SABC Sport delivers on cricket and rugby, where the incoming tours to South Africa make for prime viewing, while such classic events as the J & B Met, the Two Oceans Marathon, the Comrades Marathon, the Mandela Marathon and the Durban July are produced for all South Africans. Bu let’s not forget special prime events as the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, which are broadcast by SABC Sport both on television and radio

The 2019 edition of the South African Athletics national championships will always be remembered for how the country’s 200m specialist Anaso Jobodwana couldn’t finish on the podium after having won his semi-final. The 2015 IAAF World Champions 200m bronze medalist could only finish fourth in the final race which was won by the 100m specialist and SA record holder Akani Simbine in 20.27secs at the Germiston stadium on Saturday (27 April 2019).

South African spring king Akani Simbine says he’s looking forward to racing against another sprint sensation in Anaso Jobodwana in Saturday’s 200m final of the South African Athletics national championships at the Germiston stadium.

South African spring king Akani Simbine says he’s looking forward to racing against another sprint sensation in Anaso Jobodwana in Saturday’s 200m final of the South African Athletics national championships at the Germiston stadium.

South African spring king Akani Simbine says he’s looking forward to racing against another sprint sensation in Anaso Jobodwana in Saturday’s 200m final of the South African Athletics national championships at the Germiston stadium.

South African spring king Akani Simbine says he’s looking forward to racing against another sprint sensation in Anaso Jobodwana in Saturday’s 200m final of the South African Athletics national championships at the Germiston stadium.

Minister of Sport and Recreation Thokozile Xasa has re-asserted her support for the World and Olympic champion Caster Semenya.

Minister of Sport and Recreation Thokozile Xasa has re-asserted her support for the World and Olympic champion Caster Semenya.

Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) hosted a successful world intellectual property day on sports at their main campus in Pretoria today. This year’s theme was going for gold-intellectual property and sports. The event was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2000 to raise awareness of how patents, copyright, trademarks and designs impact on daily life and to celebrate creativity. Chairperson of Wheelchair Tennis South Africa Ntambi Ravele emphasized the importance of the day.

Earlier on the day men’s 400m World record holder Wayde van Niekerk withdrew from the men’s 400m heats. Van Niekerk published his shocking withdrawal on his twitter timeline, indicating that it is due to unfriendly weather. The Championships are set to wrap up on Saturday the 27th of April.

The first day of Athletics South Africa Senior Championships was disrupted by heavy rains and lightening in Germiston Stadium yesterday. The Senior Championships that were scheduled to start at 9am were delayed by two hours. As if this was not enough then load shedding added to their frustrations in the evening, forcing the event to be cut even shorter. World Champion Caster Semenya was one of those who performed yesterday winning the 5000m in 16:05; with Tebogo Mamatu clinching the 100m Women’s final in 11:45. Mamatu has more.

Minister of Sport Tokozile Xasa says Athletics South Africa (ASA) could have handled the issue of the Two Oceans Marathon not being broadcast on SABC last week better.

A right shoulder injury has forced reigning World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight champion Zolani Tete to pull out of a fight against World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight Super champion Nonito Donaire in the semi-finals of the money-spinning World Boxing Super Series (WBSS).

Swimming, Hockey, Basketball and Rowing are the other notable sporting codes that couldn’t meet their own set transformation targets. And these are the sporting codes that will be carrying the hopes of South Africa at next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Department of Sport Director-General Alec Moemi has more on the penalties that apply to federations which fail to meet the targets…

About nine out of 19 sports federations in the country have met 50% of their transformation targets according to Minister of Sports Tokozile Xasa. She was commenting in Pretoria during the sixth release of the Eminent Persons Group report which focuses on the transformation scorecard in South African sport. For the third time in a row, Athletics South (ASA) Africa has failed to meet 50% of its targets and previously this has been caused by lack of data mainly coming from their development programmes.

SABC Sport delivers on cricket and rugby, where the incoming tours to South Africa make for prime viewing, while such classic events as the J & B Met, the Two Oceans Marathon, the Comrades Marathon, the Mandela Marathon and the Durban July are produced for all South Africans. Bu let’s not forget special prime events as the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, which are broadcast by SABC Sport both on television and radio

SABC Sport delivers on cricket and rugby, where the incoming tours to South Africa make for prime viewing, while such classic events as the J & B Met, the Two Oceans Marathon, the Comrades Marathon, the Mandela Marathon and the Durban July are produced for all South Africans. Bu let’s not forget special prime events as the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, which are broadcast by SABC Sport both on television and radio

SABC Sport delivers on cricket and rugby, where the incoming tours to South Africa make for prime viewing, while such classic events as the J & B Met, the Two Oceans Marathon, the Comrades Marathon, the Mandela Marathon and the Durban July are produced for all South Africans. Bu let’s not forget special prime events as the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, which are broadcast by SABC Sport both on television and radio

SABC Sport delivers on cricket and rugby, where the incoming tours to South Africa make for prime viewing, while such classic events as the J & B Met, the Two Oceans Marathon, the Comrades Marathon, the Mandela Marathon and the Durban July are produced for all South Africans. Bu let’s not forget special prime events as the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, which are broadcast by SABC Sport both on television and radio

SABC Sport delivers on cricket and rugby, where the incoming tours to South Africa make for prime viewing, while such classic events as the J & B Met, the Two Oceans Marathon, the Comrades Marathon, the Mandela Marathon and the Durban July are produced for all South Africans. Bu let’s not forget special prime events as the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, which are broadcast by SABC Sport both on television and radio

Badminton South Africa President Glen Brothers is confident that the country can win many medals at the upcoming All Africa Team Championships. The event will take place in Port Harcourt, Nigeria from the 22nd until the 25th of this month. The team championships will be followed by the Individual Championships from the 26th until the 28th. Brothers says they have selected a very young team. SA used to be the top ranked nation in Africa with decent ranking in the world. But in recent years they have fallen down the peck due to lack of competing in many international events. Brothers says lack of funding is a major challenge. The strong eight members team features Michelle Butler-Emmett, Johanita Scholtz and Bongani von Bodenstein, who represented the country at the Commonwealth Games in Australia last year. The remaining four members have only represented SA at the junior level. Brothers says there are private sponsors that are assisting them to compete in Nigeria. Badminton is not a popular sport like football, rugby and cricket. Brothers says it is small sporting code which is not lucrative and well paying.Men-Bongani von Bodenstein, Jarred Elliot, Ruan Snyman, Sean NooneWomen- Elme de Villiers, Johanita Scholtz, Megan de Beer, Michelle Butler-Emmett

In a bit to end plastic pollution, South African endurance swimmer, Sarah Ferguson has set a new world record by becoming the first person to swim around the entire perimeter of Easter Island in Polynesia. Ferguson bravely overcame the hazardous conditions and swam 39.46 miles (63.5 kilometers) over a duration of 19 hours and 8 minutes, finishing ahead of schedule in a swim expected to take approximately 24 hours to complete. Easter Island is a Chilean territory, sitting some 2,200 miles off the coast of Chile and located in the South Pacific Ocean between Chile and New Zealand, making it one of the most remote islands in the world. It is 1,200 miles from the nearest piece of land but even there the water is filled with plastic. Ferguson shares the challenges she encountered. Ferguson used to swim for South Africa in international pool competitions and has since taken to the fiercest passages of open waters in recent years to raise awareness about issues concerning water at large. She has tackled the country’s most challenging open water swims, including the Robben Island Freedom Swim and The Umlanga to Durban Endurance Race. In 2017, Ferguson became the first African woman to conquer the mighty 42km Ka’iwi passage, known as the Valley of Bones in the Hawaiian Islands.

SABC Sport delivers on cricket and rugby, where the incoming tours to South Africa make for prime viewing, while such classic events as the J & B Met, the Two Oceans Marathon, the Comrades Marathon, the Mandela Marathon and the Durban July are produced for all South Africans. Bu let’s not forget special prime events as the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, which are broadcast by SABC Sport both on television and radio

SABC Sport delivers on cricket and rugby, where the incoming tours to South Africa make for prime viewing, while such classic events as the J & B Met, the Two Oceans Marathon, the Comrades Marathon, the Mandela Marathon and the Durban July are produced for all South Africans. Bu let’s not forget special prime events as the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, which are broadcast by SABC Sport both on television and radio

SABC Sport delivers on cricket and rugby, where the incoming tours to South Africa make for prime viewing, while such classic events as the J & B Met, the Two Oceans Marathon, the Comrades Marathon, the Mandela Marathon and the Durban July are produced for all South Africans. Bu let’s not forget special prime events as the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, which are broadcast by SABC Sport both on television and radio

South Africa’s longest serving boxing promoter Rodney Berman says the proposed Independent Communication Authority of South Africa’s (ICASA’s) proposed amendment of the sports broadcasting rights is going to collapse boxing and sport in the country. Berman’s company Golden Gloves Boxing promotions is one of the 32 entity’s that have made submissions to ICASA on these proposed regulations. Like most sports federations in the country, they are vehemently opposed to this draft and Berman was clear today that this has got the potential to finish off boxing as a professional sport in the country. Berman says boxing has also been an occupation of disadvantaged societies and if these proposed ICASA sports broadcasting regulations this will lead some boxers and their trainers to poverty. Golden Gloves has been promoting credible world champions for the past three decades from Brian Mitchell, Dingaan Thobela, Baby Jake Matlala, Welcome Ncita, Vuyani Bungu and many more. Berman says these proposed regulations could also lead to inactivity for professional boxers and hit them hard in the pocket.

