JEFFREYS BAY – Jeffreys Bay Angling Club (JBAC) achieved a historic milestone when five of their anglers represented South Africa against Namibia in the 2025 South African Shore Angling Association Gala Tournament from 1 to 4 December in Jeffreys Bay.
The tournament, hosted by the South African Shore Angling Association (SASAA), saw JBAC anglers excel across multiple divisions, with two members claiming champion titles.
De Wet Stroebel dominated the u/16 division, taking first position and earning his first Protea cap.
In the Senior division, Duvan van Breda secured the Senior Champion title with a first-place finish.
Frans-Johan Engelbrecht represented the club in the u/21 category, finishing 13th and also earning his first Protea cap.
The Masters Division saw Greg Sutherland achieve third place, while Gerhard Guse finished 13th.
Corrie Groenewald served as team manager.
Callie Viljoen, secretary of JBAC, said that, from his knowledge, this is the first time any angling club in South Africa has been represented in the u/16, u/21, Senior and Masters divisions in an international tournament.
“The tournament was conducted in excellent spirit, with abundant fish catches over the three days,” said Viljoen.
He further said that the Namibian team added several new species to their bucket lists, and strong friendships were forged between the competing nations.
“Great friendships were made, and Namibia has already extended an invitation to us to fish the 2026 Gala in Henties Bay,” said Viljoen.
Both Guse and van Breda, who hold multiple Protea caps, previously participated in the 2024 Gala tournament hosted by Namibia.
Meanwhile, two new Protea caps have been awarded to Stroebel and Engelbrecht.
“We are super proud of the boys and their achievements,” said Viljoen.
To further add to the excitement, six JBAC members also officiated as weight marshals during the tournament, which included Conrad Van Vuuren, Kevin Vermeulen, Rossouw de Lange, Johan Kruger, Wallie Stroebel and Viljoen.
