A new generation of wrestling stars emerged at the South African Wrestling Federation Championships in June as 16 athletes from the Ruiter Wrestling Club battled it out on the mat and attached their names to history.
Trained and coached by Dean van Zyl, the wrestlers performed exceptionally well and were rewarded with 11 medals; eight gold, two silver, and one bronze.
According to Dean, this was an exceptional tournament, as four wrestlers from the club took part in the tournament for the first time, and their achievements were remarkable.
Among these performers were Sebastian Burger, who claimed a gold medal, and Caiden Bouwer, who wrestled his way to a bronze medal finish. Izabel Moodley and Manuel Rodriques also made their mark, each securing silver medals in their respective categories.
Notably, Manuel Rodriques’ silver medal performance marked a remarkable comeback, as he returned to the sport in 2024 after a lengthy hiatus that began in 2000, when he last wrestled as a youngster.
“I am very proud of every wrestler that competed at our U17, U20, senior, and masters National Championships this past weekend. The conditioning and mental preparation of my wrestlers are key factors when we have to compete in a high-level competition like this. And to be ready mentally and physically, you, as a wrestler, have to sacrifice your time and put in the hard work day in and day out. So we trained four days a week and had training camps on weekends,” Dean said.
Ruiter was established in 1962, and they have cemented their way to being Central Gauteng’s top-performing club in all the sporting fields.
Currently, they are gearing up for the Beast of the East tournament set to take place in Pretoria on July 20, and Dean says the future is looking good for his wrestlers.