The Two Oceans Marathon reigning champion Gerda Steyn, is taking the challenge of defending the title very serious as she is going under intense training preparing for the race. Following her first place in Dubai Marathon (10 KM) this January, Steyn has been training on the open roads of the mountainous Lesotho. With no injuries to distract her, the 2018 champion says that she is excited about the Marathon. There will be quality field of top local and international elite athletes competing in the race, and Steyn is aware that most athletes will be targeting to put her behind, but the 28 year old Ultra athlete remains calm. Steyn points out that she will not approach the race as a Champion, rather as a new race. The 2019 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon will take place on the 20th of April in Cape Town.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) technical Director David Elleray, CAF Referee and VAR Instructor Jerome Damon and FIFA referee Joshua Bondo are confident that come the knockout phase of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Egypt in July, the African match officials will be ready to implement the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

Athletics South Africa President Aleck Skhosana is looking forward to the African Under-18 and Under-20 athletics championships in Ivory Coast later this month. Skhosana says the formidable team will be announced soon. It will be the first time the two age categories will take part in one event in the African champs

Mamelodi Sundowns Captain Hlompho Kekana is appealing to supporters to come in big numbers, when they play against Al Ahly in the Caf champions league quarter-final first leg encounter at the Lucas Moripe stadium in Atteridgeville on Saturday. The match will kick off at 3pm after it was initially scheduled for Friday night at 9pm, but Ahly requested for a postponement.

Proteas Test opener Dean Elgar says South Africa will be shooting themselves in the foot if they did not take Aiden Markram to the World Cup. The 24-year-old batsman ended as the top run-scorer when the Momentum One-Day Cup concluded over the weekend, scoring over 500 runs in only five matches for the Titans. Markram also added that his form returned after clearing his mind and not even worrying about playing in the global competition

Polokwane City head coach Jozef Vukusic has congratulated the club’s first choice goalkeeper George Chigova on his looming century of league matches in Orange. If selected in the Limpopo Absa premiership derby against Black Leopards at the Peter Mokaba stadium on Sunday Chigova will reach the milestone.

Stormers Coach Robbie Fleck has made seven changes to the starting line-up that will face the Reds at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Friday. Fleck has been forced to make a few changes to the team due to injuries, but has also decided to rotate a few players for this important game. There are 5 changes to the Stormers pack with an entirely new front row in Corne Fourie, Scarra Ntubeni and Frans Malherbe, while Cobus Wiese starts at lock, with Kobus Van Dyk coming in on the flank.

After struggling to attain Visa for Australian Open Golf Championship, seven years-old Simthandile Tshabalala has finally received his visa with the aid of the current and former Minister of Sports and Recreation Tokozile Xasa and Fikile Mbalula respectively. Tshabalala’s father Bonginkosi Tshabalala twitted his frustration this morning pleading for assistance indicating that he tried several times to communicate with relevant departments regarding the matter, without success. As usual social media power amplified his voice to the right ears. The young Tshabalala affectionately known as "SimTiger" will be leaving tomorrow to represent South Africa in Australia and he will be competing in the golf championship that will start on Saturday the 6th till the 9th of April 2019. Tshabalala is no stranger to big stages as he recently lifted the flag of the Country in December 2018 in the World Golf Championship at Malysia. He is currently ranked top 15 in the world and Like any parent of a superstar Tshabalala’ father could not conceal his proud side when asked how he feels about his son’s achievement at this tender age and he takes us through his qualification process.

Team Protouch will be flying to Morocco tomorrow to join other fellow riders for Morocco Tour (Tour Du Maroc) pedalling on the 5th till 14th of April 2019. The Tour takes place over 10 consecutive stages in 10 days, covering a total distance of 1591.8kms an average of 159.2 kilometres per day. April will be the busiest month for the Johannesburg based elite continental cycling team, as they will be competing in five different countries including here at home, in Tour of Limpopo. Songezo Jim of Protouch says that their goal is to collect more points in Morocco. Despite the team having missed the first position in the recent tours, only taking the third place in Cape Town Cycle Tour (CTCC), they made it in the selection list among the best team to compete in Tour Du Maroc. Jim indicated that preparations are going well, and every member is in good condition, except for Aiden Geary, who is injured. The Protouch team to the tour are Myles van Musschenbroek, Reynard Butler, Mitch Eliot, Mornay Van Heerden, Rocco King and Jim.

East London-based boxing trainer Loyiso Mtya has remembered the contribution of the late Les Muller, who was regarded as the father of professional boxing in the Eastern Cape’s Border region. Mtya, who trains current World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Bantamweight Champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete, said that Muller came to boxing at the right time after he was introduced to the sport by social workers. Mtya was speaking at a poorly-attended memorial lecture in honor of Muller, who was the chairman of the then Border Boxing Control Commission. The memorial lecture was held at the NU6 Boxing Gym in Mdantsane.

Nobuhle Dlamini sealed a momentous victory in the Joburg Ladies Open with a convincing four-shot lead at Soweto Country Club yesterday, to pocket a cool R70,000 in prize money. The big-hitting Swazi national carded a final round two-under 70 to triumph on a two-under 214 total. Dlamini claimed her fourth overall Sunshine Ladies Tour victory and a second for this season after her Dimension Data Ladies Challenge success last month. The 27-year-old was also confirmed as the Investec Property Fund Order of Merit champion for the 2019 season, further pocketing a whooping R100 000 for her efforts on tour this season. The Swazi national says 2019 has been the best season of her life.

Rowing South Africa President Sean Kerr says they are planning to take four or five boats to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan. SA took five boats to the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil with one boat bringing a silver medal. The men’s pair, lightweight double sculls and fours were the three boats in the men section, while the pair and the lightweight double sculls were the two boats from the women section. SA won one silver medal in Rio, while four other boats narrowly missed out on the podium finish after reaching the A finals. Kerr says it is difficult to predict how many medals they will win in Tokyo.

South African athletes are gearing up for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark on Saturday. The team left for Denmark last night to prepare for the annual Championships. The 22-man and women strong team features top athletes such as 10 kilometre runners Precious Mashele, Rantso Mokopane and Ryan Mphahlele. It also features top women in the 10 kilometre such as Glenrose Xaba and Kesa Molotsane. Ahtletics South Africa (ASA) President Aleck Skhosana says they are going there to win medals. ASA is hosting theUunder-18 and Under-20 Track and Field Championships in Paarl from Today until Saturday. Skhosana is excited with the talent coming from the youth, and is also promising the best competition ever.

South African female 400 metre hurdler Wenda Nel is hoping to qualify for this year’s IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar later this year. Nel won bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia last year. She is also hoping to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Japan. Nel qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil where she managed to reach the semi-finals finishing 13th overall. The 30-year old took part at the 2015 World Champs in Beijing, China, where she managed to finish seventh in the final. She also participated at the 2017 World Champs in London, where she reached the semi-finals, but finishing 10th overall. She is hoping to earn a medal at this year’s World Champs. Nel is looking to use the SA National Championships and other events to fine tune her preparations leading into the World Champs. The SA nationals will take place in Germiston late next month. Her personal best in the 400 metre hurdles is 54.37 seconds she achieved in 2015

Eighteen years-old self-coached Keith Khumalo and his 16 years-old counterpart Banele Mhango ) emerged victorious in the just ended 2019 South African Junior Closed Chess Championship at Kopanong hotel in Benoni, Ekurhuleni. Mhango, world-renowned chess player from the dusty streets of Lehawu near White River, Mpumalanga, successfully defended his U16 title against Andreas De Jager. Mhango says he is excited to win again. Mhango and Khumalo are both without coaches because of financial challenges. To keep themselves competitive they practice against each other online. The duo,who don national colours says they do ask for donations for international tournaments, but sometimes it does not work. Mpumalanga born Khumalo, who reside in Johannesburg, says that he is excited about his first victory in the U18 2019 South African Junior Closed Chess Championship.

Swaziland female Golfer Nobuhle Dlamini is sharing the lead with Anne-Lise Caudal from France at the Jabra Ladies Classic currently underway at Glendower Golf Club in Johannesburg. The pair shares a four-shot lead heading into the final round of this Sunshine Ladies Tour event. The Sunshine Ladies Tour is a Women's professional golf tour that is run in Southern Africa and the Jabra Ladies Classic with a prize fund of R200,000 happens to be one of the events. Dlamini says she is struggling with her putting despite the lead.

The Women Leadership Programme (WLP) spearheaded by the African Union Sport Council (AUSC Region 5) was launched in Johannesburg yesterday. Despite increased participation for girls and women in sport, women are underrepresented in leadership positions across many sporting codes, something that pushed the AUSC to launch a program that will provide women from the 10 Southern African countries opportunities to be mentored and developed for leadership and decision-making roles in sport. Region 5 AUSC CEO Stanley Mutoya shares more.

