One of the finest judoka from Bloemfontein, Mosa Thetsane (23), continues to earn his stripes after, once again, being included in the South African senior men’s team – to compete at the 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana. The continental event will be held from Friday, 8 March, to 23 March.
Thetsane is one of the 226 athletes competing in 18 different sporting codes. In eight of these sporting codes (athletics, badminton, cycling, swimming, table tennis, tennis, triathlon, and wrestling) this is the qualifier event for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, scheduled to be staged from Friday, 26 July, to 11 August.
Thetsane’s selection was based on his merited performance and consistency, granting him another chance to add to his medal haul. He has represented the country at numerous international competitions in Africa and abroad since making his international debut in 2016. Last year he participated in judo championships staged in Casablanca, Morocco, and Yaounde, Cameroon.
He is the only Free State judoka in the national team.
This will be the first time he competes at the African Games, and he is feeling inspired enough to continue his winning streak in Ghana.
“I’m truly humbled and honoured to be representing my county at international level. My target is to finish on the podium at the African Games,” said Thetsane.
On his international debut at the 2016 Commonwealth Judo Championships in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), the athlete scooped a gold medal in the category for judokas weighing less than 50 kg. His sterling performance saw him selected for national and international training camps to fortify his skills. Thetsane attended camps in Luanda, Angola (2016); Nassau, the Bahamas (2017); Gaborone, Botswana (2018); and Tokyo, Japan (2019).
He has made South Africa proud in competitions, finishing among the top ten, and also on the podium – winning gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Thetsane’s meteoric rise is notable in both the junior and senior category.
