SPAR school stars 2022

Grade Nine learner, Hadiyah Carrim, from Durban Girls’ College has been selected for the U17 National Badminton Squad.

Badminton South Africa is the national governing body that oversees and manages affairs related to the sport of badminton in South Africa.

The national organisation selects national squads for each age group. These teams will be selected to represent South Africa from these squads.

Carrim is one of the gifted few who have been selected to represent South Africa in the sport.

Grade 12 learner from Durban Girls’ High School, Inathi Simelane, was crowned Miss Teen Charm South Africa at the Miss Teen Universe South Africa pageant in March. She will represent her country in Columbia at the Miss Teen Charm International pageant in October.

Inathi said she was one of four queens chosen from the top eight finalists.

“I was so emotional. I’m not usually an emotional person, but I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I started crying – especially looking back at how much work I put in. Seeing how it paid off meant so much to me, and being chosen out of so many competitors to represent my country on an international stage, means a lot to me,” she said of her win.

Charity work is a major part of pageantry today.

“It involves community work – that’s how you are judged – on how involved you are and how you uplift others,” explained Simelane.

She has several collection drives on the go as part of her charity work. She collects school shoes, clothing and sanitary pads. Recently, she delivered winter baby clothes to a crèche in KwaMashu. Simelane also focuses strongly on mental-health awareness, using her platform as Miss Teen Charm to create awareness and organise events to uplift the Durban community.

With success across the board, St Henry’s Marist College Grade 9 learner, James Koorbanally, is the SPAR Star of the Month. He recently placed second at the KwaZulu-Natal Chess Opens where he competed against chess players from across the province and beyond. James is his school’s top academic student – he placed first in the grade last year and is maintaining his lead this year.

“If you are invited to attend, you can compete. There were also some people from Johannesburg competing at the tournament,” said the youngster.

Competitions like this one are played against the clock.

“There are two opponents, and each gets an hour to make their moves. If there’s no checkmate before time is up, the game will last around two hours,” he said.

Despite his success, James says there’s always room for improvement. He took up chess at a young age and never looked back.

“My dad taught me one summer when I was five years old,” he said.

Now he plays chess at least three times a week, and he is on his school’s chess team.

“The opponents vary, so sometimes you have to think hard, and sometimes the moves are easier,” he said.

James said he enjoys socializing at chess tournaments as well as competing.

“In the game, my favourite part is the end game because it’s very exciting,” he said.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, James racked up a string of success. He won a tournament at uShaka Marine World the year before the pandemic, and he was selected for the KwaZulu-Natal chess team and played at the South African Junior Chess Championships in Johannesburg in January 2020.

When he’s not playing chess, James enjoys cricket, soccer and hockey.

“I’m waiting for soccer season – it’s one of my favourite sports,” he said.

He is also on his school’s robotics team where the learners code a robot to complete certain tasks, like picking up items and moving them around or pulling a lever. This year they are competing against 13 other schools.

“In primary school and Grade Eight, we learned Scratch (a programing language) in our computer lessons. The program we use to code the robot is based on Scratch – it’s very logical; you can also learn it by yourself or watch YouTube videos. There’s also a manual to build different robots, and you can experiment with it,” he said.

The learners also have to build their robot body. James enjoys computer science and math – adding to his all-round achievements.

THE Gordon Road Girls’ School College June Spar Star is Denya Sawers. The grade 5 learner recently took part in the Durban and Districts Gymnastics Invitational in Pinetown. She was required to complete 4 routines: floor, vault, beam and uneven bars. The judges awarded her two 9.1’s and two 8.7s which qualified her for a gold medal!

The 11-year-old says she was ecstatic when she found out she had earned a gold medal, “I was so happy and excited when I got those scores. My Mom and coach also said that they were very proud of me.”

Sawers started particpating in gymnastics when she was 5-years-old, “I started gymnastics when I was very young and I stopped for a while, but I remembered how happy it made me and how much I loved it and now I am competing again.”

The Gordon Road Girls’ learner is not only passionate about gymnastics, she also takes her schoolwork very seriously, “Academics are very important to me. I love sports just as much as academics and I am a very hard woker,” she said.

Sawers says she hopes to continue with gymnastics because it teaches her valuable lessons such as time management and discipline.

