Financial constraints have sidelined over half of the Wits Tang Soo Do team selected for the 2025 World Championships in Scotland.
- More than half the team was forced to withdraw from competing in Scotland.
- Eleven athletes were originally selected, but seven had to withdraw due to funding shortfalls.
- Despite fundraising efforts, the team could not raise enough to send all athletes.
Only four of the eleven Wits Tang Soo Do athletes originally selected to represent Wits University at the World Tang Soo Do Championships in Scotland this August will be making the trip, after a significant funding shortfall forced seven team members to withdraw.
The club, one of the longest-running at Wits University with over 30 years of history, celebrated the announcement earlier this year that 11 of its members would carry both the Wits and South African flags at the prestigious global event.
However, with Wits Sport only able to cover up to R10,000 per athlete — and the actual cost per person sitting closer to R50,000 — the dream quickly became a logistical and emotional challenge.
Madiala Leputu, an athlete among those still competing said, “to see the team cut down was disappointing, especially knowing that it was not due to a lack of talent or team spirit, but purely because of funding.”
Despite various fundraising efforts, the team was forced to make tough decisions.
“We put in so much effort and did everything we could to raise funds, but despite our best efforts, it still was not enough,” said Lethabo Rabothata, the club’s Chairperson, who was among those selected but is unable to attend due to financial constraints.
“We prioritised those with higher belts because they have trained longer, have more experience and are better prepared to represent the team effectively,” Rabothata said.
The four athletes who will compete in Scotland have continued to train with focus and determination, carrying the weight of their own dreams as well as those of their teammates.
“Hopefully, next time we all get to go. None of them are not able to go due to unwillingness but circumstance,” said Thomas Mbombi, one of the four athletes.
Their journey highlights both the talent that exists within underfunded university sports and the ongoing struggle to access opportunity.
Treyen Pillay, one of the selected athletes said, “there is need for more structured support, funding, sponsorship opportunities, and institutional backing.”
While the four athletes will represent Wits and South Africa on the global stage, the absence of the other seven is a sobering reminder of the barriers local talent still faces. Their story is a reminder of what is possible, and of what is still at risk if sport continues to be treated as an extracurricular luxury rather than a national asset.
FEATURED IMAGE: The Wits Tang Soo Do athletes representing South Africa at the World Championships in Scotland. Photo: Supplied/Lethabo Rabothata
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