Shawwal Bagaria is the national judo champion taking on Birmingham
RANDPARK RIDGE – National judo champion Shawwal Bagaria is the national judo champion for her age group hoping to make it to the international stage.
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Shawwal Bagaria is a Grade 10 learner at Rand Park High School who has earned the spot of the number one judo champion in South Africa in her age group. At 15, she has qualified for the Judo Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, which the judo champ mentioned is like the Olympics for judo. The champ needs your help to make it happen.
Shawwal has practised judo since Grade 2, where she was encouraged to join the sport after she tried it out for the sake of curiosity. After she attended her first lesson, Shawwal loved the sport and was asked to come back as her teacher felt that she had a knack for the sport and the capacity to be very good. Eight years later, the teenager has risen to the top in her age group.
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The Judo Commonwealth Games are scheduled for September, where Shawwal will compete with judo masters from around the world, however, she has been raising funds to make her dream a reality.
The young champion has hosted fundraising initiatives which included a bake sale to reach the R15 000 she needs for the competition and has thanked friends and family who have supported her up until this point in her judo career.
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Shawwal has encouraged the youth to play sport as it helps cultivate the skill of perseverance. She has also participated in swimming, gymnastics, netball, athletics, softball, soccer – achieving provincial colours in gymnastics and national colours for judo.
Contact her mother Fatima Bagaria 083 611 1387 to hear how you can help Shawwal raise funds for her trip.
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