Khazimla Gqaleni from Sycamore Academy is the SPAR Star of the Month. Khazimla is a budding chess enthusiast who recently went through unbeaten in the Mardi Gras Chess Tournament held at Parkside Primary School. His school also credited him for his integrity after Khazimla handed in a large sum of money that he found on the ground at the Durban and District chess trial recently. The learner also excels academically, especially in mathematics.

Clifton prep Grade 6 learner, Mholi Phili is the SPAR Star of the Month. The youngster is a sports star, displaying talent in athetics and rugby.

He recently competed at the national athletics championships in Potchefstroom- came fifth in final 150m Boys U12 and won silver in Boys U12 100m.

Mholi said he achieved one of his fastes times at the championships, completing the 100m sprint in 12.25 seconds.

“I was excited when I found our I had won silver. When I finished I wasn’t sure what position I was in,” said the youngster.

Mholi was among those selected to compete at the national event, ater taking part in a provincial competition prior to the national event.

Now he is part of the South African primary schools athletics team, sprinting in the U12 division.

His success on the track comes shortly after Mholi took up athletics. He began sprinting last year when he was a Grade 5 learner.

He said he has always enjoyed running, and would run around his house and in the garden.

“I was always naturally fast,” he said.

His athletic ability also shines on the sports field. Mholi was recently selected for the KwaZulu-Natal U12 Sharks Rugby team.

“I would love to be a professional rugby player one day and continue running after school,” said the learner.

He added that he likes all sports. When it comes to athletics, Mholi usually practices three times a week, with a training session on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. He belongs to Aspire Running Club which he joined in February and his coach is Lux Gordon Aspire Running Club in February.

He said he enjoys competing on the track.

“It’s fun and I meet new people. The only challenge I have had is when I arrive to a new the place sometimes I feel nervous,” said Mholi.

He hopes to continue competing on the track for years to come.

Soccer fanatic Nhlomulo Mthembu in Grade 7 is the Eden College Spar Star for June. Mthembu has recently made the KwaZulu-Natal B soccer side. The 13-year-old says this is something he has wanted for a long time, “Soccer is so important to me. I started when I was really young, around 6 or 7 and since then I have wanted to do great things in soccer.”

Mthembu says that his Mom and coach were present when he was selected for the KZN B soccer side and they couldn’t have been happier for him, “My mom and my coach were there and we all found out at the same time. My coach was surprised at first and afterwards told me I did very well. My mom was very excited like I was,” he said.

Mthembu also enjoys playing basketball and spends his spare time playing video games, “I enjoy basketball too and when I’m not busy with school or sports I play video games on my Playstation. My favourite kinds of games are sports games and battle games,” he said.

GRADE 12 learner, Danni Wiseman, from Durban Girls’ College carried her team through the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge and has been nominated as the Spar Star for her outstanding performance at the regional competition.

Competing on their home turf, Durban Girls’ College’s (DGC) hockey team dominated in the Durban Central Regional at the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge on Sunday, May 15.

DGC completed their impeccable performance with 24 points on the log.

Captain for College Danni Wiseman stated after the game, “We performed really well as a team, and we are growing with each game that we play. I am really proud of the girls for what we have accomplished today. Our games against DGHS in the playoffs and in the final were tough ones. Big congratulations to them, as well; they played really well.”

Talking about the final, Wiseman continued, “We had a lot of possession but unfortunately just couldn’t finish. Luckily for us, we got that goal near the end of the game.”

Durban Girls’ College is the ninth team that will be heading to the Grand Finals in July at St Mary’s D.S.G.

GRADE 11 learner at St Henry’s Marist College, Jude Bunyan, is the SPAR Star of the Month. He recently competed at the World Lyrical Dance Federation (WLDF) competition where he won several medals.

The competition took place at Curro Salt Rock High School on Saturday, May 14, and Jude performed in a quartet, which won first place with a score of 79.5%. He also took to the stage for a duet performance, winning first place again with a score of 78%. Bunyan placed third for his solo performance, scoring 78.5%.

“I’m a senior dancer at Dance Direction International. I have previously entered two WLDF competitions. As a senior, we like to challenge ourselves – competitions improve our performance. I also won my solo section in 2019 at WLDF,” said the dancer.

