Pieter Starke representing South Africa at the World Championships in Madeira, Portugal in October 2018

Dear colleagues, friends and family

We are forever grateful that our son received the award as the best male table tennis player with Down syndrome in South Africa for 2018. Its Pieter’s ultimate dream to be the number one table tennis player in the world and we as parents believe that with his God given talent, passion for sport and hard work, he will be able to achieve his goals. Pieter is also a keen athlete and tennis player and surely one of the biggest supporters of rugby and cricket in South Africa.

Pieter is part of the National Table Tennis Team and the National Athletics Team, who will be representing South Africa at the World Championships in Madeira, Portugal in October 2018. We are proud of each and every one of these athletes. The hours of dedicated training they put in, to ensure they compete according to the professional level expected of them, are exceptional.

The South African Down syndrome Table Tennis Team and Athletics Team are responsible for their own funding. Unfortunately, disabled sport is not equally welcomed and supported by the South African government.

The parents of these talented individuals have taken it upon themselves to raise the necessary funds required to make it possible for these athletes to participate in a once in a lifetime opportunity. The athletes and their families started to raise these funds, but the approximate R2,2 million required to make this possible is a mammoth task in itself considering we have only eight weeks remaining to achieve this goal.

We as parents hereby humbly request your support by making a donation towards the funding of the

teams. Donations are tax deductible and an 18A certificate can be issued on request by contacting .