Three accomplished judoka athletes from the Doryoku Judo Academy recently represented South Africa at the Commonwealth Judo Championships, showcasing their skills and determination on the international stage.
Ruben Cordier, Kylie van de Merwe and Christiaan Luus worked tirelessly to bring honour and pride to their training mates and the rest of the rainbow nation through their sporting skills.
The Commonwealth Championships took place in Malta in April and these skilled judoka competed against the finest countries like England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, India, Malta, Australia and Jamaica. According to the three judoka, the experience was worth its weight in gold and the painstaking training hours.
Ruben, who began his Judo journey at the young age of seven, has consistently represented his club in various competitions. His dedication and hard work paid off at Commonwealth where he competed in both the U18–
U20 and U21+ age groups, bringing home two impressive silver medals. Additionally, Ruben’s talent has caught the attention of selectors, as he has been chosen to represent South Africa in the upcoming African Judo Championships in September.
Meanwhile, Kylie secured a commendable second place in her age group. Although she narrowly missed out on the gold medal to India, her performance was nothing short of inspiring. On the other hand, Christiaan displayed his prowess on the mat and proudly claimed a bronze medal in his respective age group.
Head coach and owner of the academy, Sensei Danie Bruwer, expressed his extreme pride in his team and mentioned that it doesn’t come as a surprise that his students are doing well for themselves because they always train hard and even do additional training hours.
Currently, the Judoka are preparing for the National Schools and the South African Open Judo and Kata Championships that will take place in Bloemfontein in July, and Danie is confident that his troops will be fit and ready to give their best at this tournament.
