The young fighters at Vibrant Sports Boxing Club in Ottery had their dukes up as soon as government gave the green light for training to resume.
Like gyms countrywide, Vibrant has been closed since President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national lockdown in March.
“After months of being under lockdown, the opportunity to step back in the ring could not have come a minute too soon,” says head coach Josh Cloete.
Cloete, who holds a Master’s degree in sports science, is a strong advocate for education and developing sporting talents.
For now, he’s happy doing what he loves best: getting the best out of his fighters. Of course, it’s not business as usual, said Cloete, as they have to comply with strict regulations pertaining to the reopening of gyms and training facilities.
Keeping it clean takes on a whole new meaning in a post lockdown world, he said. Cloete, the deputy president of the South African Kickboxing Association, said that, as required, he had compiled and submitted an operational plan to the sports ministry, outlining how kickboxing would operate under the lockdown regulation.
