African athletes hope for record medal haul at Paris Paralympics

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00:00Africa bagged 63 medals in the Tokyo Paralympic Games,

00:04but this time around, the continent's sporting elites

00:06are hoping to match or top the 97 medals

00:09its athletes bagged in Rio in 2016.

00:13Every year, the continent's para-athletes

00:15are carving out more space for themselves.

00:17The first African Para Games were held

00:20just last year in Ghana,

00:21and a record number of African athletes

00:24are now here for the Paralympics.

00:27And on the continent itself,

00:28top broadcasters are dedicating more hours

00:31of coverage of Para events than ever.

00:35Now, for the Paralympics, from Johannesburg,

00:37Bulelu Tinta joins me now with more.

00:40Bulelu, so you know the scene better than most.

00:43You've done your fair share of commenting

00:45for athletics and para-athletics in Africa.

00:48So for you, with your on-the-ground knowledge,

00:51who are the ones to watch?

00:54Well, I'm glad you mentioned that

00:55because there is one particular superstar.

00:57She's coming out of Mauritius

00:58and looking to make history for her country,

01:01Naomi Alphonse.

01:02I was fortunate enough to be on the finish line

01:05when she got a silver medal at Cape Town Marathon.

01:07In fact, she's a marathoner

01:09who's coming down to the track and is specializing

01:11and is the African record holder

01:13in the 100 to 100, 1,500, excuse me, distances.

01:18So that's 100, 400, and 1,500.

01:21That is where you can catch this young woman.

01:23And I'll tell you what, look out for her,

01:25not just to be an African star,

01:27because when we interviewed her in Cape Town,

01:29we said, this is a global star,

01:31incredibly presentable, bilingual,

01:34and then a dynamite of an athlete.

01:36So that young woman is one to watch.

01:38From my country, and I should be impartial,

01:41but Peter Dupriya.

01:42He wouldn't make you do that.

01:44No.

01:45Show your colors.

01:46No.

01:47No.

01:48No.

01:49It wouldn't be fair.

01:49I support from the heart.

01:51Peter Dupriya, there he is.

01:53This man won the H1 road cycling,

01:55which is the time trial in Tokyo.

01:57We really have our hopes sort of on his shoulders.

02:00And for me, I want to give you the character

02:03of the games to look out for.

02:04Not only is she the Commonwealth Games champion,

02:06she comes out of Nigeria,

02:08for Lashode, Oluwafemi Arnaud,

02:11for me is a woman that, just watch her character.

02:14So she is a heavyweight, 86 kg champion in Tokyo,

02:17gold medalist there.

02:19Watch her character because she is one

02:21who's a real, real star and a real, real character.

02:24Those three for me are the ones to watch.

02:26So those are the people.

02:27What about the places?

02:27What countries do you think are likely to put

02:30in the strongest showings during the Paralympics?

02:33Right.

02:33We'll start where I am here in South Africa.

02:35We've sent 36 strong.

02:37We're looking to sort of, remember,

02:39it's not just about how many medals you get.

02:41It's about how many gold medals you get.

02:43That makes you finish at the top.

02:44Last time we were tied first for that.

02:46Although obviously the Maghreb kind of dominated

02:49with Tunisia and Algeria.

02:52Algeria, we're getting 12 medals.

02:54So South Africa is the one threat.

02:55The other is the Algerians.

02:57They are just unstoppable.

02:59They were top of the table in terms of the African medals

03:02last time at the Paralympics.

03:04But I tell you this, I have it on good authority.

03:06Egypt was sending an incredibly strong team

03:10and they are backing their weightlifting

03:11to say we will break the deadlock

03:13that has been sort of Tunisia, Algeria in the Maghreb.

03:17They've really, really put a strong effort here.

03:20So look out for Egypt to be the dark horse,

03:22to be the most successful African team.

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