TAEKWONDO EARNS ESWATINI 1ST GOLD MEDAL

MBABANE – Dreams delayed are not dreams denied.

This adage remains true for one of Eswatini’s Taekwondo male athletes Gcinumuzi Nxumalo who has become the first liSwati athlete to win gold at this year’s African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region V Unde-20 Youth Games currently taking place in Lilongwe, Malawi. The same Gcinumuzi had won bronze last year in Lesotho in the same tournament and was not afraid to say that this year he was going to improve from last year’s showing. Gcinumuzi won the gold after defeating athletes from Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, respectively, on Wednesday afternoon at Bingu International Conference Centre BICC (Main Foyer). In the semi-finals, Gcinumuzi beat an opponent from Zimbabwe by 26 to eight points to reach the finals.

In the finals of the male Under-48kg category, he was so lethal that he did not give his opponent from Zimbabwe any chance. He managed to win by 30 to eight points to claim the first gold medal for Team Eswatini. The gold medallist mentioned after the fight that getting a bronze last year in Lesotho did not discourage him from aiming for a gold medal this year.  “I’m excited for getting the gold medal for Eswatini and I would like to thank everyone for supporting me in the unfamiliar sport,” he said. The champion further advised the Eswatini youth about the importance of playing sports. “I want to tell the youth back home that playing sports is a good thing .We are able to stay away from bad habits like drugs through sports; you are able to get sponsors and travel the world,” the ‘golden boy’ said.

Proud

Athletics Eswatini Public Relations Officer Victor ‘Mavikane’ Dlamini said they were proud of Gcinumuzi’s performance. “Gcinumuzi has made the country proud and has a very bright future in the sport,” he said. Last year in Maseru, Lesotho, Eswatini Taekwondo team made history by winning gold medals for the first time in the history of the Region V Youth Games. Hlelo Vilakati, Sifiso Dlamini, Kimberly Dlamini and Gcinumuzi Nxumalo became Eswatini’s first gold medalists in the history of the games. Eswatini will be aiming to improve on this year’s performance because last year the country was the lowest performing country after ranking ninth. The kingdom’s athletes accumulated a total of 10 medals, including four gold, two silver and four bronze.

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