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Sabie’s roller skater on his way to success

Given Chiloane was a member of the Roller Sport South Africa's Artistic Skating Senior Quartet team that participated in the World Skate Games Italia 2024 in Rimini, Italy.

An artistic roller skater from Simile, Given Chiloane (20), is on a quest to become one of the best skaters to represent Mpumalanga.

An achievement Chiloane is worth being recognised for is being part of the Roller Sport South Africa’s Artistic Skating Senior Quartet team who participated in the World Skate Games Italia 2024 in Rimini, Italy. This team performed on September 21 and did their best to represent their country at such a high-esteemed championship, despite coming last.

Given Chiloane (third) with his team members at the World Skate Games.
Photo: Sourced/Roller Sport SA

Chiloane was the only Mpumalangan in the team and said this recognition was a great experience. “I love skating and I love the opportunities it has exposed me to. I participated in the national championships and I was chosen to trial for the world games and be part of the quartet. It was amazing being in Italy for almost two weeks. The people, the scenes and the air was just refreshing. Besides that, the competition was tight and there were a lot of great skaters against whom we got to compete with and learn from,” he said.

@lowvelder

Given Chiloane is a talented performer with the hopes of becoming a world-renowned roller skater. Watch him exhibit a snippet of his potential. > Video: Supplied/Given Chiloane #iceskating #iceskatingtiktok #iceskater #iceskate #mbombel #mpumalanga

♬ original sound – Lowveld Media

Chiloane said he started skating in 2018 by joining the Sabie Roller Skating Club. “I was exposed to soccer as an extracurricular activity. When I saw some people skating around the community, I instantly fell in love with it. I asked my mother if I could join, but she could not afford the fees and gear. My grandmother gave me the R30 needed to join the club and to see where it would get me. I started out as a speed skater and then ventured into artistic skating for the experience.”

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He said he envisions a successful career in skating, such as competing in the Olympic Games. “We are hoping Roller Sport South Africa will get the chance to host the World Skate Games in the country in 2028. It will give South Africans an opportunity to showcase their talent while gaining recognition in this sport,” he said.

Chiloane, who is currently unemployed, said he wants to enrol at a tertiary institution to study towards a sports management qualification.

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Bongekile Khumalo

Bongekile is a junior journalist focusing on community news in Mpumalanga, with also a distinctive interest in impactful human interest stories. She began her career in 2019 and was recognised as an upcoming journalist in 2020.

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