A journey towards wrestling distinction is destined for Strand teenager Zander Cronje, who after nurturing the dream of participating in the African Wrestling Championships for the past four years, is finally within reach of his goal.
He will represent the South African team at the championships in Egypt from Thursday 14 to Monday 18 March, which also serves as an Olympic Games African qualifying event.
The 18-year-old has been described as a dedicated athlete who has put in immense effort to reach this point, and this could potentially be his final chance to compete on such a prestigious international stage in the u-20 Men Freestyle and Greco-Roman divisions.
Wrestling since age eight, he has overcome numerous obstacles through hard work and perseverance.
Despite coming close to this achievement in the past, setbacks such as the challenges posed by Covid and a broken wrist last year hindered Zander from being able to join the team.
He was featured before in the newspaper (“Wrestling his way to the top”, DistrictMail, 22 April 2019) ahead of the World Combat Games held in Budapest, Hungary, his first international competition and his most memorable to date.
Since then Zander has continued to participate in championships all over the country. He currently attends HTS Drostdy High School in Worcester, where he has been under the mentorship of wrestling coach Kurt Herzog since Grade 8 and wrestles for the Worcester Badgers.
“When I injured my wrist a year ago I was told I may never wrestle again, but that just motivated me to work on recovery and slowly get back into it,” he said. “It’s such a relief all that hard work has paid off, and now I’m wrestling again at the highest level. I want to keep improving and challenging myself, and see how far I can push myself.
“I’m working towards getting in my best shape for the tournament. I like to travel and see a new countries, so this experience will really be a highlight in my life so far. It’s an opportunity to compare myself with the best in the world”.
His mother Cecilia added that the sport had profound effects on her son’s character and outlook in life. “I’ve seen him work through disappointment and tribulations, but the person he becomes due to it is who we appreciate,” she said. “He works hard and is not an arrogant person, but rather appreciative and respectful towards opponents.”
- Zander is responsible for covering his expenses, totalling approximately R36 000. In light of this, the family has reached out for any form of sponsorship or contributions to assist with the financial burden.
- If anyone willing to support or contribute, please contact Cecilia at 084 513 9851.
