Wrestlers narrowly miss out on Olympic Games
Unfortunately, none of South Africa’s wrestlers qualified for the Olympics.
Brakpan wrestlers Martin Erasmus and Jacques Kriel narrowly missed out on qualifying for next month’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The two local stars took part in the African qualifiers in El Jadida, Morocco, recently.
Erasmus started with a comfortable win before facing two-time African wrestling champion Mohammed Fardj. The Algerian’s defensive tactics saw the Brakpan man come up 2-1 short as Fardj used passive tactics to hold on to the slender lead.
Erasmus walked away with a bronze medal when he beat long-time rival Soso Tamarau of Nigeria in a thrilling encounter. Both wrestlers took risks as they looked to attack at every chance, giving spectators great entertainment.
Although a bronze medal is usually acceptable at an international level, it was not enough to qualify for Tokyo.
Kriel also came close with a narrow loss and a win.
“Jacques will definitely make his mark in the senior 125kg category on the continent in future, and I for one will be following his progress with great interest,” said South Africa team manager Gussie Bartlett.
None of South Africa’s wrestlers qualified for the Olympics.
Erasmus will compete in the African Championships scheduled for December in Algeria.
