PRESS RELEASE – MONDAY 4 JULY 2011 BOLAND ATHLETES READY TO TAKE ON THE WORLD
No less than 7 youth athletes from Boland Schools, and products of the Boland Athletics Talent ID Programme, will be representing South Africa as part of the South African Youth Team of 35 athletes to the 2011 IAAF World Youth Championships in Lille, France from 6 – 12 July 2011. They are Lorenzo Adams (Swartland HS) - 400m, Jan-Louw Kotze (Paarl Gym) – Discus Throw, Willem van Schalkwyk (Bredasdorp HS) – High Jump, Maryke Brits (Bloemhof HS) – Long Jump & 100mH, Marina Swanepoel (Paarl Gymnasium) – 400mH, Tiaan Mouton (Paarl BHS) – 400mH, Tiaan Smit (Paarl BHS) 110mH.
For the 7 youth athletes, the 2011 IAAF World Youth Championships forms part of their preparation for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Meanwhile several of Boland Athletics’ past IAAF World Youth and Junior Championships medallists, and now senior athletes, and also products of the Boland Athletics Talent ID Programme are on target with their preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games. Several of these athletes, now members of Maties AC, are currently competing internationally in preparation for the 2011 IAAF Senior World Championships which will take place in Daegu, Korea from 27 August-4 September 2011.
On Saturday 2 July 2011, Luvo Maniyonga from the Mbekweni Township in Paarl became the 1st South African Long Jumper in 2011 to qualify for the 2011 IAAF Senior World Championships when he jumped 8.26m at a meeting in Jamsa, Finland.
Luvo, whom had to face several personal challenges earlier this year, showed true character on Saturday 2 July 2011 by winning the international event, and demonstrated that his preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games is well on track.
Robert Oosthuizen from Malmesbury, a rural town in the Swartland District, is currently also in Europe to prepare for the 2011 IAAF Senior World Championships. Robert already qualified twice during 2011 in javelin throw, for the 2011 IAAF Senior World Championships. Robert was for almost a year out of competition due to an elbow operation, but his preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games is also back on track now.
Cornel Fredericks, originally from Caledon, a rural town in the Overberg District have also qualified for the 2011 IAAF Senior World Championships and is also competing in Europe as part of his preparation for the 2011 IAAF Senior World Championships. His preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games is also well on track.
Finally, Victor Hogan from Hermanus, a rural town in the Overberg District represented South Africa at the 2011 Southern Region Senior Track and Field Championships on 2 July 2011, and won the discus throw with a world class distance of 61.31m. His preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games is also well on track.
Dr Harold Adams, President of Boland Athletics, said that the athletes from the Boland, is an inspiration for the thousands of young talent athletes in the Boland and Western Cape whom often have to overcome huge social and financial challenges, before they can be considered for selection for South African teams. The contribution from the National Lotteries Board over the past few years made a huge difference in levelling the playing field for all these athletes.