Jeremiah Chetty was recently selected to represent South Africa in the 23rd junior under-21 FIPS-M World Shore Angling Championships in Wexford, Ireland. The competition will be held from November 2 to 9.
Chetty, 21, of Phoenix, is currently unemployed. He is part of a five man team and they hope to bring home gold.
“The competition has been run for many years and it has multiple divisions. It takes place in different countries every year. This year France, Italy, Ireland and Spain are among the competing nations.
"In my team, there are four other members: Liam Gounden, Joshua Grundling, Damien Deacon and Upasana Juggernath. Our manager is Avash Juggernath and our coach is Danae Deacon Crous."
He said he felt proud and honoured to represent the country.
"I will be flying the South African flag with respect when we win,” said Chetty, who added that they would be competing for a ranking.
He has his Protea colours, is a Protea Surf Caster Junior Angler, and part of the Port Natal Angling Club, which is affiliated with the Zululand Association.
Chetty said his late grandfather, Pastor Marie Chetty, enjoyed fishing.
“I started fishing at age 12. When he passed away, he left his fishing gear to me. I continued to fish with my uncle and from there, my passion grew in the sport. When my parents went through a divorce, fishing helped distract my mind and get through it.
“I then entered surfcasting competitions at 17. I competed in Sunday leagues where I was ranked 10th and competed in the nationals and was ranked third. Now I was chosen to represent the country based on my abilities and techniques.”
Chetty will participate in a few competitions before his international debut.
“I will participate in our normal leagues, that is our KwaZulu-Natal and Zululand surf casting leagues. These normally take place on certain Sundays throughout the year. This month, we will be fishing in our first KZN league for the year."
Check out his social media handle on Instagram: @youngmaster_jerry21