Fourteen Vryheid wrestlers took to the mat at the KZN Wrestling Championships on September 12, showing determination and fighting spirit, with several bringing home gold, silver and bronze medals.

The wrestlers competed in different age groups and weight categories in freestyle wrestling, with strong performances across the board.

Vryheid wrestlers shine at provincial championships

In the U/6 category, Daniel Purchase won silver, while Jaythan Nel finished fifth in U/7.

Ava Purchase and Zoey De Villiers both competed in U/9, with Ava taking gold and Zoey silver. In U/10, Zander Paquot and Elethu Phoswa won gold and silver respectively.

Nkanyiso Khuzwayo and Andre De Villiers both claimed gold in U/11. The U/13 wrestlers also performed well, with Christiaan Smith and Sibonga Dlamini winning gold, while Johannes van der Merwe took silver.

Gerard van Greuning won gold in the senior freestyle category.

Medals in the President Schools category

Vryheid wrestlers also earned medals in the President Schools competition, which is contested across an open age category.

Liané Paquot and Sibonga Dlamini won gold, while Christiaan Smith and Zander Paquot took silver. Johannes van der Merwe earned bronze.

Beyond the medals, the championships gave the wrestlers valuable experience and an opportunity to test themselves against other competitors.

Paquot siblings compete at national championships

During the October school holidays, Liané and Zander Paquot represented their province at the 2026 SAWF Youth and President National Championships, held at the UCT Sports Centre in Rondebosch, Cape Town, on October 2 and 3.

Zander finished sixth in freestyle, while Liané secured second place in the President category. Liané also competed in freestyle against Namibia.

Their mother, Cludet Paquot, represented KwaZulu-Natal as an official at the event.

Hard work and discipline pay off

The wrestlers’ achievements reflect the hard work and discipline required in the sport, where training, falls and getting back up are all part of the journey.

The club congratulated all its wrestlers on their efforts, encouraging them to keep working hard, stay disciplined and never give up.

The club extends its gratitude to all the sponsors.

The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.