The African athletics community deserted Athletics South Africa (ASA) when it needed them the most during the Court of Arbitration (CAS) hearing for the fight that pitted SA’s golden girl Caser Semenya against the IAAF. But ASA is not about to return the favour and instead according to the President Aleck Skhosana they are ready to fight for Africa in what is perceived to be an IAAF plan to derail the African athletes. The world’s athletics mother body recently decided to discontinue the 5000m event during the Diamond League 90 minutes live TV event. This attracted the backlash of Athletics Kenya (AK) and their Ethiopian counterparts, countries that have dominated this event. Skhosana says they will show solidarity with the rest of the continent. Sikhosana has issued a stern warning to his African brothers and sisters in athletics calling them out for not supporting them during the CAS hearing in Switzerland recently. He says with the exception of the Botswana Athletics, no other African country supported them and has urged the African athletics community to fight its battles together.

The prestigious Cajun Classic tournament kicked off yesterday in Louisiana, America and South Africa’s number 1 ranked disabled tennis player Lucas Sithole has been pitted against Chile’s Pablo Araya (ranked 22nd in the world). Now ranked 6th in the world, Sithole heads into the game this evening on the back of good showing at the Georgia Open where he lost in the final 62-64 to number 2 ranked David Wagner on Sunday. Sithole, who was eliminated in straight sets by Japanese’ Mitsuteru Moroishi in the quarter-finals at last year’s Cajun Classic and lost in the semi-final round in the doubles says he is well prepared for this year’s edition. Sithole is the only SA representative in the top-flight super-series in the Cajun Classic tournament which will run until the 24th of March 2019. The tournament is one of six top wheelchair tennis events on the wheelchair tennis calendar and has attracted eight of the world's top-10 quad players.

Just two months after Athletics South Africa received the bombshell of Liquid Telecom pulling out of the Grand Prix Series, they were all smiles today as they announced three new sponsors under their umbrella. For the first time since the days of Yellow Pages, the South African Senior Track & Field national championships will now be sponsored by Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife. With the national champs scheduled for the 25-27 of next month, ASA President Aleck Skhosana says the loss of the old sponsorship is history now, they are celebrating this new deal. The ASA U18 and U20 Track & Field Championships also received a sponsorship in the form of Twizza. The next championships will be held at the Josaphat Stadium in Paarl from the 28th until the 30th of this month. Skhosana says this is going to benefit their youth programmes. Former Olympic silver medalist Hezekiel Sepeng who is now the ASA High Performance Manager welcomed the sponsorship for the U18 and U20 track and field champs as he believes that it will go a long way to help them produce top class athletes. Stillwater Sports is the company that has been commissioned by ASA to help them get some commercial backing. Michael Meyer is the company’s Managing Director and says the success of athletes like Wayde Van Nierkek, Caster Semenya, Akani Simbine, Luvo Manyonga and many others on the international scene, makes it easier for ASA to attract the sponsors.

The 2019 South African Sports Association for Physically Disabled (SASAPD) national championships will take place at Coetzenburg stadium in Stellenbosch from tomorrow until the 21st next week Thursday. The champs will be boosted by the recently acquired sponsorship from vehicle company Toyota. Stellenbosch also hosted the nationals in 2008 and 2014. There will be eight sporting codes in the event. SASAPD President Moekie Grobelaar is looking forward to the event. The vehicle company has come on board as the biggest sponsor for the event until 2022. They will also donate a vehicle for the school that contributes the most to qualifying athletes that will take place at the future champs. Grobelaar says they will also offer a bursary for the deserving students. The nationals will also begin the long road to the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan . SA was ranked 22nd at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, Brazil after amassing 17 medals (seven gold, six silver and four bronze). The athletes that impresses will be selected for the Para Athletics games in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in November. Grobelaar says the champs will be important for the swimmers and track and field athletes. Some of the Swimmers and track and field athletes will eventually be selected to represent SA in Tokyo Paralympics

South African Equestrian President Willem Edeling says local athletes have to fund themselves to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan. Edeling says it is hard for the riders in SA to get sponsorships. He also added that the mother body SASCOC (South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee) only funds athletes when they have qualified to prepare for the Olympics. There are many SA riders who are based overseas especially in Germany and England. Local riders have to export horses from SA to overseas at huge cost or buy a horse abroad at an exorbitant fee according to Edeling. SA is not in the top 20 in the world rankings. Horses are very important in Equestrian in terms of getting the results. The horse can either be in good or bad form depending on the state it is in. Edeling says horses suffer injuries sometimes, and also it is expensive to maintain them. Edeling says the athletes will attempt to qualify for Tokyo Olympics as a team or individually by accumulating certain amount of points. The team of four members will try to qualify in the dressage discipline in Netherlands or eventing discipline in Germany later in the year. He says if they fail to qualify as a team they will attempt to qualify individually. Tanya Seymour represented SA at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil. The German-based rider qualified for the dressage event and finished 56th overall. Edeling says there are other athletes who are based abroad such as Nicole Smith and Lica Williams and many others.

In the latest Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) rankings for the Men’s Elite Time Trial, South Africa’s number one track cyclist, Jean Spies, has broken into the worlds top ten according to results released today. Just recently, the 30-year-old achieved 15th place finish with a solid performance at the 2019 UCI Track Cycling World Championships held in Poland last week. The Randburg born rider finished the season in fine form and in the process accumulated 917.5 points to be catapulted into the top ten. In Poland, Spies also competed in the Kieran where he came 16th and the Sprint race where he came 36th and Spies says he competed despite not feeling too well.

Bowls South Africa President Robert Forbes says they are making progress in introducing the sport in the townships and black communities. Bowls is perceived as a predominantly white sport in SA. Prince Neluonde was the only black lawn bowler at the 2014 Commonwealth games in Glasgow, Scotland, and the 2018 Commonwealth games in Gold Coast, Australia last year. He also won gold medal in Glasgow. Bowls has been one of the major sources of medals for the country at the Commonwealth games. Lawn bowls managed to earn five medals for SA in Gold Coast, with three silver and two bronze medals. Forbes says the sport does not get the recognition it deserves.

South African women’s netball national team player Khanyisa Chawane is confident that the Proteas can earn a medal at the World Cup in England in July. Chawane is encouraged by the Proteas great display at the recent Quad series in England in January. The team beat England in the upset of the tournament. They then narrowly lost to New Zealand in overtime, after the two teams were level in regulation and extra time. The Proteas, who are ranked fifth in the world, will be in the same group as the fourth ranked team Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Fiji in Group C at the World Cup. Chawane says Jamaica will be a major threat.

Seven years ago Lionel Rofhiwa Mphaphuli joined Soweto Country Club where they revived a junior golf academy named after struggle icon Andrew Mlangeni Golf Development Academy. Mphaphuli, the Director of the academy says that the course was closing down but fortunately they received funds from abroad and from local the municipality. The academy is currently running at Soweto and in other few Johannesburg townships such as Alexander with a number of 75 golfers between the ages of 6 years-23 years. The Mlangeni academy is based in the heart of Soweto in Pimville, a football dominant area and it academy solely depends on the grant from Sport and Recreation, and it does encounter facility challenges. But against all odds they are on their peak and currently on top of Central Gauteng Golf Junior league. Already accommodating deaf learners, Head coach Prince Modiba says that they will accommodate more learners with physical disabilities. The professional coach who has been with the academy for five years added that it is in their plans to have more physical challenged golfers.

Sailing South Africa President Philip Baum is not happy with the SASCOC (South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee) requirements for the Olympic qualification. SASCOC does not deem the route of qualifying via the African continental qualifiers as sufficient. The body requires that the athletes must also be internationally competitive to make the cut. Baum says the issue is a bone of contention for them.

Organisers of the Tour of Good Hope cycling event have expressed concern at the increasing number of road accidents involving their members. ASG Events’s CEO Erick Oosthuizen is also angry and disappointed after a marshal Janine Olivier was run down by a motor car during the event. Olivier, a member of safety initiative, lost her life as a result. Oosthuizen believes that some road users do not respect cyclists, adding. Songezo Jim one of South Africa’ top combative riders, who his team took the third position yesterday in Cape Town Cycle Tour (CTCC), also spoke out about the marshals incident. Jim was also among the riders who participated in the Tour of Good Hope and was almost hit by a car.

Limpopo Schools Sports wrapped up their selections of provincial teams to participate in the 2019 national track and field championship this month. The selections started last week Wednesday with 50 intellectually impaired learners who are going to Kimberly this week, then followed by MMH schools where they selected 60 athletes to represent Limpopo in Port Elizabeth from 20-23 March. A 110 abled bodied primary school kids were selected for the national event to be held Germiston later this week while they selected 120 athletes to the secondary schools in two weeks to PE on Saturday. Limpopo schools athletics ‘Peter Maluleke. With a bigger group of athletes this year Maluleke is expecting an improved finishing spot from eighth to their 2019 target which is at least fifth with primary school learners.

