VIDEO: Nothing keeps local wrestler Dominick Aoun down

A concussion and a year of lockdown could not keep local wrestling star Dominick Aoun (13) down.

The young Bordeaux resident won his age division at the South African Wrestling Championship for two years in a row leading up to the Eastern Gauteng Open Championships in February last year, where he sustained a head injury in the semi-finals.

“It was his first year wrestling Greco-Roman as well as freestyle,” explained Dominick’s father and assistant coach, Fadi Aoun.

“He was in another weight division and won all his matches, most of them with a pin in the first round.”

Watch: 

However, the youngster hit his head a few times on the mat during the freestyle semi-final and had no time to recover before his Greco-Roman semi-final.

“We had to ask them to put a hold on the Greco match because Dominick was still busy with his freestyle match. Straight after the freestyle match that he won, he went to wrestle a Greco SA champ who was one year older.”

During this match, Dominick threw the wrestler and while doing so hit his head again. They continued and Dominick won the match, but he told Fadi afterwards he had a headache and was not feeling well. A nurse found that his eyes were not responding and he was rushed to hospital in an ambulance. The youngster had a concussion and could not move his legs. “It was very emotional,” Fadi continued.

“He stayed [at the hospital] overnight just for safety.”

Due to the concussion, Dominick took a break from wrestling, and when the lockdown came he decided he would return when contact sports were opened again. During this time he stayed fit under the tutelage of coach Wiekus Swart.

When he went back to wrestliing, Dominic also trained under coach Dean van Zyl of Ruiter Wrestling Club.

Since the start of 2021, the young wrestler has been dominating the ring. At the Ekuruleni Tournament on 27 March, Dominick won all five of his matches, three of these against wrestlers with SA colours, to win the trophy.