Despite Covid setback Visser believes Blitzboks will still medal at Tokyo Games
The biggest dream of a former stalwart of the Tuks rugby team, who is one of the stars at the Blitzboks these days, will soon come true when he participates in the Olympic Games with his teammates.
A challenge is something Impy Visser can’t resist. That is why he can’t wait for the Blitzboks to take to the field on 26 July against Ireland during the South African team’s first outing at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
According to Visser, the Olympics is possibly one of the toughest tournaments as there is no margin for error.
“In the World Sevens Rugby Series, you play ten tournaments. It means if a team starts off playing poorly in the first two, it is not the end of the world. Any team can regroup and play brilliantly during the latter stages and still win the series. It is not the same at the Olympic Games. From the first minute we step onto the field, every one of us will need to be at the top of our game. The last thing you want to do is to lose. If that happens, the team is immediately on the back foot,” explained the former Tuks player.
Some might say the Blitzboks are already on the backfoot. The team’s head coach, Neil Powell, has tested positive for Covid in Tokyo and is being quarantined.
Renfred Dazel (assistant coach) will now take charge of the team’s on field preparation, while Powell will conduct virtual coaching sessions.
Visser remains confident that he and his teammates will win a medal. According to the former Tuks player, it is “gold” they want.
Photo: Supplied
The former Tuks centre made his debut for the Blitzboks during the 2018/2019 season. At the same time, he qualified as a mechanical engineer at the University of Pretoria. A definite highlight was being part of the Tuks team that won the Varsity Cup in 2017.
“My first game for the Blitzboks was against Zimbabwe. I played loosehead prop, but I can also play at tighthead. Up to now, I have played 13 tournaments for the Boks. I must admit that at first, I tended to get really nervous when I donned the Bok jersey. The last thing I wanted to do was to let the team down. So, I don’t think the first few games I played I was at my best. I was worried that I would make mistakes that would cost the team. Luckily, Kyle Brown saw what was happening. So, he took me ‘under his wing,’ explaining what is expected of me during a game. It helped me to settle down. I will always be grateful to him,” he commented.
According to Visser, to be an Olympian had always been his dream.
“Think about every athlete in the world dreams of competing at the Games. But only a few thousand ever get to do so every four years. That is why Tokyo Olympic Games will always be a highlight to me,” he remarked.
The name Impi is unusual. It is easy to think that it might have to do with him being a true warrior on the field, which he is However, his name has nothing to do with his on-field heroics.
Impi is his real name and not a nickname, and it goes back to the Anglo Boer War when the eldest sons of his mother’s side of the family, the Brecher’s, were given that name.
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