Pupils already shining in sport, cultural arena
JEFFREYS Bay Comprehensive High School has recorded many proud achievements in the first two terms of this year.
These included pupils competing in athletics on a district level, with tourism and Afrikaans teacher Kobus Henning putting them through their paces.
Former Springbok athlete and rugby player Henning used to coach the likes of Llewellyn Herbert, Alwyn Myburgh and Ockert Cilliers, and was the training partner of Olympic sprint star Carl Lewis when he lived in Santa Monica.
So to say that these young athletes are in good hands is an understatement.
Henning, who also coaches rugby at the school, has recently been appointed as Jeffreys Bay Rugby Club coach.
One of the school’s talented rugby players under Henning’s wing, Grade 10 pupil Damien Ruiters, from Mandela Bay, has been included in the Craven Week team.
“My big dream is to become a Springbok one day,” said Damien, who says Henning’s motivation and “great coaching” had helped him tremendously.
Another achiever is Grade 11 pupil, Sinethemba Mooi, from Ocean View, who broke the South African record in high kicking at the recent NMA-ISKA Eastern Cape Tournament hosted at the school by sensei Buks Coetzee’s Raptors Mixed Martial Arts.
Mooi, who only started doing kickboxing with Coetzee and sensei Jacques Dennis from Raptors at the school since the beginning of this year, also won a silver medal for points fighting and a bronze medal for power breaking in his weight division. His achievements have seen him qualifying for the South African championships in Stellenbosch later this year.
This Saturday, the school will also host the Earl Hill Open chess tournament.
The school’s team consists of 45 chess players who are coached by Celestine Stuurman, wife of Springbok chess player Petrus Stuurman.