President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday as the country honours its Olympic and Paralympic champions, it must recognise the ongoing work that needs to be done to support athletes with disabilities.

He was speaking during the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Medallists’ ceremony, at the Union Buildings, where he highlighted that the return of South Africa to the Olympic Games after apartheid was an important symbol of the country’s quest for freedom and its commitment to non-racialism and democracy.

“In every Olympic Games since, our athletes have shown the world that South Africa is capable of producing world-class talent across a variety of sports. And in every Paralympic Games, our athletes have not only demonstrated their athletic ability but have also challenged perceptions about disability,” he said.

He noted that these athletes had proven that physical limitations did not compare to the strength of the human spirit.

“The success of our Paralympic athletes reminds us that greatness knows no boundaries,” he added.

Ramaphosa remarked that the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games saw remarkable performances from Team South Africa.

The Olympic team won six medals: one gold, three silver and two bronze, while the Paralympic team won two gold and four bronze medals.

Ramaphosa pointed to the Shield of Jove award, which was presented to Tatjana Smith and Mpumelelo Mhlongo, in recognition of their “exceptional achievements” at the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“These remarkable achievements are the product of a collective commitment to building a sustainable sporting culture in South Africa. Our athletes have excelled because of the investments we’ve made in sports infrastructure, in grassroots development and in training systems,” he said.

However, he highlighted that the country needed to do more to ensure that the next generation of South African athletes had greater opportunities to succeed.

Ramaphosa said government must continue to invest in youth development, to ensure that all children – urban and rural – have access to sports programmes.

“This means strengthening our partnerships with local schools, community centres and clubs. We must make sure that our youth are equipped with the skills, coaching and facilities they need to reach their full potential.

“We must never forget that every medal won – every record broken – is a testament to the countless hours of training, sacrifice and dedication that our athletes put into their craft,” he explained.