Jude took up gymnastics at the age of three before taking an interest in acrobatics. “Acrobatics is my favourite style of dance as I was too flexible for gymnastics. I joined my dance teacher, Des van der Spuy, at Dance Direction, when I was nine and have been with her ever since. I also do modern dance, musical theatre, African and contemporary dance, as well as hip-hop and ballet,” he said.

He does acrobatics at Debi Frizelle Academy of Acrobatics.

The youngster is not sure what career path he will take, but one thing is certain – he will never stop dancing. When he’s not dancing, Jude enjoys acting.

“I love Drama and have just performed in Charlie’s Aunt in my school play,” he added.

GRADE 10 learner from Durban High School, Kaden McKenzie, is the SPAR Star of the Month. He was recently selected for the Natal Deep Sea Angling Association (NDSAA). On the team, he will take part in competitive game-angling for the provincial team.

“It was a lifelong goal to make the team,” said Kaden of his achievement.

“I started deep sea fishing when I was six years old, but I have been fishing since I was in nappies. My grandfather owned a boat in the 1960s, and he was a member of the Durban Ski Boat Club. From there it was passed down. My dad owns a ski boat, as well, and we launch from Point Yacht Club in the harbour to go fishing,” he said.

We fish for game fish such as yellowfin Dorado tuna, king mackerel and snoek.

“We have to catch bait fish first to use as live bait. We sometimes use artificial rigs,” he said.

Deep-sea fishing is done on a boat, using a rod, reel, line, tackle and fish finder – a sonar device used to locate fish under the water.

Kaden said his biggest catch was a yellowfin tuna weighing in at 28kgs. “There are regulations you have to abide by – certain lengths are required, and it differs for each different fish. You wake up early in the morning and race down to the boat and try your luck to land a fish,” he explained.

When he is not fishing, Kaden enjoys playing hockey and cricket, and in the classroom, his favourite subject is Physical Science.

He will be taking part in competitions at Umhlanga Ski Boat Club on May 27-29, as well as the Warnadoore Ski Boat Club Interact on June 17-19 and the Junior Game Fish National in St Lucia from June 27 until July 1.

GRADE 12 learner at Clifton College, Ross Montgomery, is the SPAR Star of the Month. He was recently selected for the men’s U21 KwaZulu-Natal Hockey team.

“I play for Riverside Sports Club 1st men’s team, where our coach encouraged all U21’s to attend the trials. There were two rounds of trials which took place over two weeks in March. The final squad of 18 was announced at the end of March, to play in the Inter-Provincial Tournament in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) at the end of April,” said Ross.

He has since been selected to play for the KZN U18A Boys’ Hockey team, which will compete in the National Inter-Provincial Tournament in Stellenbosch in June.

“This is my second year playing for the Riverside Sports Club men’s 1st team that competes in the KZN Premiere League. I’m currently the captain of Clifton’s First XI Hockey and First XI Cricket, and have played in the First XI for both since Grade 9,” said Ross.

When he’s not on the sports field, Ross also excels in the classroom. The matric learner was awarded Half Colors in his Grade 11 year, scoring an aggregate above 80%.

He started playing hockey when he was a Grade 3 learner at Clifton Prep. Ross mainly play in midfield, but also as a striker from time to time.

“At Clifton, I was given the opportunity to play a wide variety of sports, including hockey, cricket, rugby, tennis, squash and golf. The natural pace and skill involved in hockey were what caught my initial attention, and from there, I continued to play hockey and cricket throughout high school,” he said.

Ross is considering playing hockey professionally after school.

“I’d love to play professionally after school, however, due to lack of funds in the sport nationally, it’s hard to make a living which makes it a tough decision,” he concluded.

GRADE 7 learner from Durban Preparatory High School, Amukelo Ngcobo was recently nominated as captain for his school’s gumboot dance group. He is the SPAR Star of the Month.

He is excited to take up the position.

“It’s something you look forward to from Grade R – to be a captain in Grade 7. I felt so happy when I found out I was the captain, because the competition is very strong,” said the young dancer.

“This year, my goal is to lead my team to do our best in any competitions we enter and do our school proud,” he added.

