The 2026 Toyota SASAPD National Championships will officially get underway on Saturday, 28 March 2026 in the Cape Winelands, with athletics taking centre stage on what promises to be an exciting and action-packed opening day.
With athletes from across South Africa gathered in Stellenbosch, the opening day programme places a strong emphasis on track and field, setting the tone for a week of high-performance Para sport. Athletics has long been one of the flagship codes within SASAPD, and the schedule reflects both depth and quality across multiple classifications and disciplines.
The afternoon session begins at 16:00 with a series of field event finals, including Shot Put Seated Men, Discus and Javelin Seated Women, and Javelin Women (Standing). On the track, the first heats of the 100m Women and Men events will get the competition underway, offering an early glimpse of the speed and talent on display.
As the programme builds, spectators can look forward to a range of finals across both track and field, including the Long Jump T37/38 Men, Discus Men Standing, and the always competitive 1500m wheelchair events. The first medal ceremony of the championships is scheduled for 17:00, marking the official recognition of the day’s early champions.
The late afternoon session continues with the 100m finals, where athletes will compete across different classifications, highlighting the inclusive and structured nature of Para athletics competition.
At 18:00, attention will shift to the official Toyota SASAPD Opening Ceremony, a key moment in the championships calendar. The ceremony will celebrate the athletes, acknowledge partners and stakeholders, and officially declare the event open.
Following the ceremony, the evening session resumes with another strong athletics line-up. Finals in Shot Put Seated Women, Discus Women Standing, and Shot Put Men (Standing) will take place alongside track finals in the 400m and 200m events. These races are expected to deliver high-intensity performances as athletes compete for national titles.
The day will conclude with the third medal ceremony at 19:50, before the final prize giving at 20:00 brings the opening day to a close.
With Toyota as the headline partner, the championships continue to grow in stature, providing a professional platform for athletes with disabilities to perform at their best. The opening day’s focus on athletics not only highlights the strength of the code, but also sets a high standard for the rest of the week’s competition.
The 2026 Toyota SASAPD National Championships are expected to deliver outstanding performances, and day one will offer a powerful start as athletics takes the spotlight in Stellenbosch.
