SASAPD Goalball has outlined several important development priorities following a successful period for the sport nationally, with a strong focus now being placed on sustainable growth, player development and long-term Paralympic ambitions.
Following the recent South African Sports Association for the Physically Disabled National Championships, Goalball Convenor Dr. Muya Koloko confirmed that the organisation is now shifting its attention towards a number of key deliverables aimed at strengthening the sport across the country.
One of the major recent successes was the national training camp facilitated by Alex Bunney from Goalball UK, together with a successful SASAPD National Championships programme.
According to Dr. Koloko, one of the immediate priorities is ensuring that provinces establish and maintain active leagues and tournaments in order to create regular playing opportunities for athletes throughout the year.
Among the key focus areas identified by SASAPD are:
* Strengthening provincial leagues and tournaments to ensure constant participation opportunities for players
* Establishing a national club tournament to improve competition exposure for athletes across South Africa
* Improving player retention and ensuring better progression pathways for promising junior athletes
* Hosting monthly development workshops covering rules, coaching and classification
* Fast-tracking education and training opportunities for new participants entering the sport
* Ensuring experienced coaches, officials and players remain updated on international rule changes and developments
* Expanding talent identification programmes through national events and competitions
* Hosting future national training camps for players identified on long-list structures
* Continuing preparations and long-term planning towards future Paralympic qualification
“We are putting in work to try set up a national club tournament as another way of making sure players have adequate exposure and also to ensure that we have throughput where we do not lose some of our promising junior players,” said Dr. Koloko.
He added that the organisation wants to create a culture of continuous learning and development within the sport.
“The hope is to do monthly workshops where we can cover aspects such as rules, coaching and classification so that new people entering the sport are able to gain knowledge quickly, while more experienced people can continue growing and stay updated with developments within the sport,” he explained.
Talent identification was also identified as a major objective following the recent national championships, with several players now expected to be monitored through future development structures.
“One key thing that we did at the SASAPD National Championships was talent identification, and we will be putting together a training camp with players who were placed on the long list during the course of the year,” said Dr. Koloko.
With clear development objectives now being implemented nationally, SASAPD Goalball believes the sport is positioning itself for long-term growth while continuing its mission towards future Paralympic participation.