Amukelo took up Gumboot dancing in Grade 6. He is looking forward to start competing this year.

“Gumboot dancing is all about communication – if you aren’t very good with social skills, it gives you opportunity to grow those skills and improve communication skills as well,” said Amukelo.

While the dance has roots in African culture, Amukelo said it unites people across cultures.

“I also do Zulu dance – it’s similar to gumboot dancing, but it is not only about the way your feet move, but how you moved your whole body,” he said.

The youngster said he will continue dancing after school. He hopes to pursue a career in the arts – either singing, acting or dancing. While the Covid-19 pandemic has limited school productions, Amukelo said he had a chance to get back on the stage recently when his school hosted a talent show, Durban Prep’s Got Talent. He has also earned a Speech and Drama certificate from his school, and showed his skills on the stage when he performed a poem. In the sports arena, Amukelo enjoys playing soccer and rugby or swimming and in the classroom he enjoys natural science.

Grade 5 learner from Penzance Primary School, Payton Aitken is the SPAR Star of the Month. She won a silver medal at the South African Swimming Nationals in Gqeberha, Port Elizabeth. She competed in the 50m race freestyle race, claiming her victory with a time of 29.18.

GRADE 10 learner at Open Air School, Atang Moabi is the SPAR Star of the Month. He came second in the men’s All Inclusive Stand division at the KZN Para Surfing Championships held recently at Durban’s Addington Beach. He was one of 40 competitors who took to the surf in various divisions. The event was hosted by Made for More, an NPO that aims to empower people with disabilities through sport.

Atang (17) was diagnosed with kidney failure 10 years ago. The condition causes swelling and Atang manages his disability with medication.

“I am still on a waiting list for a transplant, but I don’t think I will have transplant,” he said.

He hopes to become a professional surfer one day

“I want to go to New York and surf,” he said.

While he looks abroad to launch his surfing career, Moabi is inspired by local surfer, Sabelo Ngema.

“He inspires me in everything he does. At Open Air School, he was head boy and inspired us all. Sabelo would face his problems and overcome them. He is a strong person,” said Atang.

While he has great ambitions as a surfer, Atang wasn’t always so dedicated to the sport. It was just a hobby for Moabi when he started surfing with Ngema in 2019.

“I was just there for fun, I wasn’t committed, but now I am starting to take it seriously and enjoy the challenge. Surfing (with Made for More) helps us, because children who have disabilities can see themselves and see that they can surf just like other people. We are all the same,” he said.

The promising young surfer displayed a talent for the sport from the get-go.

“The first time I tried to surf, I managed to stand up on the board,” he concluded.

DURBAN High School Grade 11 learner, Daniel Bennet is the SPAR Star of the Month. He brought home a gold medal for his country when he took part in the All African Junior Golf Championships in Egypt recently.

Daniel participated in the championships as part of the South African Junior Protea Golf Team. He currently holds the number 1 ranking in the U19 and U17 age groups, which earned him a spot on the team.

This adds to several recent achievements for the promising young golfer. In March he won the KZN Midlands Open Championship and the 2022 KZN Players Championship as well as the 2022 Royal Durban Golf Club Open.

Daniel started playing golf at the age of 10 in Canada where he took to the greens with friends.

“I thought it was interesting – every hole you play is different and its great to be out in nature,” he said.

He plans to continue playing golf after school when he attends university in the United States.

“My short game is my strongest skill,” he said.

He is inspired by golfers like Tiger Woods,

“His ability to come back is amazing- especially after injuries. He has the fight to come back,” said Daniel.

When he’s not on the green, Daniel enjoys playing squash and cricket. His favourite subject is business studies and he scores 80% and above.

LOCAL violin prodigy, Leah Parry has been invited to perform at the prestigious performance space, the Golden Hall in Vienna. Leah is a Grade 9 learner at Durban Girls’ College and according to her mother, Christine Slatter, she has been playing the violin since she was seven years old.

Leah secured this opportunity through the world renowned, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) who were looking for string players of Level 6 and above.

“They asked for a video submission and submitted music for her to play. Leah submitted her video, which was reviewed by the ABRSM as well as the Vienna University Faculty and she was chosen as one of 8 string players across 4 instruments,” said Slatter.

