Eagles Boxing Club’s Zeddrick Griffin is a Gauteng champion.
The 12-year-old from the Dalview-based club emerged victorious from the provincial championships in Pretoria, last weekend.
“He worked hard as it was a lot of work so he deserves to be the champion,” said the club’s chairperson Koos van den Berg.
The youngster fought in the 36kg to 39kg weight division.
Young Zeddrick will now be preparing to fight at the South African Championships. The date and venue are yet to be confirmed.
“We hope he’s going to win the SA’s and then it will be planning for next where he will likely be fighting in a higher weight division as he is growing,” said the chairperson.
The club is happy for the youngster who has just qualified for his first national tournament.
“When we got to the club on Monday everybody was happy for him and congratulating him as they should,” said van den Berg.
“It shows the club is back on track after a tough two years due to Covid-19.”
Zeddrick had the good fortune of having his club coach and grandfather Vetkop Griffin as his coach for both the Eagles and the Ekurhuleni team.
The youngster is a third-generation boxer with both his grandfather and his father being former boxers.
“It’s an honour for me. Going to the provincial championships with my grandchild is an honour,” said the oldest of the Griffin fighters.
The grandfather has no doubt that Zeddrick will carry on with the family tradition of being a quality boxer.
“It’s in his blood, I tell you it’s in his blood,” said the proud grandfather.
“He trains every night. Mondays and Wednesdays he’s here (at the club) and then Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays I train him at home. We let him relax on a Saturday and Sunday.”
Both van den Berg and Griffin believe that great things are to come for not only Zeddrick but the Eagles as a whole.
“We have four other boys and a girl who I believe will make it to the championships next year,” said the chairperson.
Van den Berg invited those who wanted to join the club to him on 083 409 2714 or Griffin on 079 345 3712.
