The town’s revered Brakpan Wrestling Club continues to produce one quality wrestler after another.
This was showcased in Port Harcourt, Nigeria last week where the 2018 Africa Wrestling Championships took place.
The club had solid representation across the cadet, junior and senior ranks and proved their power by bringing back two gold medals, a silver medal and a bronze medal.
Cadet Fernando Booysen brought back a hard-fought gold medal in the 48kg freestyle.
A shiny blue eye after his final match was evidence of his battle on the mat.
He is the only South African cadet to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games.
Also read: Recognition for wrestling club’s finest
In the junior ranks, the club’s Matthew Bartlett (wrestling in the 74kg freestyle category) earned a well-deserved silver medal while Jacques Kriel (in the 86kg freestyle category) bagged himself a bronze medal.
On the senior side of things, all eyes were fixated on the big man Martin Erasmus.
Erasmus rekindled his rivalry with Nigerian wrestler and African Champion Soso Tamara in the 97kg weight category.
The Brakpan champion went one better than his silver medal at the champs last year to get a gold medal placed around his neck.
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