George Karate Champion Dies Hours After Winning Two Gold Medals at Tournament

• A 12-year-old karate star from George has died, leaving his family, school and sporting community in mourning
• His mother told the heartbreaking account of her son's hours before tragedy struck
• Tributes have poured in for the talented youngster, who was remembered for his passion for karate, bright personality and ambitious dreams

A family in George has been left devastated following the tragic death of a 12-year-old karate champion who took his own life after winning two gold medals and a silver medal at a tournament.

Morgan Mentoor was found dead shortly after competing, with a gold medal still around his neck. His heartbroken mother, Gaynor, told Son that her son was deeply disappointed despite his impressive performance.

"He kept saying it was not good enough. He wanted to win gold in all the rounds," said his grieving mother.

Morgan was a Grade 6 learner at Outeniqua Primary School and died on Saturday, 23 May 2026, after participating in a tournament in Pacaltsdorp.

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His stunned mother said she remains in disbelief, as her son had never seemed like the type of child who would do something like this.

"He always opened up when something was bothering him," she said.

Morgan had been involved in karate for five years and had earned a brown belt. His ultimate goal was to achieve the coveted black belt.

Morgan Mentoor's passion for karate

Gaynor explained that the tournament formed part of a fundraising initiative involving various karate clubs preparing for upcoming competitions in Gqeberha.

Morgan won gold in kata, his favourite division.

"He loved kata. It's where you stand alone and perform the movements. He said he was going to come first and show me he could do it," Gaynor recalled.

She added that Morgan was not entirely satisfied with winning two gold medals and one silver medal because he finished second overall.

"In the car on the way home, he said it was not good enough. I told him it was okay and that this was just preparation for PE, but he wanted gold in all three events."

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Outeniqua Primary pays tribute to young karate Champion

His mother described him as a lively child who loved making jokes and bringing smiles to those around him. However, she noticed that something was different about him on the day of the tournament.

The usual requests for photographs and videos were absent, and she sensed that he was not behaving like the Morgan she knew.

Outeniqua Primary School later paid tribute to the young learner in an emotional social media post.

"With deep sadness, we say goodbye to Morgan Mentoor, a beloved Grade 6 learner whose life touched our school community. We celebrate his life, his smile, his presence, and the beautiful memories he leaves behind. Even though our hearts are aching, we remain grateful for the time we shared with him."

As seen in the Facebook post below.

The young karate champion will be laid to rest on Saturday, 6 June.

His death comes after the passing away of a former St John's College rugby captain and the tragic death of a Free State schoolboy rugby star.

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Affies mourn the death of schoolboy star

Briefly News previously reported that Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool, a school in Lynnwood, Pretoria, is mourning the death of one of its talented schoolboys, a sports star and athlete, Ruben Bezuidenhout.

Bezuidenhout passed away this past week after a courageous battle with a brain tumour, which he was diagnosed with in December 2025.

Source: Briefly News