The Springboks made the nation proud when they won the Rugby World Cup in Japan, but they are not the only South African sports stars who have represented the nation well in the land of the rising sun.
Karatekas have also made an impact in the Asian country with Brakpan’s finest being in the mix.
Christopher Anthony successfully defended his KWF World title recently. Anthony won his six matches in the kumite to defend the championship in the men’s open division. This was a title he also won in 2017 in Italy.
His clubmate at the Dan Triangle Club Christopher Thela also walked away with a gold medal. Thela won the veterans (age 50-59) category.
Also read: Dan Triangle gets 29 golds
While Anthony and Thela competed in the KWF World Cup, Brakpan youngster Jared Crowther from Tenshin Karate Club was training in Japan.
Crowther trained in the Asian country for two weeks as he was preparing to grade to first dan black belt under Japanese karate master and world chief instructor kancho Mamoru Miwa.
“Training in Japan was the experience I’ve been waiting for most of my life and it has not disappointed me,” said the youngster.
“It was everything I dreamed it would be and more.”
The intensity of the training is something that Crowther will never forget.
“Training has taken its toll mentally and physically on the team,” he said. “We pushed through pain thresholds that we didn’t know we could push through. So in a sense I think the experience is also teaching us a lot more about ourselves and we wouldn’t return home with only better skills, but also with stronger character.”
Achieving the pass was a satisfying feeling for the Grade 11 learner.
“This was what we’ve been working very hard for over the last few months and this was the culmination of the vigorous hard training we have done in the last week,” said Crowther.
Also read: Tenshin Karate Club celebrates its students
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