IKHALA TVET College student Siphosethu Mathiso will represent the Eastern Cape at the College Sports, Arts and Culture Athletics South Africa (CosacSA) championships in Limpopo next weekend.
Mathiso won a silver medal after coming second in shot put at the Cosac provincial championships in February in Port Elizabeth. Over 10 TVET colleges participated in the event.
“The difference between the athlete who beat me in first positions was not vast. My throw was 15.9m while his was 16 m. I also came in third place for discus. ”
He started participating in the sport in grade 9 at John Noah High School.
Last year, in his final year at the school, he participated in the provincial athletics championships and third.
“My greatest desire is to get the Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture to assist me in development. I am passionate about shotput.”
Mathiso said people have the misconception that shot put was a sport for big people.
“ An average person can also excel in the sport. It is just a matter of an athlete applying their minds in mastering the technique along with their physical strength.”
Mathiso added that the key to a good throw was to relax, blocking distractions and to trust in your abilities.