From a situation where she thought she would never play sport again, Palesa Manaleng is riding the crest of a wave as the South African wheelchair track racing and hand-cycling champion. The 31-year-old suffered multiple and severe injuries in a cycling accident four years ago, which left her paralysed from the waist down after her bicycle brakes failed going downhill. She crashed into the palisade fence and dislocated her spine, broke two ribs, punctured a lung, fractured a shoulder and also sustained head injuries. Manaleng explains how she remained positive in the face of adversity. Manaleng is a T9/T10 complete paraplegic which means she has no stomach muscles or the use of her legs. Manaleng has represented South Africa in two para-cycling World Cups. Last month she won the Gauteng Championships and also defended her gold medal in the SA National Road and Para-Cycling Women's H3 hand-cycle championships in Pretoria last month, having won it last year in Outdshoorn. Ranked 8th in the world out of 27 countries in her category, Manaleng has since mastered the art of para-cycling but shares the challenges are aplenty for her. An all-rounder in sports, Manaleng had also played hockey, soccer, tennis, weight lifting, ran 10km races, rowed and swam at various times in her life prior to her accident. She shares her greatest inspiration. Manaleng is currently working towards being chosen to represent South Africa at the Paralympic Games in 2020 and calls on the media to shed light into the sport as it will trigger a sense of participation from more disabled youngsters.

Tour of Good Hope road cycling race wrapped its five days of their annual race in the Cape Winelands today. The race kicks started Monday the 4th, with Nolan Hoffman emerging victorious in 58.5km in opening stage at Boland Landbou in the Western Cape. The race comprises of five stages’ the 1st stage being a 25km individual time trial for the Elite Team competition, while riders entered in the Amateur Team competition complete a Team Time Trial of 63km. 2nd stage is mostly flat and fast, whereas stage 3 and 4 are the Tour’s queen stages and the 5th is flat and fast. ASG CEO Erick Oosthuizen who are the organisers of the tour says that the event went well but challenging due to roads construction. The route of the race was forced to change due to some road construction of R44 and R45. Oosthuizen is understandable okay with constructions happening notes that proper roads will be advantageous to the riders as well, acknowledges the tour was a success and add that there is always a room for improvement.

The under-23 road national champ Marc Pritzen of OfficeGuru cycling club emerged victorious in today’s final stage of Tour of Good Hope race at Taal Monument. The 19 year old and his fellow teammates won the Team Time Trial in stage 3. Pritzen finished his race in 1:43:01, followed by Byron Munton of Alfa Bodyworks-Giant club who crossed the finish line in 1:43:24 and his teammate in the 3rd position, Frans Claes who completed the race in 1:43:34. The just crowned Tour of Good Hope champion says that it is unbelievable he won.

Cape Town has won the bid to host the 2023 Netball World Cup. International Netball Federation President Molly Rhone announced today ( Wednesday) at an event in the Mother City, that Cape Town had beat out Auckland in New Zealand to host the biggest women’s sporting event in the world. Netball South Africa President Cecilia Molokwane was overwhelmed by the announcement. Molokwane says with this news and Banyana Banyana qualifying for the World Cup for the first, it is a big year for women’s sport in South Africa and credit should go to Minister of Sport and Recreation Tokozile Xasa for all the work she is doing.

With the All Africa games a few weeks away, National Badminton Women’s Team veteran Michelle Butler-Emmett talks about her illustrious career as she prepares to take Nigeria by storm. A racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net, badminton is the world’s fastest racket sport and certainly one that’s growing at a lighting speed in South Africa as it was traditionally played as a casual outdoor activity.

Sunshine Tour professional golf development in Africa executive Nhlahla Mohlaudi says they have been excited about the inaugural Limpopo championship since it was proposed. The four round tournament tees off at Euphoria golf estate in Modimolle from Thursday until Sunday, 10 March 2019. This is a first Sunshine sanctioned tournament in the province and is hosted in partnership with the Limpopo Tourism Agency. Mohlaudi says Limpopo has always been on their developments plans.

After 141 caps for South Africa, two Commonwealth Games (2010 and 2014), three World Cups (2006, 2010 and 2014) as well as the 2012 Olympic Games, men’s hockey stalwart Lloyd Norris-Jones announced his retirement from the senior national hockey team after a decade of sterling performances. Jones says he will, however continue to play club hockey at his new German team Uhlenhorster Hamburg. With 71 goals for the national team, Jones’ ability to spring the counter attack and immediately wait for the pass back to net it set him apart from the rest. It was Jones’ clinical goal against Japan that took South Africa to the London Olympic Games in 2012. Jones adds that his retirement wasn’t an easy decision for his family and fans to digest, but one he is content with. The sight of Jones tearing through the opposition and cracking in key goals for S.A will remain echoed in the minds of hockey fanatics for a long time. The 33 year old reflected back on his highs and lows of his international journey, 13 years after making his debut at the 2006 World Cup. Lloyd also made his mark on the continent, helping South Africa win five African Cups. He gave his thoughts on where S.A hockey is and his hopes for the sport. Lloyd leaves South Africa next week to join his new club Uhlenhorster Hamburg in the German Hockey League. The Capetonian shares light on his new chapter.

The world 400m champion and world record holder Wayde Van Nierkek is adamant that come the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar later this year, he will be ready to defend his title. Van Nierkek was speaking to the media following the renewal of his sponsorship deal with T-Systems for the next three years in Midrand, Johannesburg. The 400m Olympic champion has been out of competitive action since October 2017 following a freak accident during a celebrity touch rugby game. He’s confident that he will back by the time the World Champs come. This past weekend (Sunday), Van Nierkek won his first 400m race since 2017, beating teammate and South African hurdler Cornel Fredericks during a provincial meeting at the Mangaung Athletics track in Bloemfontein in a 47.28secs. This way too far from his personal best of 43.03secs but the 26year-old wants to be patient. At the last World Champs in London two years ago, Van Nierkek doubled and defended his 400m title but returned with silver in the 200m. Today, he spoke about the advice he’s been getting from retired spring king and reigning 100m and 200m champion and world record holder Usain Bolt. Olympics two-time gold medalist and 400m hurdles legend Edwin Moses recently said it could take Van Nierkek two years to get back to his best following this rehabilitation phase. But the two-time South African Sports Star of the year holds a different view. Van Nierkek got injured during a touch rugby game which was a curtain raiser to a Springboks and All Blacks test match. He tore both his meniscus and his anterior cruciate ligament from that resultant injury. Asked today if he regrets this injury, this was his response.

Swimming South Africa President Allan Fritz says his federation wants to fast-track transformation in swimming. Swimming is still dominated by white athletes, with no athlete of colour having previously represented SA in the major events. Fritz is happy with a progress in the junior events. He also added that they are also looking at building facilities in the black townships. SA swimming has been dominated by male athletes such as Chad Le Clos and the retired Cameron van der Burgh in the previous major competitions such as the Olympics, Commonwealth games and world championships. But in recent times Tatjana Schoenmaker has come of age with other female swimmers such as Erin Gallagher making great strides. Fritz is happy with the progress.

South African middle-distance runner Stephen Mokoka is hoping to compete in a marathon at the world championships in Doha, Qatar later this year. Mokoka is a renowned middle distance runner, who has competed in the track events, 5000 and 10 000 metres in the three Olympics. He says it is tougher to run a marathon. SA is going through a good patch when it comes to sprinters. The likes of Wayde van Niekerk, Akani Simbine and Henricho Bruintjies have won major events in the last few years. Some of the athletes in other disciplines believe that sprinters are getting preferential treatment, but Mokoka does not echo the same sentiments.

Nolan Hoffman relished his first victory with new team at the 106km Herald Cycle Tour on Sunday, 24 February 2019. He runs the team alongside long-time friends David Maree and Steven van Heerden, as part of his new self-managed team, DNS Sports. Maree and van Heerden also took part in the race. This was Hoffman’s seventh victory overall at the Port Elizabeth event. Hoffman has more.

Netball South Africa President Cecilia Molokwane says the 2023 world cup bid will bring positive legacy to the country and the continent. SA is competing with New Zealand for the right to host the quadrennial tournament. The announcement will be made any time from now with SA earmarking Cape Town as the host city. Netball SA has given assurance to the public that the professional league will commence later this year despite SAB pulling out of sponsoring the code late last year. Several Protea players are plying their trade overseas due to the lack of professional league. Molokwane is confident they will get a sponsor. Netball SA targeted mid-March as a deadline to securing a sponsor for the league. There are reports that the apparel company Puma will be sponsoring the Proteas national team when they play at the world cup later this year in England. Molokwane says they have plan B should the deals not materialize. Protea players based in SA will form a team and play in the professional league to prepare them for the world cup. Coach Dorette Badenhorst will be in charge of that team according to Molokwane.

With almost all the sports federations reacting negatively to the draft of the proposed sports broadcasting regulations by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the Ministry of Sport is allaying the fears. Whilst ICASA is focusing on balancing between accessibility and revenue generation, the federations are expressing concern these proposed regulations will deplete their coffers. The country’s broadcast regulator has set the 15th of next month as a deadline for the pubic and the federations to make written submissions. Minister of Sport Tokozile Xasa says they are looking at helping the federations as they continue to make their submissions. The South African Football Association (SAFA), followed by its special member the Premier Soccer League (PSL), were the first organizations to express their concerns about these regulations. In what could be a first for SA football, Xasa says these two bodies must make a joint submission to ICASA, for these particular reasons. ICASA is proposing that the sports broadcasting rights be grouped into three categories and sporting events of national interest be prioritized for the public especially on free to air television stations. But it’s the exclusivity part and the threat to the pay-tv platforms that has got the federations up in arms as this has got the potential to bankrupt them. But ICASA also wants your average sports fan with no access to pay-tv to follow the major sporting events. Xasa focuses on this balance that needs to be achieved.

