Matthew Pretorius, a talented grade 10 pupil at Stirling High School, recently had the honour of representing SA at the 2023 BRICS Games, a prestigious international sporting event in eThekwini Metro from October 18-21.
The competition saw athletes from BRICS member countries competing in various sporting codes, including swimming, badminton, table tennis, tennis, and beach volleyball.
SA hosted an expanded BRICS Games championship programme, showcasing the power of sport to unite and deepen connections between nations. The event aimed to exemplify the human will to overcome challenges and bring people, communities, and nations together.
This was the fifth edition of the competition and Pretorius competed at U20 level.
Matthew, when asked what it meant to him to represent SA, said: “It was a great honour for me to represent my country. The opportunity to compete at the international level provided me with the chance to further develop and confirms that I am on the right track to achieving my goals.
“It shows that my hard work, commitment, and investment in swimming are being rewarded.
“Competing against big swimming countries like China and Russia is an unbelievable experience, and I am proud to wear the green and gold.”
Pretorius participated in the 50m fly, 50m free, and 100m fly. His results were impressive, with times of 25.77 seconds for the 50m fly, 24.37 seconds for the 50m free, and 53.61 seconds for the 100m free.
He also contributed to the success of the SA team in the freestyle 4x50m relay, which secured them a gold medal.
Pretorius was selected based on his outstanding performance at the SA Junior National competition in Durban.
SA finished second in the medals table.
Pretorius’s biggest goal is to represent SA at the Olympics and not only qualify but also win a gold medal.
His parents expressed their pride and excitement for his accomplishments and noted that they had noticed his swimming talent back in primary school.