Cape Town - Athlone karate champ Zahra Boltman is jetting off to Tunisia to represent South Africa among top athletes from across the continent at the 2024 UFAK Cadet, Junior and U21 Championships.
Boltman, 19, is set to compete from September 5-8 in the U21 female Kumite division in the 55kg category.
The excited Boltman is no stranger to kicking butt, and said she was feeling ecstatic and overwhelmed for the competition ahead.
“I competed in Turkey for Worlds (championships) two years ago but I haven’t medalled. However, I have gained a lot of experience and I am sure going to use the techniques that I have been working on to the best of my ability,” said Boltman.
“My game plan is to fight the person in front of me and not their country and to just take it one round and a time.
“What I enjoy most about the sport is the fact that when I am fighting, I have the feeling that nothing else matters but the here and now. The past is the past and tomorrow is unknown.”
This prestigious 2024 championships will gather the best young karate athletes from across the African continent, highlighting the growing popularity of the sport among youngsters in Africa.
Boltman started karate when she was 10 years old and said she grew up with the sport as her older siblings also did karate.
The 19-year-old bagged her Protea Colours in 2019 at a karate tournament in Namibia, and is a member of Karate South Africa.
Cape Argus