LANGEBAAN:- Leander Pholman (15 years) from Langebaan recently made his mark on the Athletics South Africa finals of the Secondary Schools Championships in Germiston.
The pupil of the Riebeek Valley Special School, won the races in which he participated very comfortably. The teenager made himself known on his first day of participation, in the 400m race. He was still in fourth place around the last turn, when he started picking up speed.
Three athletes from Gauteng were very well on their way to the goal line when Leander started picking up speed. Even the commentator expressed his surprise and said after the end of the race: “This Western Province athlete made his win look so easy “Leander only ran the 400m race on Tuesday and won it with a personal best time of 50.50s. It was an improvement of three minutes, on his time he scored at the Daljosafat Stadium in Paarl with the heats .
ATHLETIC OR RUGBY
However, the talented athlete kept his best for last held for the 800m race, which he ran three days later. Besides Gold for his first place, he won that race by almost 5 m ahead of his nearest opponent, by 1.58 seconds. It was also a personal best for him, after completing his last race in Paarl. After his last race in Germiston, his coach, Clive Cupido, told WCSS: “Leander is not even close to his best yet.”
WCSS spoke to the athlete in Langebaan, to hear more about his remarkable achievements on the athletics track. The teenager from the west coast became a household name overnight. I wanted to know from him if he was just going to practice athletics, and if there were other sports he wanted to participate in.
“Rugby,” he immediately replied, adding; “I would, however, prefer to take part in athletics, if I had to choose,” he said without a doubt.
STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS
“What is your message to other children who also participate in sports, if you can give them advice?” Leander said without thinking, “If they want to succeed in life, they need to stay away from drugs or alcohol,” he said.
“I have already started training again, by jogging 5 to 10 km on my own in the mornings and afternoons. It’s to stay fit” Leander said without asking him.
Leander Pholman was crowned South African schools champion at the age of 15, this is definitely just the beginning of his titals. This is only his start, winning many medals and trophies on the athletics tracks or roads. With the form he is currently in, it will come as no surprise, if he is going to win his second championship title with his Cross Country participation.
ATHLETIC SOUTH AFRICAN CHAMP 2022
Leander’s winning trophies he won at the Boland / Western Province athletics finals in Paarl, and the Athletics South Africa finals of the Secondary Schools Championships in Germiston, among others.
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