Boxing South Africa (BSA) is the latest sports federation to express its reservations about the draft of the proposed sports broadcasting regulations by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA). BSA on Wednesday (20 February 2019) held a promoters’ workshop at its offices in Pretoria where one of the items on the agenda was this draft of ICASA regulations. Sporting codes like football, cricket and rugby have already expressed their concerns on how these proposed regulations are going to impact on their revenue streams. BSA Chairperson Dr Peter Ngatane says the exclusivity that is proposed by these regulations is going of cause problems.

Colin Nathan, who trains reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight champion Moruti ‘’Babyface’’ Mthalane, has revealed that Mthalane is going to make his next defence of his title in May. Mthalane is going to make a mandatory defence of title against Japanese flyweight champion Masayuki Kuroda on a yet-to-be confirmed date in May. Last month the IBF ordered that Mthalane must make a mandatory defence of his crown against Kuroda. This came after Mthalane, who has not lost a fight since his loss to Nonito Donaire in 2008, successfully defended his belt when he stopped Japanese boxer Masahiro Sakamota in the 10th round in Hong Kong almost two months ago. Mthalane won the title when he beat Muhammad Waseem in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in July last year.

The showdown between the Minister of Sport and Recreation Tokozile Xasa and the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) continues this week when they meet in Cape Town on Wednesday to find a common ground. SASCOC has released two statements already where they are objecting to some of the Ministerial Committee of Inquiry’s recommendations especially around the election of an independent President and other office bearers to their Executive. Xasa had earlier said that the implementation of these recommendations is non-negotiable and she’s now responding to what seems to be some defiance from SASCOC. SABC Sport understands that at the recent SASCOC special general council meeting, the tone of the executive and some members when discuss this final report and its recommendations, was a fighting tone. SASCOC has revealed that they have received some advisory from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Internationals Paralympic Committee (IPC) on the input they had sought. In the statement, they went on to say, they’ve shared this with Xasa. We asked her what is entailed in this advisory. The committee which was chaired by retired Judge Ralph Zulman and assisted by veteran cricket administrator Dr Ali Bacher and labour law expert Shamima Gaibie made a long list of recommendations that aimed to improve some corporate governance at SASCOC and address some financial irregularities. The beginning of April was put down as the deadline for the implementation of these recommendations, is Xasa still confident about this deadline. She also reveals that the independent facilitator who will be seconded to SASCOC to implement this report will be introduced in the meeting on Wednesday.

Limpopo MEC for Sport Arts and Culture Thandi Moraka has joint millions of South Africans in the #NaturalySuperior campaign in support of Olympic star Caster Semenya. Semenya with the support of the national department of Sport and Recreation will today start the fight at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) for their introduction of new rules that will see female athletes like her taking medication to “normalise” their hormones. The world athletic governing body the IAAF allege that hormones give unfair advantage to the likes of Semenya on the track. Moraka says enough is enough. According to these new rules set to be effective in March 2019 female athletes with natural high levels of testosterone would have to compete with men or change events should they decline to take medication. Athletes competing in middle distances are mostly affected by these developments. Moraka feels a lot of transformation needs to happen within the IAAF. Moraka also thanked Minister of Sport Thokozile Xasa for backing the Moletji born champion. The MEC says she has not spoken to the 28 year old or her team so far saying the province is following the national office’s lead in this matter.

Boxing South Africa (BSA) chief executive officer Tsholofelo Lejaka has congratulated newly-crowned International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight champion DeeJay Kriel after he won the belt when he stopped Mexican boxer Carlos Licona in the 12th round in a fight, which was held at the Microsoft Theatre in the United States early yesterday. Kriel, who was behind on points going into the final three minutes of the fight, decked Licona three times in the 12th round. According to fight judges Patrick Russell and Danny Sandoval’s score cards, Kriel had only won two rounds going to the 12th round while Rudy Barragan had the 23-year-old winning six of the first 11 rounds. The BSA boss has added that Kriel’s victory bears testimony to the fact that South African boxers are ready to compete against opponents from anywhere. Kriel, who is trained by legendary 78-year-old American boxing trainer Kenny Adams, left South Africa to search for glory in the US last year. Lejaka still insists that getting involved in fight for the world’s prestigious boxing bodies should be the way to go for South African boxers just like Kriel, a former World Boxing Council (WBC) International minimumweight champion, has done. Meanwhile, Kriel’s former trainer Colin Nathan has described the Johannesburg-born boxer’s victory over Licona as a remarkable win for South Africa.

Withdrawal of South African Breweries as a headline sponsor is a big blow for Netball in South Africa according to President Cecilia Molokwane. The company has been sponsoring the Netball Premier League for the past five years. The League provided the perfect platform between clubs and varsity players which has resulted in the Spar Proteas making massive strides on the international stage.

Netball South Africa has given an update on the 2023 world cup bid. SA is competing with New Zealand for the rights to host Netball biggest competition which is held every four years. Africa has never hosted a world cup before, while New Zealand is bidding to host it for the third time. The announcement will be made between February and March. Netball SA Chief Executive Officer Blanche De La Guerre says they believe they can host the competition. The bid has received an incredible support from the department of sport and recreation. Last year Netball SA President Cecilia Molokwane, CEO De La Guerre, minister of sport and recreation Thokozile Xasa and Director-General Alec Moemi went to Singapore to present the bid to the members of International Netball Federation.

South Africa has selected a strong lawn bowls team for the Antlantic championships in Cardiff. Wales. The tournament will take place from the sixth until the 24th of May. The team comprises of both men and women and featuring top athletes such as Gerry Baker in men singles and Collen Piketh in the women’s singles. The team will also include pairs, triples and fours events. Bowls SA President Robert Forbes says it is a very strong team. Bowls is a commonwealth sport and SA has done well in that competition. Apart from swimming and athletics, bowls has brought more medals than any other sport in the commonwealth games. Bowls brought back five medals behind Athletics and swimming. Forbes also spoke about other major events in the bowls calendar.

South African tennis player, Lloyd Harris is seeing his career growing in leaps and bounds with his latest victory, a straight sets 6-2 6-2 win over Italian Lorenzo Guistino at the Launceston International in Australia this past Sunday. The win has earned him an ATP singles top 100 ranking for the first time in the latest rankings released yesterday. The Cape Town born right hander saw a jump from a 119 ranking, going 19 places up to break into the special group of top 100 players in the world. Harris joins fifth ranked Kevin Anderson as the only South African player in the ATP singles top 100. Harris has come a long way, previously winning 13 ITF singles titles and four ITF doubles titles. He was at one time ranked the 38th best junior tennis player in the world and in 2015 turned professional at the tender age of 18. At 21-years of age, he is SA’s number two ranked tennis player behind Anderson and he says there is more to come.

South African Netball national team player Karla Pretorius says the Proteas will be confident going into the world cup in England later this year. Their confidence stems from the fact that they did very well in the recent Quad series in England last month. They lost to Australia 62-45 in the first match, and then beat England 48-45 in the second match, and then narrowly lost their last match against New Zealand in sudden death, after the two teams were level in extra time. The Proteas have been paired with Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Fiji in Group C. They are expected to progress to the next round alongside Jamaica. Pretorius says their performance at the Quad series will scare their opponents.

As nominations for the 2018 South African Boxing Awards continues, Boxing South Africa (BSA) chief executive officer Tsholofelo Lejaka, says the process, which opened last month is going to close on Friday, 22 February. The period under review for the awards is from 1 November 2017 to 31 October 2018. The BSA boss has reiterated that only 15 of the 16 awards will get nominations from the public while the 16th is divided into two. This will be the Lifetime Achievement Award and Special Achievement Award, and the recipients will be chosen by BSA chairman Dr Peter Ngatane.

Minister of Sport and Recreation Tokozile Xasa is launching a campaign to defend Caster Semenya as he prepares to take on the IAAF regulations governing females with hyperandrogenism wants to implement. Xasa says together with the department, they are hoping to take this campaign globally culminating with a picket at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland. The new rules will require Semenya to lower her naturally occurring high levels of testosterone to compete in events from 400m to the mile. Xasa says they are doing this for all the African girls in Athletics. Interestingly, these restrictions are only limited to the females running in the 400m to mile and don’t apply on athletes competing in the 100m, 200m or in the 3 000 and up. Leading to Xasa saying this is specifically targeting Semenya and other African female athletes. Xasa also says they are looking at challenging the medication that IAAF wants to use on Semenya in lowering her testosterone levels.

The Proteas netball senior national team returned home to a hero’s welcome at the O.R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg yesterday. The team was welcomed by a small but vociferous crowd waving flags and balloons with a small brass band playing songs. The Proteas had an outstanding tournament at the Quad series in England. Netball SA President Cecilia Molokwane was very proud of the team and also explained why England hosted the tournament.

