Biathle group off to shine in Egypt
A group of 15 Buffalo City biathle athletes will represent South Africa in the upcoming UIPM Triathle/Biathle World Championships in Hurghad, Egypt from October 25 to 28.
The group comprises 12 junior athletes and three masters athletes.
For 12-year-old Selborne Primary School pupil Daniel Breetzke this will be the second time he is competing in the World Championships, having won gold in the biathle in 2016.
“I’m very excited, I’ve trained a lot from the beginning of the year. I’m also looking forward to seeing Egypt,” said Breetzke.
His father, Derek, said they were hopeful that Daniel would do the very best he could.
Masters biathlete Rodney Westgate said he was feeling very confident and hoped for a podium position.
Westgate previously won gold at the World Championships in Guatemala in 2014.
Coach Sammy Saunders said he was extremely proud. Three members from the Real View Foundation participated at the Golden Games in Bhisho recently and came back with a number of medals.
Nomasomi Rete, 68, Nonceba Goduka, 62, and Tshidi Molebate, 73, were part of the group that represented Mdantsane under the Sisonke team banner.
Rete came back with a gold medal after playing the ring-thestick, and Goduka and Molebate came back with silver medals after participating in their respective sport codes, pass-the-ball and rugby-ball-throw.
“We practised four times a week with the women, and then they also practised with the other Mdantsane participants who were part of the Sisonke team at the Orlando Stadium in NU 2,” said Real View founder Bulelani Fowl.
Fowl said they did not have any challenges while preparing for the games.” In August, we had a pageant for the elderly women, Miss Real View Foundation 2018, in celebration of Women’s Day.The idea was to create a positive and active attitude towards ageing. We also do music, and they write and compose their own Xhosa traditional songs.
“We also do the normal sport codes with the elderlies, such as soccer and netball, and excercise. We want to promote a good healthy lifetsyle and at the same time want them to have fun”, he said.
The GO reported (“Working for the needy” August 16) that Real View was a Mdantsane-based non-profit organisation that focuses on vulnerable children, while also catering for the senior citizens.
“Six years ago, I resigned from work to make a difference in the community.
“I didn’t even talk to my family regarding my resignation at that time. Every month, I would spend half of my salary on the donations and I would give the things I bought to the needy,” said Fowl.