South Africa's Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa, has extended his heartfelt congratulations to mixed martial arts prodigy Dricus du Plessis on his momentous triumph in capturing the United Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight title.
An elated du Plessis emerged triumphant from a hard-fought title bout against Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in Ontario, Canada, to etch his name into the annals of history as the first South African to win a UFC championship.
Commenting on du Plessis' landmark achievement, Minister Kodwa praised the athlete for his extraordinary achievement in becoming South Africa's first UFC champion and hailed his success as a testament to the country's sporting prowess on the global stage.
"It’s been special to see South Africans unite in diversity to support their own, as du Plessis makes history," Kodwa said, as quoted by Litha Mpondwana, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Sport.
Mpondwana conveyed Minister Kodwa's call for the continuation of this spirit of unity among South Africans, emphasizing the importance of coming together to support their compatriots as they achieve historic milestones on various global platforms in sports, arts and culture.