Local wrestler to represent South Africa

East London wrestler Donald Sutherland will be heading to Pretoria in December where he will represent the country in the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships.

FLYING THE FLAG: Local wrestler Donald Sutherland will be representing the country in the upcoming Commonwealth Wrestling Championships
Picture: SUPPLIED

Sutherland qualified for the national championships after excelling in the SA Wrestling Championships in Zwavelpoort earlier this month.

“I won gold in the Masters C category. In SA, we only wrestle Freestyle at Masters level,” he said.
“I participated in the Greco Roman U97kg Senior division but unfortunately ended fifth.

“I then won a silver medal in the Freestyle U97kg division, which made me eligible to compete at the Commonwealth Championships.”

Sutherland has been wrestling from an early age, having gotten started when he was 19.

“I come from a family where my uncle was an SA wrestler so I was always interested in wrestling, but I could never wrestle in school.

“The problem was I played 1st Team rugby and my father fetched me from school in the afternoons. Wrestling was always in the evenings and we stayed far out of town.”

However, he dived in as soon as he graduated high school and has been wrestling ever since.
Sutherland is involved in a lot of other sports which has helped keep him fit for the upcoming championships.

“I am currently a double SA Judo champion in the Under and Over 100kg 50-54 years Masters men division. I also do some Brazilian jiu jitsu.

“I’m always in shape, I’m never out of shape really.”

The Commonwealth Wrestling Championships will be held from December 3 to 5.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

CAPTCHA ImageChange Image