Leah will be performing in a John Williams showcase, who has composed some of the most popular, recognizable, and critically acclaimed film scores in cinematic history.

“She will be in Vienna for training on June 10 and her 2 concerts will be on the 16th and 19th of June respectively,” said her mother.

GRADE 12 learner from St Henry’s Marist College, Nikhil Ratanjee is the SPAR Star of the Month. He was the first runner from his running club, Durban Athletics Club, to cross the finish line at the Stella Royal Race held recently in Durban. Nikhil ran the 10km race in a time of 57:50. He was followed by his uncle, Atish, at 58:05 and father, Mahesh, in third position at 59:08.

The matric learner completed the race in inclement weather with heavy rain falling throughout the event.

“It was raining heavily. It was a challenge as water was running into my eyes and it was difficult to get a good grip on the road,” said Nikhil.

The promising runner also ran the 21.1km Two Oceans Half Marathon over the Easter weekend in Cape Town, completing the lengthy run in 2:06:22.

“It was first time I ran such a long distance. I struggled a bit after the 17km mark,” he said.

Nikhil trains twice a week with a 30 minute run every Tuesday and a more strenuous, hour long run on Thursdays. He started running five years ago, following in his father’s footsteps.

“My dad started running and got me into it. We are members of Durban Athletics Club – the oldest club in the country,” he said.

Nikhil plans to continue running after school and pursue a career in mechanical engineering.

“I enjoy the freedom I feel when I’m running. Over the years I have improved my technique – learning to lengthen my stride to run further and faster,” said the athlete.

When he’s not running, Nikhil enjoys playing tennis, hockey and golf. He is also a member of his school’s cross country team. Outside of school, he is an avid Scout, currently working toward his Springbok badge.

“Next year I an going to the 25th World Scouts Jamboree in South Korea,” he said.

In the classroom, Nikhil enjoys engineering graphics and design (EGD). He is also part of his school’s robotics team.

DIVYATA Ramlagan is a Grade 3 learner at Eden College is this month’s SPAR Star.

She recently made her way down to her local CANSA Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) branch to donate a pony tale of her hair to cancer survivors.

Eden College marketing manager said that they are so proud of her taking the initiative.

DURBAN Preparatory High School (DPHS) learner, Izah Roux is a top achiever at the school. The grade 7 learner won a gold medal with Durban Surf Lifesaving Club in the KZN Lifesaving Championships this year. He also plays in the first team for water polo and was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament at the recent Selbourne Waterpolo Festival. Izah swims for the A-team and is the 2nd team cricket captain, he also plays rugby for the school and has been selected for the U12 Sharks Next Generation Training Camp.

The sports star also has a charitable side, he and his younger brother, DPHS learner Akani, have started a pad drive to collect pads after they learned that young girls could miss up to 5 days of school due to their lack of access to sanitary pads. “I was learning about puberty at school and found out that some girls have to miss school because of their periods and when I spoke to my Mom and she told me that it was true I wanted to do something,” said Izah.

Izah and Akani have received numerous cash and pad donations.

Despite the tremendous headway the pair have already made, they said that they are far from their goal, “Our ultimate goal is to collects 500 packs in total. At the beginning we had a lower number but when we saw how willing people are to support us we raised the bar, said Izah.

EDEN College Grade 7 learner, Rachel Fletcher-Evans is the SPAR Star of the Month. She has excelled in swimming at her school. Recently she won the Vicrtix Ladorum at her school gala.

GRADE 4 learner from St Henry’s Marist College, Saien Naidu is the junior  SPAR Star of the month. The youngster has impressed his school with his chess skills. He won the U10 section in the St James Chess

Tournament recently where he won all seven games he played.

“I felt really happy to win all my games. I was surprised I won all my games,” said the youngster.

He started playing chess when he was just five-years-old. During lockdown, he developed his skills when he started chess lessons online with a chess club in India. Through the virtual club he plays chess matches everyday. Saien said he usually plays chess for about 10 minutes a day and takes part in a chess tournament every Sunday online.

“I enjoy mathematics at school. It helps me to calculate how many moves I have to make to reach check mate,” he said.

