The Central University of Technology Cheerleading Team have secured a gold medal at the South African Majorettes and Cheerleading Association (SAMCA) National Competitions held in Polokwane, Limpopo on 8 October 2022. The team, which were also representing the Free State Majorette & Cheerleading Association (FSMCA), competed against three other teams, and secured first place.

In July 2022, the team attended the first competition hosted at Hoërskool Fichardtpark and qualified for the provincial tournament. On 3 September 2022, the CUT Cheerleading Team then won a provincial trophy at the Hoërskool Fichardtpark, leading them to the nationals.

“When I arrived at CUT, I realised that there wasn’t a cheerleading team and that’s where I saw an opportunity to start a team using my experience, passion and love for cheerleading,” said Coach Vani Chaka who’s a first-year student in the Faculty of Humanities.

“So, I went to the CUT Sports Office and asked for an opportunity to start a Cheerleading Team. When we started, the team only had 4 athletes, and at times I thought it was never going to be a success. However, deep down I felt that it would be useless for me to study for four full years at the university and not bring any positive change,” he stated.

With the team now having 17 athletes, Chaka believes that if it wasn’t for their commitment and dedication, the team wouldn’t have bought the gold medal home.

“From here, the aim is for the team to achieve more and to promote individual achievements amongst the athletes as I am planning to get them to trials and for them to get provincial & national colours,” added Chaka.

The win is impressive, especially as most of the team is inexperienced. “As much as most of us were inexperienced, we expected to do well, not necessarily a win. However, because of our dedication and all the hard work we put in, we knew we have something special to offer as a team,” said Nomfundo Ngwetsheni, Chairperson of the CUT Cheerleading Team.

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CUT Cheerleading Team, which was also representing the Free State Majorette & Cheerleading Association (FSMCA), secured a gold medal at the National Cheerleading Competitions.