Michaela Whitebooi became the first South African athlete at the current African Games to earn a medal after she battled Chaimae Eddinari in the final of the -48kg judo category on Saturday, 17 August, 2019, in Rabat, Morocco.
The Tuks HPC player had high hopes of securing gold after she previously won the senior -48kg African Championships earlier this year in Cape Town, but this time around she managed to come away with a silver medal around her neck.
Before her final showdown against the tournament favourite Eddinari, Whitebooi took on Botswana’s Lucky Mabaka who she managed to beat in just 21 seconds. Going into the semi-final round the competition heated up as her opponent, Algeria’s Hadjer Mecerrem put up a feisty contest, which saw them enter sudden death. After 1:42, the South African took her opponent down by ippon and progressed to the final stage.
Whitebooi Selected as Team SA’s Flagbearer for Monday’s Opening Ceremony
As the 23-year-old faced an old foe in Eddinari who she had previously beat last year, Whitebooi went into the match confident that she would be able to repeat her feat, however her opponent’s strategy on the day was too much of a mountain to climb.
With a silver medal in the bag and having been selected as Team SA’s flagbearer for Monday’s opening ceremony, Whitebooi had a further reason to be positive about her performance.
Photo 1 Caption: Team SA’s Michaela Whitebooi all smiles at the African Games after earning a silver medal for her efforts in the -48kg judo category against the tournament favourite Chaimae Eddinari on Saturday, 17 August, 2019. Photo: @TeamSA18 on Twitter
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