Saien hopes to continue playing chess after school. When he is not playing chess, he enjoys swimming, cricket, soccer, hockey and karate. He currently has his second red belt and is on his way to achieving his third red belt. The youngster also excels in the classroom.

GRADE 2 learner from Sycamore Academy, Victoria Imole is the SPAR Star of the Month. She is an all-rounder. She excels academically and enjoys playing chess and the violin. Victoria started playing violin when she was just five years old. She has learnt to read music and currently plays music by reading the notes. She was inspired to take up violin by her mother.

She also explores her interest in music through signing. She took up chess at the age six and recently to competed at a chess tournament at Ashton College in Ballito. The youngster also enjoys swimming and excels in her school galas.

GRADE 10 St Henry’s Marist College learner, Joseph Euripidou is the SPAR Star of the Month. He was selected for the U15 KwaZulu-Natal Softball team. This is the third time Joseph has been selected for the provincial team.

“I made the team when I was in Grade 7 and again when I was in Grade 9. There wasn’t a team selected in Grade 8 due to Covid-19,” he said.

The youngster said he started playing softball when he was a Grade 4 learner at Manor Gardens Primary School.

“I started off playing outfield and then I became an infield player, which is more central and technical,” he explained.

Joseph trains twice a week on a Wednesday and Sunday.

“I did have to fight for my position in infield because there were a lot of good players. It took a hard work and dedication,” he said.

The youngster said his favourite aspect of the sport is being part of a team. He also enjoys playing cricket, rugby, hockey and swimming. When he is not playing sport, Joseph excels in the classroom. His favourite subjects are mathematics, science and Engineering Graphics and Design (EGD).

BRETTONWOOD High School Grade 12 learner Paris Louis, is the SPAR Star of the Month. She is one of 20 youngsters who have been selected to take part in the PeacePlayers Friendship Games in the Middle East this year.

PeacePlayers operates in several countries, including USA, Northern Ireland, Middle East, Cypress and South Africa. While Leadership Development Programme (LDP) clubs would not usually interact with members across the globe, the rise of video conferencing under the Covid-19 pandemic saw learners like Louis logging onto Zoom to interact with PeacePlayers abroad.

She joined PeacePlayers South Africa when she was in Grade 4 at Glenmore Primary School.

“Peace Players came to our school to hold trials. During our PE (physical education) lesson we had a chance to play around with a basket ball. I realised I was good at it and that it was something I really enjoyed, so I tried out for the Peace Players team. In Grade 7, I became the team captain. I tried out for the team again at Brettonwood High School and in 2019 I was one of 30 learners selected to join the Peace Players LDP,” she said.

Louis was selected as team captain again in 2020 and vice captain in 2021. This year she captains her team once again. She competed at the PeacePlayers Girls’ Basketball Festival on Saturday, March 12 where her team won the gold medal.

Held at the University of KwaZulu-Natal sports hall, the festival returned after Covid-19 restrictions prevented the gathering for two years.

OPEN Air School learner Reece Smith will be commentating at a charity swimming event in Amanzimtoti on March 26. Adaptive surfer Donovan Kane, and adaptive surfing coach, Wesley Smith will be swimming 3km from Amanzimtoti Beach to Pipeline Beach and will be campaigning beach wheelchairs and awareness and beach accessibility.

The initiative will be hosted by the professional sports commentator in the making, 14-year-old quadriplegic Reece Smith, who they are also assisting with a fundraising campaign for his Youtube channel Rolling With Reece.

Reece is an aspiring sports commentator with big dreams, “This past few months on Youtube I’ve been doing book reviews and I would like to do more sports commentary for the blind. I would also like to get into teaching the differently-abled how to still enjoy video games and one day I hope I will be interviewing famous adaptive sports people.”

“I’m looking forward to lots of people showing up to support our event. People can expect exciting moments and lots of fun,” said Reece. According to his father, Reece has been commentating since he was a little. “This boy has always been commentating, when we would watch the games with him, every time a player would score he would scream goal!” he said.

Reece is a Grade 9 learner and his favourite subject is History, “I love to learn about things that happened in the past, I have so many books about history and I always want to know more.”

SALMA Bejia, a Grade 10 learner at Durban Girls’ College, achieved outstanding results at the KZN Junior Track Championships.