With the 2019 FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon just under a month away, organizers have provided assurances to competitors over several issues, including the most pressing one of security. Last weekend, a few incidents marred a one-day race on the same uMsindusi and uMngeni Rivers which will stage the world famous race from February 14-16, prompting fears about this year’s Dusi. But General Manager of the popular KwaZulu-Natal event, Steve Botha, says there is nothing to worry about. The 2019 race is the 68th edition of the famous race that starts at Camps Drift in Pietermaritzburg, makes its way through the Valley of a Thousand Hills and ends at Blue Lagoon in Durban. The course is usually around 120 kilometres and spread over three stages, with this year’s even being a K1 or single class race. The competition interchanges between K1 and K2 or doubles each year and Botha says that they are well on course to deliver another spectacular event. As always with the Dusi, the water is a discussion point. However, Botha says there are no worries about low levels or the quality of water for 2019. He also confirms that the troublesome hyacinth weeds that usually trouble paddles is welll under control this year. Andy Birkett is a living legend of the race and will again be bidding to defend the title he won two years ago. In fact, the 28-year-old also won last year when he teamed up with Hank McGregor to clinch a fifth straight victory and eighth in the past nine years. He is again the men’s favourite this year ahead of the likes of Thulani Mbanjwa and Sbonelo Khwela. The women’s favourite is Christie Mackenzie, a multiple junior winner. But GM Botha is not counting out the overseas contingent to pose a threat this year.

Netball South Africa President Cecilia Molokwane says transformation in the sport should happen in all areas. The Proteas are currently in England for the Quad Series where they lost to Australia in the first match on Sunday. The team has five black players in the 15-women squad for the series. The Proteas will also play against England on Saturday and New Zealand on Sunday. Molokwane is hoping for more black players in the near future. Molokwane is also hoping that transformation extend to other areas of the sport such as with Umpires and administrators and coaches. There are now two black umpires in the professional ranks. Black Coaches in the professional ranks are also very few.

The world’s 800m women’s champion Caster Semenya is targeting the 36year-old world record this year according to her coach Samuel Sepeng. Semenya and her teammates at her athletics club Masai sports club have already started training preparing for the 2019 season from last month. Last year, Semenya swept everything in front of her as she easily defended her diamond league title and was unbeaten in all her races. As they look forward to the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar this year, Sepeng says they want to bring down Jarmila Kratochvílova’s (Czechslovakia) 1:53.28 world record that was set in 1983.

Mlandeli Tengimfene, the manager of current World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete, has revealed that Tete is sweating it out at training ahead of the semi-finals of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS). Tete will fight against World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight Super champion Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire. According to Tengimfene, they decided to start training for the Donaire fight a month ago even though no date has been set for the duel.

South African Baseball Union (SABU) President Marc Moreau says their main objective in 2019 is to spread the sport to the rural areas. Baseball is popular in the major cities such as Cape Town where they have their local leagues but less prominent in other areas especially in the disadvantaged communities. Moreau also believes that the sport has gained international recognition especially after the successful French tour where SA triumphed 5-2 in a seven-match series late last year.

South African National Track Champion Jean Spies will head to Pietermaritzburg to take part in the African Continental Track Championships. The event will commence on the 17th of January till the 19th. From a successful National Track Championship, Spies will be eyeing to keep his winning ways. The 28 year old will be undertaking in keirin, sprint, 1 kilometre time trial race. Spies’s manager Brigitte Mileson says preparations are going according to plans. In the previous Continental Champs in Morocco, South Africa had a successful outing with Spies who claimed six medals that consist of five gold in the sprint, keirin, time-trial, team sprint and team pursuit and a bronze in scratch. Spies says he is hoping for positive results.

Former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-featherweight and International Boxing Organisation (IBO) featherweight champion Vuyani “The Beast” Bungu says the late Gabula “Slashing Tiger” Vabaza made a mark in boxing even though he never won a title with a credible world body. Bungu was speaking on the sidelines during Vabaza’s memorial service at the Gompo Hall in Duncan Village, East London, late yesterday. Vabaza passed away following a heart attack on Tuesday and is going to be buried in East London today. The 51-year-old Bungu, who defended his IBF crown a recorded 13 times, has added that Vabaza, a former South African flyweight, World Boxing Union (WBU) junior-featherweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) Intercontinental junior-featherweight champion, was a nice person.

Swimming South Africa Chief Executive Officer Shaun Adriaanse says the young Michael Houlie is capable of replacing the legendary Cameron van der Burgh. Van der Burgh announced his retirement last week to close a curtain on an illustrious career. Houlie is a young breaststroker that won the 50 metre gold medal in breaststroke at the Youth Olympics in Argentina recently. He also did well at the Region 5 games in Botswana last week. Van der Burgh has been an excellent servant for SA swimming over the last decade. He bowed out of an incredible career as double world champion at the World Swimming Short-Course Championships in Hangzhou, China on Sunday. He has won medals at the Olympics and Commonwealth games. Adriaanse says he will be sorely missed.

Damien Durandt is continuing with the legacy of his famous father Nick Durandt. The famous and the most successful trainer on the continent passed away in a motorbike accident last year in April. Nick coached 38 world champions and an impressive 97 national champions during a career spanning 29 years. Damien says it has been tough. Damien has been working and learning from his father since he was 11 years-old. Last year the gym had 30 fights and suffered just one defeat under his tutelage. He worked as an assistant trainer under his larger than life dad before he died. He gained wealth of experience over the years. Damien has exciting fighters in his stable such as cruiserweight Junior Makabu, who is rated no 3 by the WBC (World Boxing Council), Jackson Chauke ranked 48 in the world in the flyweight division. He says there are several exciting boxers to look out for.

Boxing South Africa (BSA) is set to issue the rule book for the 2018 South African Boxing Awards before the Christmas break. This was revealed by BSA chief executive officer Tsholofelo Lejaka, who added that the delay in issuing the rule book came as a result of on-going negotiations between his organisation and potential hosts of the awards function. The rule book gives people guidelines on how to nominate nominees for the different awards. The function for the 2017 awards was held at the Boardwalk Hotel and Casino in Port Elizabeth in February this year.

SA track cycling national champion Jean Spies’ world rankings is set to increase following his stunning performance at the Bellville Velodrome in Cape Town at the weekend . Spies took home gold titles in the Kilo, Keirin and Sprint races, and summed up his spectacular weekend winning silver in the Scratch race, and also achieved UCI points. Spies broke two national records particularly in the 2, 00m Sprint race with a time of 10.42 sec and the Kilo race at a time of 1:04.18. The self-funded athlete, Spies has had a jam-packed week of cycling, also breaking new ground in the many Track Cycling disciplines through the week. Spies’ world rankings of 31st in the Keirin and 42nd in the Sprint earn him a direct entry into the World Cup Season. He has received confirmation of his entries into the first two UCI Track World Cups after chasing points and world ranking places over the last few months.

Wheelchair Basketball South in Africa is (WCBAS) is in a rebuilding phase according to their High Performance Manager Gerry Smith. SA used to be the dominant force in Africa but they have stagnated which has seen the likes of Morocco, Egypt and Algeria catch up and even surpass them. Morocco is currently the leading nation in Africa. Wheelchair basketball is a flagship Paralympic sport according to Smith. USA men’s team defeated Spain to win gold medal at the Rio games in 2016, while the USA’s women team also won gold medal to claim the title from Germany. SA did not qualify for the Rio games. SA recently took part in the LWINI (an aid organisation in Angola founded by the former First Lady of Angola Ana Paula Dos Santos) cup in Angola to prepare for the Paralympic qualifiers next year. Four teams from three countries SA, Angola and Switzerland participated in a tournament that was won by SA. Smith says they used the tournament to prepare for the Paralympic qualifiers next year.

Factionalism within the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the amount of time spent on discussing disputes, make it impossible for them to champion sports development in the country. This is the view of labour law expert Shamima Gaibie, who was part of the Ministerial Committee of Inquiry into SASCOC maladministration and financial irregularities. Minister of Sport and Recreation Tokozile Xasa released the findings of the inquiry last week, most of which are aimed at transforming SASCOC and its operations. In this short interview with SABC Sport journalist Velile Mnyandu, Gaibie who worked with retired Judge Ralph Zulman and veteran cricket administrator Dr Ali Bacher, says there was no direction at SASCOC.

Former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-featherweight champion Welcome Ncita nearly fainted after hearing about the passing away of his protégé Gabula “Slashing Tiger” Vabaza. Duncan Village-born Vabaza, who was regarded as one of the finest boxers to come out of South Africa even though he never won a world title with a credible boxing organisation, passed away late yesterday after a long illness. Vabaza, a former South African flyweight, World Boxing Union (WBU) junior-bantamweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) Intercontinental junior-featherweight titlist, was unbeaten in 29 fights when he retired in 2006 after he failed a medical examination on the eve of an IBF junior-featherweight title fight against Canadian Steve Molitor. The 54-year-old Ncita, who now trains WBC International junior-bantamweight king Yanga Siqibo and Siphamandla Baleni, says he had a father and son relationship with Vabaza. The deceased was the first champion Ncita produced as a trainer.

New SA Open champion Louis Oosthuizen has credited new coach Justin Parsons and a different conditioning that is less stressful on his back for the for the winning golf that earned him his maiden SA Open title over the weekend. Oosthuizen says the last six to seven months have been spent focusing on the detail that will help him get better as a golfer. Oosthuizen says he has worked a lot on his short game while also trying to improve on his driving. The change in Oosthuizen’s game has yielded results sooner than anticipated with him having been in contention in the final round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City a month ago before winning the SA Open at Randpark on Sunday. Oosthuizen will now have his sights firmly set on recording back-to-back wins in this weekend’s Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.

