Secunda Armwrestling proudly made its mark at the SAAF National Armwrestling Championships, which took place from 8 to 10 August 2026 at Aloe Hill Function and Wedding Venue in Nelspruit.

The Secunda team competed against some of the country’s finest arm-wrestlers and returned home with an impressive collection of medals. The athletes’ hard work, preparation and determination clearly paid off, resulting in a series of outstanding performances.

One of the weekend’s standout performers was Zander van der Merwe, who claimed two gold medals in the Youth Men aged 18–23, under-80 kg category. He finished first with both his left and right hands. In the Senior Men’s under-80 kg division, he also secured a silver medal with his left hand and a bronze medal with his right.

Ludwig Schnettler delivered a strong performance in the Senior Men’s under-100 kg division, winning silver with his right hand and bronze with his left.

Jaques Ellis produced an exceptional display, winning gold with both hands in the Masters division. He also added two bronze medals to his collection in the Senior Men’s 110 kg-plus category.

Clarissa Oosthuizen enjoyed an excellent championship as well. She won gold with both hands in the Youth Ladies aged 18–23, under-90 kg division. In the Senior Ladies’ under-90 kg category, she claimed bronze with her left hand and silver with her right.

The team’s other impressive results included:

• Tyrone Johnstone – second place in the Senior Men’s under-65 kg division with both his left and right hands.
• Elttiene Koen – third place in the Youth Men’s under-75 kg division with both hands.
• Francois van Schalkwyk – fourth place with both hands in the Youth Men’s under-70 kg division.
• Ryno ‘Witblits’ Oosthuizen – fourth place with his right hand in the Senior Men’s under-90 kg division.

For Secunda Armwrestling, however, the weekend was about far more than medals. It was a celebration of the athletes’ hard work, the support within the team and their shared passion for the sport.

The club expressed its sincere gratitude to SAAF, Yorinda Nel, the referees, officials, organisers and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make the National Championships a success.

Special thanks also went to Jackie Kruger of Priceless Moments Photography for capturing the team’s achievements and special moments so beautifully.

Secunda Armwrestling can rightly be proud of its athletes. They did more than win medals – they represented Secunda with pride on a national stage.

Congratulations to every athlete who contributed to this remarkable achievement!