It was an incredible first day of Judo for Team SA at the Region 5 Youth Games as the five competing judokas won two gold medals and three bronzes at The Showgrounds in Windhoek, writes Mark Lemke.
The first gold was won by Tamsyn-Lee Stead in the -48kg category. The 17-year-old star found her toughest match to be the semi-finals. The fight was level and entered golden score which lasted nearly five minutes before Stead landed the decisive throw. She went on to comfortably win the final in 11 seconds. “I was shocked after winning the gold. I did not expect it to happen, but I am over the moon and so proud,” Stead said after the medal ceremony.
The team captain, Levon Gyulinyan, brought home the second gold in the -73kg division. He dominated throughout the tournament and put on a convincing display in the final. The 19-year-old said afterwards, “I feel blessed to represent Team South Africa and to raise our flag after winning this medal. I would like to thank my family and the team for their support in this journey and I will continue to work hard to earn more success like this.”
The first bronze was won by 18-year-old Catalina de Oliveira in the -57kg draw. She was in control from start to finish, scoring two points before finishing the fight with a powerful throw. De Oliveira reflected on the performance later. “I have been going through a rough patch recently and I believe at my best I could have won the gold, but I am proud to bring home this medal for the team and I will use this as motivation to get back to my best.”
Hlobanisa Bobi won the second bronze in the -60kg section. The 18-year-old had to fight through severe pain in his last fight after dislocating his thumb with two minutes to go. “It dislocated just after I secured my one-point lead. If I did not have that lead, I do not think I would have continued, but I had something to hold onto and I fought through the pain for this team and for my coach back home at Tuks.”
The final bronze was secured by Sinqobile Shongwe in the -66kg category. His semi-final defeat came in heartbreaking fashion as he lost the match due to three Shidos (minor offences). He won the third-place match with ease and showed that he was capable of winning a higher medal. “On another day I am sure I could have done better, but it is an honour to have this medal around my neck. I am very happy with my, and the team’s, performance today.”
The coach of these judoka stars, Allardyce Fulton, gave his thoughts on the day. “I am proud of them all. They gave everything on the mat today and they should all be holding their heads high. This sport is unforgiving and things will not always go your way, but five medals for Team South Africa is an amazing achievement for us.”
Judo will be back on Wednesday, with Maxx Mackenzie (16), Liyema Tsotsa (16), and Emma Kemp (17), all looking to add to the medal tally. On Thursday, the team event will be taking place and Team SA are confident they can wrap up their Region 5 campaign at the top of the podium.
Photo: Frennie Shivambu