Tough wrestling quartet set to grapple in Egypt
The Boksburg Wrestling Club has not rested on its laurels since winning two bronze medals at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
The local club will continue looking to make inroads on the international stage, in Egypt this time, with four of its wrestlers having secured qualification to the African Continental Championships, which will run between May 28 and 31.
Commomwealth bronze medallist Armando Hietbrink (24), Marco Coetzee (22), Jean-Marie Coetzer (28) and Ivan Smith (21) all booked their tickets to Cairo during a trials meeting in Secunda in March.
Hietbrink will compete in the u-86kg category, Coetzee in the 57kg and Coetzer and Smith in the u-55kg and u-65kg..
The team flew out on Monday, May 25.
Asked what the qualification meant to them, the local stars had the following to say:
“It’s another opportunity to improve myself and see whether I’ve been training hard enough. I’ll also use the tournament as a measuring stick for the Olympics – it’ll give me a clear idea of how much more work will need to be done,” said Hietbrink.
“It meant a lot to me, all the hard work and early morning training sessions have eventually paid off,” said Smith.
“It meant a lot, not just because we qualified, but for yourself as a person and wrestler, it gives you a sense of self-confidence and that with hard work comes success. Hard work also makes you a better person, not just in sport but in life too” said Coetzee.
Coetzer could not be reached for comment. – @SabeloBoksburg
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