Croatia, here comes our karate girl!
This tournament is a qualification tournament for the Youth Olympics Games in Buenos Aires.
Sixteen-year-old Samantha Mare is jetting off to Croatia soon, having fought fearlessly at the Karate South Africa National Championships on 24 March.
During the competition, which was held in the Tongaat Sports Complex in KwaZulu-Natal, she cleaned up her opposition in an amazing display of her karate fighting skill.
Samantha has been doing karate since the age of 10 and has never looked back. Her performances during the years have demonstrated her passion to master the art of karate under the guidance of the fifth degree black belt Sensei Kruben Pillay.
Samantha said, “Hard work, determination, and discipline, together with the help of my family and my Senseis, who have continuously pushed me to aim high, have ultimately helped me to realise my dream of competing on the world stage.”
She mentioned further that attending classes regularly has contributed vastly to her ability to be a consistent karate athlete, and even though she has not won medals in every tournament, the experience of competing against high-flying athletes has pushed her to develop further, so that she can beat her opponents in the future.
Sensei Kruben said, “It is hard to believe that Samantha has been crowned a South African Champion in the all styles karate fraternity in the country in just over six years”.
Samantha was named as part of the team selected for the Youth Olympic trials at the end of the National Championships.
Samantha’s Kumite fighting coach, Luciano Enzo Pillay, said that Samantha has been presented with an opportunity that could change her life forever. His advice to her was to remain focused, follow the Olympic dream and sooner rather than later she will find that she has arrived.
Roshan Singh, Rickus Rossouw, Rudolph Sadler, Bokamoso Mokhukhuwane, Yamkele Gwala and Ethan Venter, all members of the Spartans SKI Karate Club, also put up a great display of fighting skills in the quarterfinals, narrowly missing being medal winners.
Sensei Kruben said, “I am thrilled at the young talent that is coming out of the mining districts surrounding the Sibanye-Stillwater Operation and am proud that our club has always been affiliated with the mainstream of karate in South Africa, as this gives young upcoming athletes every opportunity to achieve regional, provincial or national Protea colours.”
Any resident of Westonaria or the surrounding areas wanting to join the Spartans SKI Karate Club should contact either Luciano on 072 142 2062 or Narene on 072 838 7528.
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