The Madibaz continued to dazzle on the national stage by winning 18 medals at the Karate SA League 1 Championships in Kariega recently.
The haul of nine gold, four silver and five bronze medals between six teammates underlined the strength of the Mandela University programme.
Their efforts also landed them the women’s team title.
Longtime coach Adré Weideman is particularly pleased with the result as a sizeable portion of the squad are up-and-coming practitioners.
“That is something that has never been done at the university, especially at this level, so it was very encouraging to see them compete alongside our established athletes.”
It was the first time the national event took place in the Eastern Cape and they took full advantage by entering a large contingent in the chase for ranking points.
“This tournament meant a lot to Madibaz,” Weideman, who has been instrumental in the code’s growth, said.
Leading the medal charge with a brace of golds across the kata and kumite disciplines each were Luchay Weideman, Lemuel Kramer and Nezaan Swartz.
Their teammates Gail Weideman and Michilo Mentoor both earned silver medals in the kumite.
It was Mentoor’s debut Karate SA tournament, and it proved insightful for the young competitor.
“I realised I have a lot to learn. You need to put in the effort and training and apply it once you step onto the tatami,” he said.
Gail Weideman also highlighted the learning curve, especially in dealing with the pressure.
“I learnt how to be more confident, handle the competition with grace and remain focused irrespective of who my opponent is,” she said, pointing out that a loss was merely an opportunity to identify and correct mistakes.
Starting well before the University Sport South Africa championships in July, Weideman and the rest of her coaching team meticulously prepared their charges for the demanding tournament schedule.
With the two events grouped so closely together, their training philosophy was to allow the athletes to continue building on their Ussa form in their pursuit of medals at the very highest level.
Their most recent success story follows an equally impressive showing at the student championships, where Madibaz placed fourth overall after collecting 10 gold, four silver and two bronze medals.
The programme is also producing individual recognition, as proved by Gail Weideman’s selection as a Karate SA reserve.
Results are evidence of progress for the team’s mentor.
“If we compare semi-contact at Madibaz from when I was competing, we did not really have the numbers,” she said.
Besides a ballooning membership, the quality of athletes brought on board and produced by the university has also been noticeably better.
This is testimony to the effectiveness of their recruitment, development and structured training programmes, according to coach Weideman.
“It allows us to give karate the credibility it deserves while also making way for more successes.”
Their focus now turns to preparing for the 2027 season, using the time to identify and work on weaknesses. - Full Stop Communications
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