Fighting his way to glory

WHEN Devendran Govender was 7 he watched a karate demonstration at school which so impressed him that he got his mom to enrol him for karate lessons.

Now 15, the Grade 10 pupil at Mount View Secondary in Verulam is on the cusp of earning his Protea colours and this achievement makes him the POST/ SuperSport Let’s Play Sports Star for April.

He wins for himself a SuperSport hamper and will go through as a monthly finalist to the Sports Star of the Year competition which takes place at the end of this year.

Reminiscing on his first encounter with the sport Devendran said the fancy moves demonstrated by the instructor had him spellbound.

“I pestered my mother to let me join. It took me about four months to get from a white belt to a red stripe (next step up from white belt) and over the next seven years I progressed steadily and earned my black belt in June last year.

Devendran, who trains under the banner of Skisa (Shotokan Karate International South Africa) said he had always had a podium finish at competitions.

“In 2012 I was on a roll when after winning competitions at local level I went on to win bronze in the nationals for kumite (fighting). That was the first time I earned my KZN colours,” said Devendran.

His perseverance and dedication recently earned him a national call-up and he will be jetting off to Croatia next month where he will take part in an international competition. This will be his second trip overseas.

“In 2012 I was chosen to go to Australia to take part at the Skif World Cup. I was placed 3rd then. I am currently ranked second in South Africa in my age category.” Devendran said his long term ambition is to represent South Africa at the Olympic Games.

@ Do you have what it takes to become the POST/ SuperSport Let’s Play Sports Star of the Month? We are looking for talented schoolchildren aged 7 to 18 who excel in sports for their school, province or nationally. E-mail your nomination to: info@medialink.co.za or fax 086 586 9277.