Local Judoka is chasing his Olympic dream
This dedicated judoka's big dream, which he has cherished for years, is to represent South Africa at the Olympic Games.
He knows that achieving this will require hard work and great sacrifices, but this does not deter him. It has become the norm for the member of the Tuks Judo club to practice thrice daily for six days.
The hard work is paying off. Meuwsen won a bronze medal in the under-81kg category at the recent African Judo Championships in Abidjan. This has led to him being ranked in the top 100 in his weight division for the first time. He is currently ranked 85th internationally.
Meuwsen describes himself as a sports fanatic.
'Many times at school, when I was sitting in the classroom writing a test, I wished I could be on the sports field instead. Rugby was my first great love. I also played cricket, but I was not that good at it. But everything changed when a friend invited me to a judo practice with him. I can't explain it, but I kept returning to the judo classes. The more I went, the more I loved doing judo. The sport grew on me. Judo has changed my love,' he explained his passion.
The one thing that keeps him going is the people around him. There were times when he had no money to participate in a tournament, but every time, some people took the risk of helping him.
Since joining Tuks' judo club, Meuwsen has also won a bronze medal at the African Junior Championship and last year's African Games. His big highlight was the gold he won at the African Open in Yaounde in 2022.
'It took a lot of effort to raise the money to participate. After everything was paid, I did not have much pocket money left. But I did not lack motivation. That gold medal will always remain special,' he commented.
Meuwsen is under no illusions about where he will fall short if he wants to realise his dream of competing in the Games.
'I lack international experience. I am very grateful for the opportunities I get to compete in Africa. However, the reality is that African judo is very different from Europe and Asia. That is why it is important to compete more internationally. Now, all I can do to gain experience is to compete in the heavier weight divisions, such as under 90 kg and 100kg,' Meuwsen, who was last beaten in his weight division in South Africa four years ago, remarked.
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