South African under-18 netball team has started the defence of their title with a bang at the Region 5 under-18 games in Botswana. The team beat Zambia 51-36 in the first match, and also defeated Malawi 49-38 in the second match. SA won gold medal at the 2016 games in Angola. Coach Dumisani Chauke is aware that most African countries are improving in leaps and bounds, but still confident of victory on the 12th. SA is ranked number one in Africa and also number 5 in the world. Most of the players are travelling on the continent for the first time with few having gone out in schools tournaments. Chauke is hoping that most of the youngsters will graduate into the senior team in the future. Meanwhile, the Proteas senior team recently successfully defended their Diamond Challenge Netball tournament, when they beat Zimbabwe 73-44 in Polokwane. SA’s reserve team President’s XII team also claimed four wins out of five matches in that tournament. Chauke says it was good to have two teams competing to increase the pool of players.

South Africa is running the risk of being suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) if constitutional matters are not respected by the government. This was the view of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) President Gideon Sam reacting to the release of the findings of the Ministerial Committee of Inquiry into SASCOC maladministration and financial irregularities. Minister of Sport Tokozile Xasa released the final report which was scathing of Sam, stopping short of saying he’s not fit for office. Speaking during the SASCOC annual general meeting in Johannesburg on Saturday, Sam gives his overview on this report. The committee which was chaired by retired Judge Ralph Zulman, veteran cricket administrator Dr Ali Bacher and labour law expert Shamima Gaibie handed a lot of recommendations to Xasa. And some of them include SASCOC amending its constitution and appointing a President who is not affiliated to any sports federation. And judging by Sam’s comments it sounds like there’s going to be a problem. Xasa disapproved most of the representations that SASCOC had made and one of those included the recommendation that members of the board who are appointed coming from federations must relinquish such membership or affiliation upon election. Even here Xasa could be heading for a collision course if Sam’s comments are to be noted. The recommendations also propose that the board must serve no more than two four year terms and Sam is currently on his third and final term having been appointed from 2008, re-elected in 2012 and in 2016. He says there’s nothing that says he must step down now in the recommendations.

South Africa Men’s hockey team were eliminated from the World Cup tournament currently underway in Bhubaneswar, India after losing 5-1 to Belgium yesterday. The odds were massively stacked against the SA men ranked 15th in the world as they took on number 3 ranked Belgium to try and secure progress to the next round but it was not to be. SA could not have asked for a better start when Rhett Halkett set up Nic Spooner after just 35 seconds and South Africa’s most impressive player fired home an early advantage but they let the European team back into the game. Hopkins feels his team can draw positives. The world cup proceeds without South Africa until the 16th of December and Hopkins will be going back to the drawing board with his focus being on the 2019 Olympics qualifiers in June next year.

Louis Oosthuizen lived up to his pre-tournament billing of being the highest ranked player in the field by shooting an opening round 62 to finish nine under par and take a one shot lead at the SA Open being played at Randpark Golf Club in Johannesburg. Zambia’s Madalitso Muthiya and American Kurt Kitayama are one shot behind. Oosthuizen birdied six of the holes on the back nine and eventually broke away from partner Englishman Matt Wallace at the 13th hole. Oosthuizen says it was one of those rounds where everything went well. The former Open champion, Oosthuizen, is not getting carried away with his first round lead and says tomorrow will feel like a new start as he plays the Firethorn course after starting the tournament playing on the Bushwillow course. Oosthuizen says he prefers playing in tournaments where there are two courses and says he will not go in blind on the Firethorn course after playing it during the week.

South African boxer Jackson Chauke is confident of snatching the vacant WBC flyweight gold international title when he locks horns with the Zambian Alfred Muwowo in a main bout at Carnival City in Brakpan on Saturday night. Chauke qualified for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and Commonwealth games in 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. The 33-year old veteran is looking forward to the fight. Chauke’s trainer, Damian Durandt, who is the son to the legendary late trainer Nick Durandt, says they have been preparing for ten weeks. Muwowo who is the current ABU flyweight African champion, says he will prove that his opponent is old. Muwowo’s manager and promoter Christopher Malunga says they have been preparing for ten weeks for the big fight. The tournament will be promoted by Andre Thysse from Real Steel Promotions. Thysse is a former boxer who won many titles in his hey days. The 49-year old is looking forward to the tournament.

Defending SA Open champion Chris Paisley believes winning the tournament earlier this year at the Glendower Golf Course has given him a lot of confidence in his ability to win especially if he plays the kind of golf he can produce. Paisley says he can replicate the winning golf he played in January ahead of the SA Open which started this morning at Randpark Golf Course in Johannesburg.

Former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-featherweight champion Welcome “Hawk” Ncita has lamented the poor state of boxing in East London. Ncita says problems in boxing’s in the area started after the sport was infiltrated by people, whose main aim was to make a quick buck out of the sport. Ncita adds that the infiltration has resulted in East London failing to produce champions from credible world bodies. The former world champion added that many people in East London think they know boxing, while they are clueless when it comes to the practical side of the fistic sport. Ncita, who now trains Yanga Sigqibo and Siphamandla Baleni, reckons that boxers become victims as a result of lack of interest by people with no clue in the sport, getting involved in boxing. Sigqibo is going to fight against Keyvin Lara from Nicaragua in a WBO Intercontinental junior-bantamweight title at the Orient Theatre in East London this coming Friday while Baleni has a date with South African - champion Xolisa Magusha at the same venue on Sunday. The 54-year-old Ncita says East London boxing people need to go back to the basics in an effort to make sure that the sport thrives again. Meanwhile, Ncita says new methods of doing things in boxing should never be discarded as they are going to help in advancing boxing’s cause.

South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) has signed an agreement with Machida City recently to allow SA athletes to use their facilities ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in Japan. Sascoc had already secured a similar agreement with Iizuka City and Fukuoka Prefecture. Sascoc acting chief executive officer Patience Shikwambane explains the deals. One of the reasons will be to help the athletes acclimatise to the different time zones and also conditions in Japan. The agreement will allow Team SA to utilise the training facilities between 2019 and 2020 at no cost. Shikwambane has more. 2018 was a good year for SA sports in many sporting codes. Sascoc introduced Operation Excellence Programme (OPEX) is designed to offer support to athletes who have potential to qualify for major events and also to bring back medals. Shikwambane says they will have their hands full trying to incorporate new athletes. Many women excelled in their respective sporting codes this year. Caster Semenya had a good year while Banyana Banyana did well to qualify for the FIFA world cup in France next year. Tatjana Schoenmaker in swimming also had an impressive year. Shikwambane was pleased with the progress.

Former South African long distance runner Hendrick Ramaala’s son Alex will represent the country in the swimming at the region 5 under 18 games in Botswana from the 6th until the 17th of this month. The 18 year old will take part in the breaststroke and individual medley events. Alex explains why he chose swimming. Ramaala has been taking part in the national championships for few years competing against top swimmers such as Cameron van der Burgh and the new sensation Michael Houlie. He says it has been a good experience. Alex has a Romanian mother but grew up in France, where his mother represented that country in Athletics. He cannot speak African languages but only English. He used to play other sport such as football and athletics at school. Hendrick is a renowned athlete who represented SA in four Olympics. He won the New York Marathon in 2004. Alex says his parents have played a huge role in his career.

The South African national netball team, Spar Proteas were crowned the 2018 Diamond Challenge champions in Seshego, Poloka yesterday. They won all their matches wrapping up the week-long tournament with 73-44 victory over Zimbabwe on the final day at the Ngoako Ramatlhodi indoor sports complex. The Proteas also dominated the individual tournament awards with captain Bongiwe Msomi named overall player of the tournament and Rome Dreyer being best center court. Proteas head coach Norma Plummer was happy with the strong finish. The host country was using this tournament to prepare next year’s Quad series where they will face opposition like New Zealand and England. Plummer emphasised the importance of watching the SA president’s XII compete at the tournament.

Swimming South Africa Chief Executive, Shaun Adriaanse says they will send a strong team to the 2018 Africa Union Sport Council (AUSC) Region 5 Under-20 Games in Gaborone, Botswana. The games will take place from the 7th to the 16th of December, and 35 swimmers will represent SA. The team has a mixed balance of more experienced swimmers and upcoming young ones. Adriaanse says the objective this year is to help the young ones grab as much experience as possible. Meanwhile, TeamSA claimed the top spot on the medal table in the other junior competition, the Africa Swimming Confederation (CANA) Zone 3 Championships in Sudan which concluded on the 17th this month. Adriaanse says it is an added pressure for the Under-20’s to impress in Gaborone. The highlights in the Zone 3 Championships saw Eastern Cape’s Keagon Mnyaka and KZN’s Kaydn Naidoo winning an impressive 13 medals between them.

The Spar Proteas national netball team got their 2018 Diamond Challenge campaign to a good start as they convincingly beat Namibia 78-28 in Seshego yesterday (Tuesday, 27 November 2018). The Proteas dominated from the first quarter finishing it with a 17-6 lead, they were 38-9 at the end of the second quarter. The score in the third quarter was 61-15 for the host country and the last one was 76-26 in favour of the Proteas. Netball South Africa vice president Christine Du Preez was pleased with how things proceeded on the first day even though action was delayed by at least 30 minutes...

