Bert Collins boxers punch their way into Gauteng team for SA
Three young fighters from Bert Collins Boxing Club earned their spots on the Gauteng team for the SA Boxing Championships, each bringing grit, pride and big dreams to Pretoria.
Three rising stars from the Bert Collins Boxing Club will represent Gauteng at the South African Boxing Championships in Pretoria from July 2 to 7.
Jean-Louie van Biljon, Jacobus Jonkers, and Geanné Dicks told the Springs Advertiser they are proud to represent their club, town and province.
Van Biljon said this would be his first time competing at the SA Championships, and that meant stepping up his training.
Earlier this year, he boxed in the 66kg junior weight division and won gold at the Gauteng Novice Championships.
“The lesson I’ve learnt is that you should never underestimate anyone and always work harder to be the best,” said Van Biljon.
He added that after the upcoming championship, his goal is to qualify for the 2028 Olympics.
Jonkers, who also earned gold at the novice championships in the 71kg youth weight division, said the training has been more intense than before.
“What I liked most was being allowed to hit bags and spar with the other guys. What I didn’t like was the fitness part, but that’s what helped me the most,” he said.
He said he hopes to use this opportunity as a step toward becoming a professional boxer.
Like any sports player before a huge tournament, there is some anxiety, but Jonkers said, “I tell myself that I’ve got this and I’m going to win.”
The only female in the trio, Dicks is no stranger to the national stage. Already an eight-time national champion, she said this year’s tournament carries personal meaning.
“This time around, it is to prove that I can still do it. I want to continue making myself, my family, and the club proud,” she said.
Despite the school holidays, Dicks admitted that balancing work and training has been challenging. Her most defining moment in the ring, she said, was winning two years in a row against the same opponent.
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“After the medal ceremony, she came to me and said, ‘I went to the gym and trained harder to beat you, but you got even better’. That’s when I knew I loved the sport.”
Dicks’ coach, Minnet Kritzinger, has also been selected to represent Gauteng as a coach at the championships.
Meanwhile, fellow club member Eugene Scholtz, who won bronze in the 66kg Youth Division at the Novice Championships, will cheer them on from the sidelines.
“Even though I’m not going, I know how hard they’ve worked to get here. They can do this; they just need to keep going,” said Scholtz.
