required to overcome obstacles.”
Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has been a headline sponsor of the National Championships for 8 years. Commenting on the upcoming championships, Glenn Crompton, Vice President of Marketing at TSAM said:
"At Toyota South Africa we remain committed to empowering the para sports community. We are therefore proud to be a long-standing sponsor of the SASAPD National Championships. As we transition towards a future centered on people, our ongoing support of SASAPD aligns with our strategic intent to become a mobility company that drives diversity and inclusion across the board.”
At the last edition of the Games in Bloemfontein a total of 7 African records and a world record were set. The para-athletes in track and field will be among those to watch out for, including Paralympic and world champion discus thrower, Simone Kruger and Paralympic silver medallist Collen Mahlalela who have both shown excellent early season form.
As the next Paralympic cycle begins towards LA 2028, athletes will be looking for performances that show they are the “one to watch.” The importance of these championships over the last 63 years has established it as the place where dreams are planted, nurtured and grown. That is why we call the SASAPD National championships, the Birthplace of dreams.
The 2025 SASAPD opening ceremony will take place on Saturday 29 March at Feather Market Centre from 18h00. Member of the public are encouraged to attend the games, free of charge at the different venues.
Miggels concluded,
“We encourage the community to support and attend this event and be part of this incredible experience. This is a rare opportunity to witness history in the making and support South Africa’s para-athletes as they push boundaries and achieve greatness.”