She placed first in the U18 400m Women’s Race and first in the U18, 800m Women’s Race.

“I was really happy after the race because my parents were there to see me win and I improved my times, which I’m always aiming to do,” said Salma.

She also competed the Newton Classic Shoot-Out in February. Salma won the Senior Women’s 600m race beating Wenda Nel – a double Olympian in 400m hurdles – in the process. “It was an amazing experience. I didn’t have any expectations going into the event but I’m satisfied with my results. My coach said that he believed in me and he was proud at the end of everything,” said the young athlete.

Salma said she started doing athletics in Grade 8 and soon found out she was a gifted runner when she placed first in the KZN trials. She has a passion for the sport, “I run for the feeling of accomplishment. It’s always something to work towards and you can always do better than you did the previous time.”

She said she hopes to continue with her athletic career and one day compete on an international level.

DURBAN Girls’ High School Grade 10 learner, Tayla Bruce, is the SPAR Star of the month. The swimming star will take part in the South African Junior Nationals on March 30 at Kings Park Pool.

She also took part in the SA Open Water Nationals on March 5 in Jeffreys Bay.

I did really well. I competed in the 3km open swim and came fifth in my age group. I also swam the 5km open swim and came eighth,” said Tayla.

“The youngster also recently competed in the aQuelle Midmar Mile where she completed her swim in 22 minutes and 21 seconds. Commending on her swim, Tayla said, “There were pretty good conditions so the swim went well.”

She started swimming when she was just seven years old.

“I used to watch my brothers swim at galas and got bored of sitting on the sidelines. I decided to start swimming as well,” she said.

While swimming does not come naturally to Tayla, she has put in time and effort to excel in the sport.

“I have worked really hard to get to where I am. I swim for an hour and half every afternoon and I swim for an extra hour in the mornings on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” she said.

She hopes to pursue a career in open water swimming one day.

“I feel more comfortable swimming in open water and swimming for longer distances,” she said.

The promising young swimmer said her favourite stroke is backstroke.

GRADE 4 learner, Abigail Thambiran, is the St Henry Marist College junior primary SPAR Star for the Month.

She was selected to represent KwaZulu-Natal in the inter-provincial golf tournament to be held at Prince’s Grant Golf Estate in March. Abigail was selected for the team after she took part in the U11 golf qualifiers at Kloof Country Club recently. What’s more she was the only girl selected in her age group.

This adds to Abigail’s long list of golfing achievements. Last year, she was crowned the U9 Girls Champion at the 2021 Junior African Challenge held at San Lameer Golf Club. Abigail’s scores were also the lowest amongst all the girls who took part in the nine hole division.

Dhruv Shah, one of Eden College’s brightest learners, earned the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Level 1 award.

This Spar Star, Dhruv Shah is a Grade 7 learner from Eden College.He was awarded the ABRSM Level 1 Award in Graded Examination in Music Theory.

Dhurv passed his graded examinations with a distinction.

GRADE 7 learner, James Swart is the SPAR Star of the Month from Durban Preparatory High School (DPHS). He was selected as the Water Polo captain for his school this year.

The youngster started playing water polo in as a Grade 2 DPHS learner after his older brother sparked his interest in the sport.

“My brother made the first team for water polo in Grade 6, and I decided I also wanted to play,” he said.

Now an accomplished water polo player, James plays right fetch.

“I love rugby and swimming and water polo is basically a combination of both,” said the youngster.

Last year in September his school water polo team competed in an SAKS, a national school tournament in Cape Town where they brought home the gold medal. What’s more, James was selected for the KwaZulu-Natal Water Polo team last year and we competed the team in an inter provincial tournament December.

James is also a keen swimmer. His school hosts a top 10 gala annually and James has been named the champion in his age group every year over the last seven years, since he was a Grade 1 learner at DPHS. He stared swimming at a young age as a Grade R learner.

“I love being in the water,” said the swimming star.

His favourite swimming stroke is freestyle.

“Last week I swam the 50m freestyle race at my school’s championship gala and made my best time of 29.08,” he said.

When he’s not in the pool, James enjoys playing rugby, tennis and golf. He is also a house captain at his school.

“The school is divided into four houses and I’m captain Bullimore house,” said James.

The all rounder, also excels in academics.

