Four Wits Tang Soo Do athletes kicked their way past a funding shortfall, bringing home medals for a sport that almost left them behind.
- The athletes represented South Africa at the 2025 Tang Soo Do World Championships in Scotland.
- Each athlete won at least two medals, and brought home a total of 11.
- This was the club’s first international competition since the covid-19 pandemic.
Striking gold on Scottish soil, four Wits Tang Soo Do athletes — Madiala Leputu, Treyen Pillay, Thomas Mbombi, and Michael Naidoo — returned to South Africa as medalists and champions of the 2025 World Tang Soo Do Championships.
The victory was particularly meaningful as it came after seven teammates had to pull out because of a lack of funding.
Lethabo Rabothata, the club’s chairperson, highlighted the significance of attending an international tournament for the first time since the covid-19 pandemic.
The scale of the achievement only truly sank in for Mbombi once he was back home. After winning a gold medal in open hand forms and two silvers in weapon forms and point sparring, the reality of the moment hit him.
“Hey, you went overseas. That was a world championship stage kind of a situation. Not just another tournament,” he reflected.
Pillay battled both his opponents and a bout of the flu that struck on the flight to Scotland. Despite considering withdrawal, he fought on.
“My family spent a lot of money to get me here, and I trained really hard for more than a year, twice a day, to get to this point,” he said.
His perseverance paid off; he earned a gold in weapon forms and two silvers in open hand forms and point sparring.
The championships was a source of inspiration for Leputu, “We came back with some experience of how to, you know, up our training. It was all worth it,” he said, securing gold in open hand forms.
Naidoo‘s gold medal was not just a personal achievement but a “rare honour” to represent his country on a global stage.
Ultimately, the team’s Wits Tang Soo Do instructor, Master Gregory Hart, praised the team, “I am very impressed with those young men.”
FEATURED IMAGE: The Wits Tang Soo Do athletes posing with their medallions at the World Championships in Scotland. Photo: Supplied/Lethabo Rabothata
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