North Coast schoolchildren have kicked off the start of the academic year with a bang!

Since returning to school on January 15, these pupils have been making strides in their chosen sports, hobbies or academic pursuits.

Here’s a closer look at their accomplishments.

Making waves on the national stage

Sailing brothers Gust and Kai Funke competed at the South African Sailing Youth National Championship from December 15-19 at the Eastern Cape’s Wriggleswade Dam.
Eleven-year-old Gust sailed impressively, finishing in 23rd place. His younger brother Kai (9) made his debut on the national stage and bagged 30th position in the fleet.

Chess whizzes

Ashton international North Coast pupil Yan Weilun represented the KZN Province at the 2024 Mzansi Inter-Provincial Youth Chess Championship (MIYCC) in Limpopo from December 15-19. Weilun achieved 3rd place in the U18 group and contributed to his team’s 2nd place finish.

Crawford International North Coast Grade 8 pupil Snehin Kumar won also grabbed bronze at the MIYCC. Snehin will be competing at the South African Junior Closed Chess Championships this April.

Swinging to victory

Budding Curro Salt Rock golf star, Zimele Gasa, claimed victory at the SA Kids Golf Tournament hosted at Kloof Country Club on January 19. Competing in the boys’ 5-6 age group, the Grade 1 pupil bagged 1st place in his category.

Top marks at Mandini Academy

Mandini Academy celebrated the academic and cultural achievements of pupils from Grades 8 to 12 last Friday.
The celebration highlighted the outstanding performance of the class of 2024 in the NSC examinations where the school achieved a 100% pass rate in 11 out of the 14 subjects offered.

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