“I came third in my Grade last year (Grade 6) and won the Afrikaans prize,” he said.

THE Sycamore Academy SPAR Star of the Month is Grade 1 learner, Shaelyn Kizgin. Not only is Shaelyn a star in the classroom with great academic results, but the school said she has a kind heart and willingness to help her peers.

Gordan Road Girls’ School student Tejhal Moopanar beat her own record when she participated in the Midmar Mile this year.

Tejhal Moopanar, a Grade 5 learner from Gordon Road Girls’ School, recently took part in the Midmar Mile at the Midmar Dam in Pietermaritzburg.

This was the fourth time she has swum the mile and her hard work paid off. Tejhal swum her personal best of 40 minutes 30 seconds.

Tejhal swims every day both for the school squad and for additional practice. This dedication has paid off. She works very hard in the classroom and is a true all-rounder.

“It was a good race. “ said Tejhal. “I enjoyed pushing myself to achieve my best.”

Grade 8 Open Air student, Bongumenzi Biyela, made his school proud and placed second at the u15 Wheelchair Tennis National Championships this year.

Bongumenzi Biyela from Open Air School, won a silver medal in the u15 Wheelchair Tennis at the National Schools Sports Championships for 2022,

held in Bloemfontein 4-6 Februray 2022.

The grade 8 student said he wanted to place but was not over-expectant, “I was playing, because I love my sport, I didn’t have any big expectations, but I ended up getting to the finals and I placed second! I was so happy.”

Fourteen year old Bongumenzi was there with his coach, Coach Gopolang, who he said was extremely proud of him.

Bongumenzi couldn’t wait to tell his family, “I told my family about the silver medal that I won and they were so happy for me!”

He is not only skilled at wheelchair tennis, the Open Air School student also plays wheelchair basketball and table tennis. He is a fun-loving young man, he said that he enjoys being around people and laughing, “Laughter is one of the best things in life.” said Bongumenzi.

THE high school SPAR Star of the Month at St Henry’s Marist College is Keira Hall. The Grade 10 learner impressed her school with her quick thinking and courage when she rushed into the waves to save a man who was drowning.

Keira said the man was being swept out behind the rocks by a riptide at Warner Beach in Amanzimtoti. Keira was on lifeguard duty when the man’s family members called for help. She wasted no time, swimming out to help the man to shore where her team helped her carry him onto the beach. The team treated the man for injuries he sustained from the rocks.

“It was like all my training kicked in. Only afterwards did I realise what I had just done and I felt so proud that I used my skills to save a person’s life,” said Keira. She joined her lifesaving club three years ago and began lifesaving in December 2021 after passing her lifesaving exam

“The exam is tough as it includes a physical surf exam and a theory exam,” recalled Keira. She has been involved with her local lifesaving club in Amanzimtoti for several years.

“I have been with Warnadoone Surf Lifesaving Club for seven years and currently I coach the Micro Nippers team every third Sunday or whenever I can. I volunteer as a lifesaver at out local beach from 08:00 until 17:00. Whenever I coach, I am always scanning the waves to prevent drowning,” said Keira.

SPAR Star of the Month from Maris Stella School is Grade 8 learner, Londeka Sibiya who  put her Nippers training to use when she snapped into action to save a drowning woman at an eMdloti tidal pool recently. What’s more, the swimming star took part in the aQuellé Midmar Mile on Saturday, February 12, completing the race in 1:02:29.

Londeka said her Nippers training taught her how to place a drowning victim in the right position and help them to shore safely.

Recalling the day jumped into action to save the struggling woman, Londeka said, was surprised she managed to save the woman.

”I was swimming with my cousins when I heard screaming and shouting. As I turned around, I saw a teenage girl going under the water and I knew she wasn’t ok. I swam over to her and put her on her back and brought her back to shore,” said Londeka.

Her passion for swimming started at an early age when Londeka started swimming as a three-year-old.

“I love being in the water. I swim in the morning with my mom at Kings Park Pool three times a week and I run twice a week. Running develops different muscle strength in my legs which helps me in the pool” she said.

Commenting on her Midmar swim, Londeka said conditions were tough.

“It was challenging to swim in the open water as the current was strong, but I got through it,” she said.