Judo champ fights for world title
The young man feels that he is well on his way to reaching the level where he can compete against judokas from around the world.
HAMMARSDALE para-judoka, Smisokhule Mntungwa, is using every opportunity that he has been given by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport and Recreation-backed Elite Athlete Development Programme to better his judo skills and meet his goal of competing internationally in the near future.
The young man, who has to deal with the challenges of albinism, got involved in the sport of judo a number of years ago and it was out of curiosity that his passion for the sport grew when he took it up at school.
Mntungwa said judo was a sport that was offered at his school in Inchanga and he decided to take part in it.
He lived far away from the school which made it difficult for him to train as well as compete during the weekends but his passion for the sport kept him going.
It has not been an easy road for the 20 year-old athlete, who has had a number of challenges to overcome in his quest to becoming a judo star.
“There was a stage when I just was not getting any support from anyone besides my coach, Rob Jordaan. I was winning my fights and was doing well but I was not being recognised, and I got to a stage where I nearly gave up.
Mntungwa proved himself in the recent South African Judo Championships when he won gold in his para-judo category, and with this he feels he is well on his way to getting to the level where he can compete against judokas from around the world.
“I have never been to an international competition as previously I was not ready to go. With the help of the EADP I think that I am getting there though, and that is definitely the next step for me. I want to get out there and test myself against other fighters.
“I have been to national championships a few times so now it is a case of wanting to see where I stand on an international stage.
“I want other people to see where I stand because that sort of exposure is something that will also really help me attract support if I do well,” said Mntungwa.
Mntungwa said he looks up to Tyrone Pillay, who has represented South Africa in shotput and discus, as the youngster draws some parallels between himself and his new-found mentor.
