Girls’ interest in wrestling in KZN has grown 340% since the beginning of the year, according to admin manager of the KZN Wrestling Federation, Dannel van der Merwe.

Van der Merwe says that inter-club development tournaments, such as the one hosted in Newcastle this past weekend, proves that,

According to Van der Merwe, the KZN Wrestling Federation started the year off with only five girls registered in the entire province.

“We are now standing at 17 girls at the moment, which is a big plus for women in wrestling.”

Van der Merwe, who is also the club secretary of the Newcastle Cougars Wrestling Club, was part of the organising committee for the development tournament that took place on October 17, also known as the ‘Knuckles Tournament’.

Fun tournament names keep young wrestlers interested

“The Knuckles Tournament is one of three development tournaments hosted in KZN during the year. The other two in this series were the Sonic Tournament, which was hosted in Volkrust in March, and the Tails Tournament hosted in Glencoe in July. The fun names just give us an opportunity to put something different on the medal to keep children interested in participating,” Van der Merwe explained.

A total of 106 wrestlers from Newcastle, Vryheid, Volksrust, Glencoe and Richards Bay participated in the Knuckles Tournament, ranging in ages from four years old to 25 years old.

“The development tournaments are designed to introduce new wrestlers into the sport and give them an opportunity to see what goes on, on the mat. It also allows the federation to develop coaches, officials and team managers,” said Van der Merwe.

“Not only do we hope to pique the interest of new wrestlers, we also aim to hone the skills of our more experienced wrestlers. In a tournament like this, we can see where the children still need help, where they need to get more practice, what grips we need to put more attention on and which children have talent. Both registered and unregistered wrestlers are invited to participate to get an idea if they enjoy wrestling once we’ve put them on the mat. We do also use it as preparation, especially earlier in the year when we’ve got SA’s and KZN Championships to prepare for, especially for the older wrestlers.”

The Knuckles Tournament, however, is focused more on self-improvement than competition, with every participant awarded a gold medal.

Wrestling helps girls build confidence

To girls who are thinking about getting involved, Van der Merwe says, “Don’t be intimidated by the sport. It is nothing like you see on WWE.

This is Olympic wrestling, which is a beautiful sport, not just for boys, but for girls as well. In the South African Wrestling Federation, we have an extremely big group of girls participating and our girls are getting recognised internationally as well. In a girl’s life, wrestling gives you more self-confidence such that, when you are in a tough situation, you know you can stand your ground. With boys, it’s the same. It’s a sport that teaches you discipline and also improves your sense of self-worth.”

Besides physical strength and fitness, Van der Merwe says that wrestling also helps children improve their academic performance with its strong emphasis on observation, focus and constant learning.

Readers who are interesting in taking up wrestling can contact Dannel van der Merwe on 071 520 3253, who will put you in touch with the local club in your area.

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