Mundell still seeking a gold rush
While still in lockdown, he has been training like a man on mission
It was a case of close but no gold when local wrestler, Mundell (Nollie) Brown, 16, missed out on a gold medal by a single point in the All Africa Wrestling Championships in Algeria in February.
Wrestling in the cadets’ 92 kg freestyle division, the ten times National Champion came up in the final against a multiple African champion, Mohammed Mostafa Aly Elshamy Salaheldin, from Egypt.
The exciting duel between the two top African wrestlers in their division had the crowd on their feet in the La Coupole d’ Alger Arena in Algiers.
In the end Mundell lost by a sliver: 10 points to 11 and his Herculean effort elicited huge applause from his opponent, Salaheldin, and the entire Egyptian team.
This was Mundell’s second silver medal at the continental championships. In 2018 as a 15-year-old, he competed in the African Wrestling Championships in Nigeria and was outclassed into second place by a 17-year-old from Egypt in the 92kg Greco Roman cadet division.
That motivated him to work even harder to prepare for the 2020 Championships and sacrificed his December holiday to hone his body. Upon arriving in Algiers he was finely tuned: weighing 92kg with only 8% body fat.
Mundell had this time round chosen to wrestle in the more popular free style event.
He is also proud to have been selected captain of the South African Cadet team in Algeria.
Asked about losing out on a gold medal by such a fine margin, Mundell said he was ‘glad to have come home with silver’ but it is gold that he is really after. However, he said those mixed feelings are now part of the past as he continues focusing on improving himself.
While still in lockdown, he has been training like a man on mission. Mundell, following in the footsteps of his highly decorated wrestling father, Steven, says wrestling is as natural to him as walking.
“I started wrestling when I was three and I am determined to win that gold for South Africa,” he told the Courier.
His dedication has put him in the top four of wrestling performers and with his work ethic and courage, Mundell is certain to be a gold winner!
Full results: Cadets freestyle 92 Kg weight division All Africa Wrestling Championships
Gold: Mohamed Mostafa Aly Elshamy Salaheldin ( EGY )
Silver: Mundell ( Nollie ) Brown ( RSA )
Bronze: Abdelhadi Ainzerga ( ALG ).
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