Cape Town - Lavender Hill’s self-taught black-pool player Shaiyene Fritz made South Africa proud when she won an under-23 women’s title at the 2022 World Blackball Championships in Morocco.
Fritz, 21, was part of the South African team that dominated the tables, winning 11 gold medals along with 13 silvers and eight bronze in several categories.
She returned home on Monday and said it was one of her best life achievements. She attributed it to teamwork and positive mentality.
“I don’t have a coach, I am self-taught, but there are people who definitely helped me improve my game, such as Antonio Paulsen, Glenville Jacobs, Lenyuktha Chetty and Alexia Julius.
“My experience was amazing, with a little bit of hiccups here and there.
"My best highlight would be when my team was crowned the 2022 world blackball champions. It was an awesome moment, I will never forget how proud I felt of myself and my team," Fritz said.
Winning has always been her goal as she invested a lot of time practising and raising funds for the trip. She said each win means she’s a step ahead from changing the narrative of a poor child from the Cape Flats.
“There were plenty of sacrifices. I had to raise R40 000 to be able to play at this tournament. I sold boerewors rolls, hosted games evenings and raffles, sleepless nights into making sure I can achieve my dream.
“There are many opportunities in pool. It is definitely an expensive sport, but if you love the game then the sky is the limit," said the Stellenbosch University second-year social work student.
Another gold winner, Julius described Fritz as a passionate young player with potential for growth and success. She said her ability to remain calm under pressure is her winning mechanism.
“I am so proud of her and she knows there's plenty of room to grow. The fun part of the sport is the family spirit, we look after one another and that’s what got us this far. Well done to the team,” said Julius.
Paulsen added that Fritz is a very motivated player with a big heart and a people’s person, making it easy to work with her.
Fritz wants to plough back to her disadvantaged community, and although she's still studying towards her qualification, she’s already to making a difference, tutoring children and introducing youths to pool in her spare time.