Shuriken Newcastle returned from the National Kickboxing Championships in Oudtshoorn, Western Cape, with eight medals, a powerful showing that helped KwaZulu-Natal secure third place overall on the national leaderboard.
Eight athletes from the Newcastle-based club formed part of the KZN provincial team at the championships, which took place from 26 April to 28 April 2026.
Competing against approximately 1,400 fighters from across South Africa, the Shuriken Newcastle athletes stepped onto one of the country’s biggest kickboxing stages and delivered results that again placed local talent firmly in the national spotlight.
The tournament, sanctioned by the South African Kickboxing Association in association with the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations, brought together fighters across various disciplines, including point fighting, light contact, kick light, low kick, high kick and full-contact K1.
For the Newcastle contingent, the competition was not simply about taking part. It was about proving that fighters from Northern KwaZulu-Natal could hold their own against the best in the country.
According to Shuriken Newcastle’s Hendrik Booyse, 18 fighters from KwaZulu-Natal earned selection for the provincial team this year, with eight of those athletes coming from Shuriken Newcastle.
The 2026 championships also marked the club’s fourth appearance at the national event, further strengthening its reputation as one of the region’s standout martial arts clubs.
Adding to the achievement, this was the second consecutive year that Booyse’s students ranked among the top fighters in South Africa.
The club’s medal winners were:
- Jandre van den Berg claimed gold in the Light Contact Children Male division.
- Kaylee van den Berg earned silver in the Light Contact Young Cadets Female division.
- Sian Smit secured bronze in the Light Contact Young Cadets Male division.
- Christaan Pretorius took silver in the Light Contact Young Cadets Male division, an impressive result considering he only started training at the club three months ago.
- Rolinda Uys delivered a strong performance in the Older Cadets Female -65kg division, winning double silver in Light Contact and Kick Light.
- Zonica Booyse produced one of the club’s standout performances, winning double gold in the Older Cadets Female -60kg division in both Light Contact and Kick Light. Her latest success also continues a four-year run of competing at the South African Nationals.
While the medals reflected the fighters’ technical ability and discipline, the journey to Oudtshoorn added another demanding layer to the competition.
Veronica Booyse explained that most of the athletes were unable to fly to the event and had to travel by road instead.
“As most of the participants could not fly to the event in Oudtshoorn, they had to drive over 1236 kilometres to get there, meaning they had to leave the day before the weigh-in, and still compete.”
Despite the long trip, weigh-in demands and the pressure of national-level competition, the Shuriken Newcastle fighters produced performances that brought pride to both their club and province.
The results also point to the steady growth of kickboxing in Newcastle, where committed coaching and disciplined training are producing athletes capable of competing beyond local and provincial level.
For Shuriken Newcastle, the Oudtshoorn championships have now become another important milestone in the club’s development.
With eight national medals, two double-medal performances and a growing record of provincial representation, the club continues to show that Newcastle fighters are becoming a force within South African kickboxing.
As the athletes return home with their medals, attention will now shift to building on this momentum and preparing for future competitions, including opportunities linked to international qualification.
For now, however, Shuriken Newcastle can celebrate a national campaign defined by distance, discipline and podium finishes.
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