Meet the karate champs who are proving that sticking together pays off when you’re sisters.
Silvertown siblings Ammarah, 17, and Zahra Boltman, 14, are competing in the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Zone 6 Championship in Namibia later this month.
The sisters say they are ready to take on the competition at the event from 24-25 May.
Ammarah has already won Sportswoman of the Year for 2019 while also juggling prefect duties as a Grade 12 pupil at Rylands Secondary School.
The soft-spoken teen says she wishes to study Law or Forensics after she matriculates.
Ammarah and Zahra both started with Goju training in 2015 and earned their WP colours in 2017.
Ammarah is ranked fifth in the junior division nationally and qualified for the nationals in 2018.
LAW: Ammarah Boltman, 17, is ranked fifth in the SA junior division
Zahra, who is in Grade 8 at San Souci Girls, last year won triple gold and silver at the Cheetah Challenge in Bloemfontein.
She brought home gold from the Arnold Classics and double gold from the Karate Zen Nationals last month. She palmed gold at the Commonwealth Games last year, and silver at the League Challenge.
“In 2018, I excelled rapidly and placed first in most of my tournaments,” she says.
The lounge in the Boltman home is draped in gold, silver and bronze medals. Their mom is saxophonist Nuraan Boltman.
HAUL: Sisters won various medals
“We are very proud of their achievements. Even though it is Ramadaan, they train weekends from 8am,” Nuraan says.
“They work very hard putting in lots of training and also school work, which is very important.”
Ammarah says they just want to make everyone proud: “We are grateful to everyone who contri-
buted to our success. We will try our very best to make South Africa proud and, should we get a medal, we will dedicate it to everyone who believed in us.”