The story of Kgotso “Fingers” Letsoalo, Lusanda Manqele, and Petros Mlife is one of the rare yet common tales in a South African society where disability is still taboo, and disability is mistaken with inability.
Letsoalo, Mlife, and Manqele did not allow their disability to define them but instead, defined themselves through wheelchair basketball.
The trio forms part of the exciting Sasol-sponsored SA U23 men’s wheelchair basketball team that is breaking barriers locally and internationally.
Their recent success was at a tournament in Libya, where “AmaWheelaBoys”, as the team is fondly known, was on a roll at the Grand Court in the capital, Tripoli.
AmaWheelaBoys won all the games of the five-match series, with Letsoalo and Mlife being named in the All-Star Team of the tournament.
Said assistant coach Siphamandla Gumbi: “The team continues to grow in stature, they are hitting all the targets and milestones set for them and it is very encouraging for us to see this.
“We came to Libya without some of our regular players and witnessing how the other players stepped up and put clinical performances has got us very excited for the future.”
Here are some of the young lads who represented SA with aplomb:
Kgotso ‘Fingers’ Letsoalo:
Letsoalo, who matriculated from Hope School, in Westcliff, Johannesburg in 2023, is not only one of the best players in the team but is also one of its liveliest members.
One could wonder where the nickname “Fingers” comes from and explaining how he got the name, Letsoalo went down memory lane of how he lost his fingers and legs as a toddler.
“I fell sick when I was one year old due to meningitis. So, it spread through my fingers when I was only one. I was normal but I fell sick three days after my first birthday.
“So, the doctor told us that the only way I can survive is if they can just cut the fingers and amputate my legs.
“However, I didn’t take that as a disadvantage in my life but as an opportunity from God that ‘Look, I’m taking this away from you but I’m giving you something, which is a basketball’. I just love basketball – basketball is a great thing to me. It’s my peace and hope.” Letsoalo said.
Lusanda “Small” Manqele:
The 15-year-old and Grade 10 pupil is not only the youngest player in the SA U-23 wheelchair basketball team but one of its stars.
Manqele admitted that at the time he wanted to make good use of his wheelchair, but didn’t realise the extent of his athletic potential until he met two coaches at school who saw in him the next wheelchair basketball star.
“I started playing in 2020. I was playing in school championships and then the coaches who were training and developing our team said they wanted me to try for the national team,” Manqele said.
“But before I joined basketball, I wanted to be a swimmer, but I just realised that it’s not my thing and that basketball is better. So, I decided to join basketball.”
Petros “Mbappe” Mlife:
The improvement shown by AmaWheelaBoys has happened under the leadership of 20-year-old captain and point guard Mlife, who fell in love with basketball in primary school but could only play the sport when he reached high school.
“I started to love basketball when I was in primary school,” Mlife said.
“We didn’t have basketball in primary, so I only played table tennis. But when I got to high school in 2021, I started playing basketball, the sport that I dearly love. It was a hard journey for me, but I had to fight hard to be where I am.
“Basketball means everything to me because when I’m on the court, I’m stressless, nothing bothers me.”
