Sowetans paddle to glory
Paddlers from throughout South Africa gathered at the Germiston Lake late last month to participate in the South African Canoe Sprint Championships.
Paddlers from throughout South Africa gathered at the Germiston Lake late last month to participate in the South African Canoe Sprint Championships.
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It is an interprovincial sprinting competition to establish the best in the country for team selection to the World Sprint Championships.
All ages participated from under 12 (8 – 12 years of age), through to Great Grand Masters of 80 plus years of age.
Sprinting is the Olympic Discipline in canoeing and therefore potentially the most important of the various canoeing disciplines which include long distance marathons, river racing, white water, slalom as well as canoe polo.
There were numerous sprint races hosted over the three day event with hundreds of competitors racing 200m, 500m, 1000m, as well as the long distance sprint event of 5000m.
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Teams of top finishers were identified to represent the country at the World Sprint Championships which included numerous local paddlers from the Soweto Canoe and Recreation Club (SCARC) in all ages from under ten through to the veteran age category (30/40 years).
Nkosi Mzolo and Ryno Armdorf, both long time SCARC members finished second and third in the K1 and first in the 1000m K2 (Double Kayak) final. Kwandolkuhle Mzolo placed third in the 500m K1 under 23 final as well as in the 5000m long distance event.
In the Victor / Victrix Ladorum Points accumulated through the three day event, Amile Mzolo was third in the under ten girls overall, Aphiwe Njiyela fifth in the under 12 girls, Juliet Mzibeli sixth in the under 14 girls, Sikhanyisele Dekeda fifth in under 18 category and finished first in the K2 (Doubles event) partnered with Tome Dos Santos.
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Amile also placed third in the 500m GUPPY final and also second in the 2000 long distance final.
Sikhanyisele Dekeda was selected to participate in the Olympic Hopes Regatta which is for under 18 achievers.
The whole of Soweto has been blowing vuvuzelas and cheering for Sikhanyisele Dekeda who worked so hard and has been selected to represent Canoeing South Africa at the OLYMPIC HOPES International competition taking place in Poznan, Poland from September 15 to 17 this year.
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