15 May 2024

Kagiso Leburu’s hard work and dedication to skateboarding has paid off as he will be among professional skateboarders at the Olympic qualifiers in Shanghai, China on Saturday. 

Leburu scored himself an invite and sponsorship from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to meet and network with professional skateboarders who will be competing for the Olympic qualifiers. 

“I submitted a video on the Olympic Stage website where I was voted to compete for the qualifiers. 

However, I managed to get 90 votes and I got invited to attend the qualifiers where I will get an opportunity to engage with professionals, gain skills and insights to further enhance my game,” said Leburu in an interview.

The 23-year-old, who has been a skateboarder since the age of 12, said the committee invited him after watching his video that he submitted online. 

He said the opportunity to meet professionals would help prepare him for the upcoming Grand Skate tour to be held in Moscow, Russia. 

With not much skateboard activities locally, Leburu said he competed abroad frequently as he was determined to improve his skills and be the best in the game. 

“I recently competed at the Physical and Digital Games, which were held in Russia in February and got position 11 out of a 16 group of countries,” he said.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are scheduled for July and Leburu said he was hoping to score an invite to attend the skateboarding discipline to experience the thrill and adrenaline of the games on a global stage with professionals from different backgrounds and skills. ENDS