Soweto Canoe Club Reaches for Gold at the SA Canoe Champions
Soweto proves its paddling power
Young canoeists from the Soweto Canoe and Recreation Club make history by winning big at the S.A. Canoe Sprint Championships
Soweto Canoe Club canoeists Siyabonga Tyiki and Asanda Ndlovu showed just how far passion and determination can take you as they paddled past a more experienced opposition to win big at the S.A. Canoe Sprint championships held at Roodeplaat Dam outside of Pretoria. Tyiki won gold in the 5000m event, while Ndlovu was tie receiver of the illustrious Victrix Ludorum honour. Never before had the club entered a National Sprint event with its juniors, let alone come away with a handful of medals and national titles.
This group of talented, plucky canoeists, with no formal training from a national coach, were nurtured and trained by fellow club members, Thulani Ngamlana and Nkosi Mzolo, the club’s chairman, both from Soweto.
“I am smiling from ear to ear with my arms wide open,” says a jubilant Mzolo. “I was so proud to run, screaming along the banks of Roodeplaat Dam with my support man (Thulani) right next to me.”
Mzolo says that prior to taking the club’s junior team to the S.A. Canoe Sprint Championships, he had made a deal with all the members that if they came home with at least three medals, then he would take the team for their first river race. “They more than won their right to their first river race,” he says proudly.
The Soweto Canoe and Recreation Club competed with the cream of South Africa’s canoeing fraternity and came out tops, taking home the following medals:
U-18 Boys K4: Bronze in 1000m and 500m. Paddlers: Siyabonga Tyiki, Livhuwani Munyai,Sibusiso Chwayi,Lona Magadla.
U-18 Boys K2: Bronze in 5000m. Paddlers: Siyabonga Tyiki and Sibusiso Chwayi. U-18 Boys K1: Gold in 5000m. Paddler: Siyabonga Tyiki.
U-18 Girls K1: Bronze in 1000m. Paddler: Sneziwe Gixobole.
U-18 Girls K2: Four Gold medals in 5000m, 1000m, 500m, and 200m. Paddlers: Sneziwe and Asanda.
The medal haul continued with the U-18 Victrix Ludorum being tied with the club’s Asanda Ndlovu and Donna Hutton. Second Place went to the club’s Sneziwe Gxobole, and lastly in team rankings for the entire event, SCARC was in 3rd place.
Steve Jourdan from ADreach Foundation, funders of the Soweto Canoe and Recreation Club, says,
“The achievements of the club over the last 11 years have passed all expectations and this is the cherry on top in terms of developing youth through sport. We are all very proud of our juniors.”
Finalists in the U-18 Boys K1 5000m. SCARC’s Siyabonga Tyiki taking Gold.