Springs’ own wrestling champ
Fernando Booysen (13) recently won two gold medals at a wrestling tournament held over two days at Carnival City.
He is the winner of the South African Greco-Roman Wrestling Presidents Championships as well as the South African Freestyle Presidents Championships. On the first day of the tournament he felt a bit tense as he knew the wrestlers from Boland are exceptionally good in the Greco-Roman style.
But his tension was short-lived because when the whistle blew, he focused on the fight and gave his best.
“I always look forward to wrestling matches,” he says.
This Grade Eight Hoërskool Hugenote learner competed in the 22kg to 36kg category.
Dirk Booysen, Fernando‘s father, says his freestyle opponent almost caught him in a head lock, but he quickly found a way to free himself and won the match with a fall.
“In the Greco-Roman wrestling, it is formally forbidden to grasp the opponent below the hips, to trip him, or to actively use the legs in the execution of any action.”
Competitors wrestle in the Nordic format, whereby each wrestler competes against the other and the one with the most wins is the champion.
“In freestyle wrestling, it is permissible to grasp the legs of the opponent, to trip him, and to use the legs actively in the execution of any action.”
Fernando will compete in the Limpopo Open Championships in Pretoria over the weekend.
