Tragic loss of youth sailor Khanya Mafuta

Khanya, 18, was a member of the South African squad that competed at the Youth Sailing World Championships in The Hague, The Netherlands, this year, representing his country in the 29er Class.

Koray Ezer, Head of International Development at World Sailing, said, “We are all shocked at the death of Khanya Mafuta and express our sincere condolences to Khanya’s family, friends and teammates. He was a wonderful person who was hard working, dedicated and had a great future ahead of him in the sport. To have such a fun loving and talented young man taken away in these circumstances is an absolute tragedy. World Sailing works with sailing clubs around the world to create opportunities through sailing and Khanya was an excellent example of how the sport can inspire and change a person’s entire outlook. His loss will inspire us to work harder.”