Another medal for South Africa! Fourteen-year-old Ntando Mahlangu won his first Paralympic silver medal on Sunday in Rio. – By Mark Etheridge

Sunday in Rio was a productive afternoon on the track for South African athletes. Charl du Toit and Fanie van der Merwe won gold and bronze in the T37 100m final and Ilse Hayes then sealed silver in the T13 100m. It was teenager Ntando Mahlangu’s time to shine!

And he did as he raced to silver in the men’s T42 final in the evening session of athletics. Ntando is just 14-years old, a double leg above the knee amputee and only learnt to walk four years ago after deciding to amputate his legs as he had spent all of his mobile life in a wheelchair.

The Mpumalanga athlete motored to a time of 23.77 seconds, only being beaten by British Paralympic sensation Richard Whithead (23.39).

‘I never really expected a medal but I knew if did my best there was a chance. Wow, it’s a very great feeling and I just want to thank SA for allowing me to have this opportunity. Thanks to all the people back home who helped me get here’, Mahlangu said.

‘As for the final, everyone is just running his best hey, I’m happy with my result, I ran a personal best so really can’t expect much more.’

And it certainly looks like the world of para-athletics can look forward a lot more from Mahlangu.

‘Hey, I just pray every day for God to keep me in his eyes so… Tokyo 2020 here I come.’

This article orginally appeared on SASCOC.