The 2020 Paralympics are scheduled to be held in Tokyo, Japan between 24 August and 5 September 2021. The Paralympics are a major international multi-sport event for athletes living with disabilities, governed by the International Paralympic Committee.
Botswana will be sending two representatives to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Edwin Masuge and Gloria Majaga will both compete in T13 400m each.
T13 (Vision impairment)
According to the International Paralympic Committee, athletes who compete in category T13 are Track and Field athletes with visual impairment. T13 sport class have the least severe vision impairment eligible for Para athletics. They have the highest visual acuity and/or a visual field of less than 40 degrees’ diameter.
Let’s get to know our Paralympians
EDWIN MASUGE
He is a young para athlete of 21 years, born in the village of Moshupa, but spent most of his years in Mochudi, where he schools because of his low vision. Edwin started competing in 2015 in the Under 19 Botswana Games and his first regional competition was in 2016 in the Africa Union Sports Council Region 5 in Angola. Edwin’s aspirations as a para athlete is to take his talent as a business that he can support himself and his family with, he wishes to fly the country’s flag high by good performance; both on and off the track. He wants to support other young and upcoming para athletes to be world class Paralympians.
GLORIA MAJAGA
Gloria was born in Francistown but is based in Mochudi village because of her studies. She is one of the few female para athletes in the country. She started her athletics career at the age of 16. She had her first regional competition in 2018. Gloria’s aspirations are to be an inspiration to the female para athletes who want to grow their sport talents. She wants to see herself being celebrated because of her excellent performance at major competitions like Paralympics. With her role model being Amantle Montsho, she desires to also make a living out of her God given talent. She is ranked no 15 in the world.
We wish the very best of luck to Edwin and Gloria as they will be flying Botswana’s flag high in Tokyo.