Medal drought smashed by youngsters

Germiston High School rowers take gold at championships.

November 15, 2016

3 minutes read

The winning double in JM u-15 2x (Doubles) was Germiston High School’s Lwazi Zwane (left) and Tshepo Mohale, whoare seen with their coaches surrounding them after their historic win.

History was made at the recent Gauteng Schools Rowing Championships, held at Roodeplaat Dam recently.

Lwazi Zwane and Tshepo Mohale broke Germiston High School’s 33-year medal drought at the championships by coming in as the first double in the JM u-15 2x (Doubles) section.

They were the highlight of the regatta, claiming gold by a boat-length ahead of St Alban’s College and St John’s College.

The boys, both in Grade Eight, only started rowing in January this year.

They won the race in a time of 3:53:06, winning by 3.66 seconds in a tight and exciting 1 000m contest.

Germiston High School Rowing Club is one of the oldest rowing clubs in South Africa and is based at the Victoria Lake Canoeing Club at Germiston Lake.

The school’s club consists of 95 per cent children of colour and they are trained by four young, enthusiastic male coaches and two female support staff, under the guidance of the school’s principal André Beukes.

The Gauteng Schools Rowing Championships was one of the Germiston High School Rowing Club’s most successful performances against 12 private schools, five government schools and three junior clubs.

In all the events, only the eight fastest boats could progress to the finals which wasn’t an easy task.

The Germiston rowers progressed into the finals, in the following respective boat classes:

JW u-5 2x (Doubles): Kelebogile Dibokoanne and Neo Bapela, who finished eighth overall in the A final.
JM u-16 2x (Doubles): Anesu Chakarua and Lukhumo Mailoni, who finished eighth overall in the A final.
JM u-15 First 4x+ (coxed quads): Lwazi Zwane, Tshepo Mohale, Raymond Skinner, Broderique Naidoo and Phillip Takawira, who finished sixth overall in the A final.
JM u-19 1st 4x+ (coxed quads): Mihlali Nene, Sepitle Leshila, Jasper Matthews, David Maseko and Sandile Ndlangamandla, who finished sixth overall in the A final.
JM u-19 1x (scull): Jasper Matthews who finished eighth overall in the A final. He was the only rower in the final in which only two government schools were represented, namely GHS Rowing and KES Rowing. This is one of the toughest events to reach the finals.
JM u-19 2x (Doubles): Sepitle Leshila and Mihlali Nene, who finished fourth overall in the A final. They were the only boat representing government schools in the final, just missing out on a medal to St Alban’s College.
JM u-15 2x (Doubles): Second double: Raymond Skinner and Broderique Naidoo, who finished eighth overall in theA final. Germiston High was the only school to get two boats progressing into this event. First double: Lwazi Zwane and Tshepo Mohale, who finished first.

Germiston High School finshed second overall at the championships, just losing out to St Dustan’s College in the co-ed school’s category.

The school thanked Rowing South Africa for the support and the Go For Gold Foundation (2012 Olympic gold medallist John Smith and Olympian Naydene Smith) who assisted them with their rowing needs as there are many underprivileged rowers, as well as helping the school’s inexperienced coaches with coaching assistance.

The school is also fortunate enough to have Jabu Khumalo as the rowing head coach who represented Rowing South Africa at the World Rowing Championships in Rotterdam (Netherlands) in August this year in the senior coxed pair.

The knowledge and experience gained by him has definitely filtered through to the coaches, support staff and athletes.

After this successful regatta, rowing at Germiston High School has a lot of hope for the future.
Sean Kerr, the president of Rowing South Africa said, “As a Germiston High old boy, it makes we very proud to see how a school like Germiston High has continued with its great rowing tradition and are winning medals again at the highest level.

“The school must be commended for the manner in which rowing is promoted at the school.

“For Rowing South Africa it is absolutely vital that schools like Germiston High continue to perform and produce results.

“Who knows the next Olympic medallist could come from this group of young talented rowers.”