Crawford learners ready to make a big splash in Serbia

Two Crawford International learners are gearing up for the world championships to take place from July 31 to August 8.

Olufunke Gando (18) and Rebecca Currie (18) who have previously represented South Africa, will represent the country at U18 level in the Fina Junior Women’s World Water Polo Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
Rebecca and Olufunke, who have played in the same teams together since making the national U15 side, said they were feeling incredibly proud and excited about their selection.

“When I found out, I told Olu and we were just screaming and jumping around in excitement. My mom had messaged when the team was announced and we were both so happy,” said Rebecca.
With both players in Grade 12 and now back at school full-time with Covid regulations falling away, they said time management had been key for completing schoolwork and getting to various training sessions and matches.

Olufunke and Rebecca previously represented South Africa in the SA U17 side last year in the Czech Republic and said it was an interesting experience overall.
In that tournament, Olufunke was named goalkeeper of the tournament, and the side placed first.
“Last year in Czech Republic, was our first time playing proper international teams, and it was really fun. It was really great because we didn’t know what to expect. You hear about European teams and how good they are, and then you play against them, so it was really cool,” said Olufunke.

Rebecca and Olufunke want to continue playing water polo and study in the United States. Both are still deciding to study either engineering, physiotherapy or information science.
The school also congratulated Riley Jacobs and Zico Williams for their selection as non-travelling reserves for the women’s U18 team and men’s U16s respectively.

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