The South African Youth Kung Fu team kicked butt over the weekend and were crowned champions at the second Africa International Youth Kungfu Championship.
The local youngsters, who was coached by Kung Fu World champion Muhammad Junaid Chafeker a.k.a MJ Li, and captained by Sinawo Akona Yola from Gugulethu, beat a combined Southern Africa Youth Kungfu Team in the grand finale on Sunday.
The SA team bagged a total of 14 gold medals, 8 silver and 3 bronze medals at Fairbairn College in Goodwood
MJ Li says the team of 38 athletes have been training for about seven months.
The Kung Fu master says: “We are very happy for the win, it is a result of months of hard work.
“My athletes and the team captains put in a lot of hard work so I am ecstatic that my team won and happy that the countries sent their teams to compete.
“We kept an open mind and set ourselves the target.
“My eight senior athletes have been my students for about eight years. They have travelled to China and Hong Kong and competed internationally so they have experience which I think helped them.
“We never underestimated the other African teams. My junior athletes got some stiff opposition from Botswana, but I am proud of what they achieved as well.”
Kung Fu athletes from seven African countries, namely South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique competed in Kung Fu Forms, Group Forms and Chinese Kickboxing Contact over the two days.
MJ Li says: “This is about Africa telling its own story and I believe Africa will become a force to be reckoned with in the world of Kung Fu.”
“To see African athletes compete is a dream come true. I will not be the only world champion that South Africa will have produced, there are more coming.”
MJ Li also participated in several exhibition matches and defeated Malawi, Zambia and Botswana in The Masters Tai Chi Division, clinching a gold medal.
And he says the date has already been set for the third Africa International Youth Kung Fu Championship, taking place in The Mother City and on 1-2 February 2025.
The 2025 championship will include all the SADC region countries, as well as Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
dean.marsha@inl.co.za