Judoka returns home from India with bronze medal
Dylan suffered a slight injury in his first match, which affected his next two performances.
After breaking his collarbone in 2017, Dylan Martin managed to bounce back this year by earning himself a bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships in Jaipur, India.
Fifteen-year-old Dylan used to train at the Doryoku Judo Academy, right up until earlier this year, but then moved to the Kano Institute of Judo, currently based in Fontainebleau. Dylan’s decision to move to Kano was an inspired one, mainly with the aim of improving his chances of earning a medal in India.
“I feel that I can only learn so much from one sensei, and I learnt all I could from sensei Danie, and that’s why I moved,” said Dylan, a Grade 9 learner at Maragon Ruimsig. “The work that I’ve done with sensei Oscar really did prepare me well for the championships, I don’t think I would have done so well if I hadn’t moved.”
Dylan’s current sensei, Oscar Knoester, is incredibly proud of what Dylan has been able to achieve since moving to Kano. “He has really come on in leaps and bounds since moving over,” he said. “He is now looking far more competitive against opponents he would have struggled against compared to when he first got here.”
Dylan’s time in India got off to a bittersweet start with a win in his first match which also saw him pick up a slight niggle in his ankle. This hampered his performances in his next two matches, which he unfortunately lost.
Dylan took part in the 61–66kg pre-cadet category, which is for judokas between 13 and 15 years old and managed to earn himself a bronze medal.
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