Pistorius, who was recently awarded the 2012 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year with a Disability award, will be looking for another great Nedbank Champs as he prepares for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics later this year.
The Nedbank Championships celebrate a unique milestone of 50 years of the South African Sports Association for the Physically Disabled this year and the added motivation of Paralympic qualifying times will serve as a great incentive for the athletes across the various sporting codes.
This year, the goal of London 2012 will spur the athletes on to greater heights, as qualifying marks and records become essential in the training programme.
Joining Pistorius is 2011 Handcycle road race World Champion Ernst van Dyk as well as a host of medalists at the recent 2011 UCI African Continental championships.
Top Paralympians such as Hilton Langenhoven, Shireen Sapiro , Ilse Hayes, Zanele Situ and Achmat Hassiem will be joined by up and coming stars Dyane Buis, Samkelo Radebe, Anrune Liebenberg and Marius Stander in their quest for gold.
The 50th anniversary of the formation of the South African Paraplegic Games Association (now the South African Sports Association for Physically Disabled), which came to being in 1962 after being founded by the Rotary Club of Orange Grove, Johannesburg, will add to the already auspicious occasion.
“Nedbank has been proud sponsor of the Nedbank National Championships for Physically Disabled as well as a proud supporter of the South African Paralympic Team since 1992. With qualification for a Paralympic slot at stake the 2012 Nedbank Champs promise to be the most competitive in recent years,” Andy Scott, Group Sponsorship Manager said.
The Championships will be one of the last events where athletes can qualify for the Paralympics, a factor which is sure to see a high standard of competition.
“We already have a rich history of top class athletes competing on the world stage, and this year it is no different,” Pieter Badenhorst, Chef de Mission of the Paralympic team added.
