Two young Ballito athletes earned podium finishes at the Provincial Inter-Gym Martial Arts Tournament held in Richards Bay last month.

More than 70 competitors from across KZN gathered at CombatCoaching.com’s Zululand gym on April 19 to test their skills across various martial arts disciplines. The tournament featured age groups ranging from U7 to adult divisions.

Keval Kalawan (7) and Michael Plummer (5) competed in the U7 grappling division, both producing outstanding performances. Keval, a Grade 2 pupil at Seatides Combined School in Tongaat, secured a second-place finish and walked away with a silver medal. Meanwhile, Michael – a Grade 00 pupil at Ashton International College Ballito – claimed third place, earning a bronze medal.

The pair have been training for the past six months under the guidance of experienced coach Morné Swanepoel at his CombatCoaching.com gym in Moffatt Drive, where they participate in the kids’ MMA and jiu-jitsu programmes.

Swanepoel, recently recognised for his decades-long contribution to mixed martial arts in South Africa, praised the youngsters’ commitment and attitude.

“It is such a privilege and honour to train and guide these young minds in the martial arts,” he said.

“These kids put a lot of hours into their training, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see their passion, dedication and self-discipline for the sport.”