MBABANE-Eswatini international taekwondo star and cancer survivor Thando Dlamini struck bronze two days ago at the Whiston Taekwondo Open in Manchester.
Hosted by Whiston Taekwondo Club, the tournament served as vital preparation ahead of the National Championships on October 4.
Dlamini said he was pleased with his outing despite settling for bronze.
“For me this was just a preparation for the nationals. I had a fantastic day to be fair,” he said.
He has been performing fairly good this year on foreign land. Dlamini bagged a gold medal during the British Army Inter-Services Taekwondo Tournament staged in July. Dlamini had won silver in this same competition last year.
In the United Kingdom (UK) where Dlamini is based, the Inter-Services Championships are elite annual sporting tournaments where athletes and teams from the British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force (RAF) compete for military supremacy.
He also won gold in Eswatini’s biggest competition; the 2026 Next Generation Taekwondo Club Championships held at the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) Sports Emporium on July 4.
Dlamini earlier revealed plans to partake in the 2028 Olympic Games slated for Los Angeles, United States of America (USA).
He began martial arts at the age of nine and previously formed part of the Eswatini national team, competing in the World Championships three times. This was in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Dlamini stood tall, vying for one of the biggest accolades against three military counterparts for the top men’s gong last year.
Dlamini contested and won the Sportsman of the Year award against Rob Vincent from shooting and Marvric Pamphile from athletics.
The black belt artist only returned to martial arts last year after surviving cancer and has since won notable events, including the Liverpool Open and the Wales Open after joining the army seven years back.
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