A total of 35 swimmers have been included in the South African team, including 17 girls and 18 boys, for the 2018 Africa Union Sport Council (AUSC) Region 5 Under-20 Games to be held in Gaborone, Botswana from the 7th to the 16th December. Swimming is one of the codes which makes up the bulk of the squad and, girls coach Chanelle van Wyk says it will be an enormous experience for herself and her team. The team comprises medallists from the recently ended 2018 Youth Olympic Games where Dune Coetzee won a silver medal in the Women 200m Butterfly and Michael Houlie went home with gold in the Men 50m Breaststroke event. Van Wyk says she is taking a strong team to Botswana. Team South Africa comprises of 220 athletes from nine sporting codes namely athletics (incl. visually impaired), basketball, boxing, football, judo, netball, swimming, tennis and volleyball.

South African President’s XII team Coach Jenny Van Dyk is looking forward to playing against African teams in the Diamond Challenge this week. The teams will take on national sides from Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia over five days at the Ngoako Ramathlodi Sports Complex in Seshego, Polokwane from 27 November to 1 December. The President’s XII team will come up against Zambia tomorrow at 7pm. SA has been playing against international teams in the Quad series featuring Australia, New Zealand and England this year. Van Dyk is excited for the opportunity to play against African teams.

South African doubles specialist Raven Klaasen has summed up his year saying that he relishes his successful partnership with New Zealander, Michael Venus after they reached five finals, notably the Wimbledon final and winning a title in Marseille. Klaasen who landed in South Africa on Friday from a five week series says the year started slowly as their partnership was still new. Klaasen feels honoured to be part of the Digicall ITF Futures Series currently underway at the Maties Tennis Club in Stellenbosch University and set to end on the 9th of December. He says it is an exciting opportunity to see youngsters in action.

Athletics South Africa President Aleck Skhosana says the federation is shocked that Olympic and world champion Caster Semenya was snubbed for the IAAF Female Athlete of the Year award. Semenya did not even make the top five after an impressive season where she swept all the boards in her events. Semenya was among the IAAF’S ten nominees last month, with a ballot deciding the five finalists. IAAF wanted to introduce regulations for athletes with hyperandrogenism which would require them to take medication to lower naturally occurring higher levels of testosterone. She has challenged the move at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. Skhosana is not sure if that is the reason for the snub.

SA women’s hockey team captain, Sulette Damons is excited about the newly appointed coach, Robin van Ginkel. Van Ginkel was appointed last week Friday (16 November 2018) to replace Sheldon Rostron who resigned two months ago. Damons says this means a fresh start to the team that has great ambitions.

Basketball National League (BNL) champions Soweto Panthers are taking it easy, using the season break for light training sessions ahead of the next league programme. Panthers took the BNL championship after an 84-58 victory against Egoli Magic. Panthers captain Reece Wade Prinsloo says that it has been a smooth journey for them and will soon be preparing for African club Championship which take place prior the 2019/20 league. Having represented South Africa in different match occasions such as Olympic qualifiers, Basketball Continental World Cup qualifier, and achieved 15 cups for the country, Prinsloo says that he has reached his goals in his basketball career. Like many other sporting codes other than soccer, cricket and rugby, the Panthers captain lamented lack of recognition on basketball.

Team South Africa is targeting more medals at the eighth edition of the Africa Union Sport Council Region 5 under-20 Games in Botswana next month. The Games, that were previously known as the Zone VI Games will take place from the seventh until the 16th of next month. SA finished in first position in the Angola Games two years ago with 123 medals. SA team leader Isaac Mdaka is hoping for more medals with the addition of basketball and men’s football team. Team SA comprises of 220 athletes from nine sporting codes that includes athletics (including visually impaired), basketball, boxing, football, judo, netball, swimming, tennis and volleyball. Mdaka says the team will give strong performance. The strong team comprises of medalists from the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina recently such as Swimmers Dune Coetzee and Michael Houlie. The women’s football team are also the defending champions. Mdaka says top stars such as Wayde van Niekerk and Caster Semenya competed at these Games.

After securing an impressive 5-2 series win against France in the recent President’s Cup series, the South African national baseball team will continue preparing for a big year of qualifications. 2019 will see South Africa attempt to qualify for the Olympic Games, but to reach the big event in Tokyo in 2020; the team will have to first win two rounds of African qualifiers (The African South Zone and African Championships) as well as an Africa/Europe qualifying competition. Baseball South Africa’s president, Marc Moreau says it is a long and difficult process, and can be quite expensive, especially considering many of the non-professional players are students, or have full-time jobs.

South African sprinter Henricho Bruintjies says his main target next season is to win as many medals as he can. The Cape-Town born athlete won silver medal in the 100 metre event at the Commonwealth games in Gold Coast, Australia early this year. He finished behind compatriot Akani Simbine and ahead of the legendary Jamaican Yohan Blake. Bruintjies has already begun with his off season training. The 25-year old will be competing in the athletics world championships in Doha, Qatar. The event is seen as a dress-rehearsal ahead of the 2020 Olympics in Japan. Bruintjies wants to compete in both the 100 and 200 metre events.

With the 2018 Sports Star of the year awards now history, the spotlight is on the Minister of Sport Tokozile Xasa to release the long awaited Ministerial Committee of Inquiry into SASCOC governance final report. The hearings into the mismanagement and financial irregularities at SASCOC took place in February and March this year and the Committee was headed by retired Judge Ralph Zulman, veteran cricket administrator Dr Ali Bacher and labour law expert Shamima Gaibie. SABC Sport has already seen the contents of the Executive Summary of the report and sports governance in South Africa will not be the same again. And Xasa knows very well that she cannot go beyond this month without having released this report.

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen says he had a good day but his pursuit of eventual winner Lee Westwood proved too costly as Oosthuizen bogeyed the 15th hole and double bogeyed on the 18th as well to finish third behind Westwood and Sergio Garcia at the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City today. Oosthuizen carded a 69 to finish 11 under par and four shots off Westwood.

The South African national baseball team clinched the Presidents Cup series against France yesterday, when they beat France 11-1 at the Durbanville Baseball Club. The victory means South Africa win the series 4-2, with one match still to be played. South Africa got off to to the ideal start when they scored 9 runs in the first innings of the match, and the game was called after the seventh innings, with the home team leading by 10. South African coach Neil Adonis says he wanted his team to come out and show their intent, and it was the ideal start to the game.

Having played second fiddle for the past three years at the South African Sports Awards, Mzansi’s golden girl Caster Semenya made a clean sweep at the 2018 awards held at the Sand Du Plessis Theatre in Bloemfontein last night. The world’s 800 champion won the main award (Sports Star of the year), the People’s Choice Sports Star of the year and the Sportswoman of the year award. Semenya was not present to accept her awards due to some commitments at home and her trainer Samuel Sepeng received them on her behalf.

Local favourite and former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen was ecstatic to still be two shots behind tournament leader Sergio Garcia after the South African shot 72 to finish the day at 8 under par at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City yesterday (Saturday, 10 November 2018). Oosthuizen admits that he did nothing good but was happy that he was still able to stay in contention and hold on to second place on the leaderboard.

Former Masters champion Sergio Garcia is pleased to still be in the lead at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City after shooting a round of 71 to close off the day at 10 under par yesterday (10 November 2018) and, with a two shot lead over local favourite Louis Oosthuizen. Garcia said it is getting tougher by the day to play on the Gary Player Golf Course in the sweltering heat and winds on the course.

Former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel finished the first round as the best placed South African with a score of 68 and four shots behind round one leader Sergio Garcia. Schwartzel says it is important to have a good start at the tournament if he is to remain in contention for the remainder of the weekend. Schwartzel who has struggled with form this year believes that being at home will help build his confidence and is hopeful that it will show in his performance this weekend.

Netball South Africa President Cecilia Molokwane says preparations for the 2018 Diamond Challenge are going well. The tournament will be hosted in Seshego’s Ngoako Ramatlhodi Indoor Sports complex from 27 November until 1 December 2018. This edition will feature South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and SA President’s XII. Molokwane has thanked the parties organising this event saying their efficiency has not gone unnoticed. Molokwane further reveals that the South African national technical team will conduct selections on 22 November to give more players a chance at playing. Molokwane further says that the floor will be laid in the venue on the 22 November as well. With attendance a challenge in many sporting codes, Molokwane says the activism her federation is busy with will ensure there are people at the matches. The President also adds that should this event becomes successful it will open doors for other small cities to host international events. Molokwane also says the Federation will conduct coaching clinics with local clubs to empower them.

Former Masters champion and two-time Nedbank Golf Challenge winner Sergio Garcia raced into a bogey free 64 and eight under par to take a four shot lead on the opening day of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City on Wednesday. The Spaniard says it was a great day for him and he got things right for most of the time. Garcia says it is still early days to claim any sort of victory and it will be important to build on his good start in the following three days. Garcia was greeted by a loud cheer on the 18th hole and the Spaniard says he is always humbled by the support he gets in South Africa.

Proteas allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo says he is learning a lot from time spent with star bowlers Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn and Lungi Ngidi and believes that being amongst them forces him to be a better player. The Proteas have arguably the best pace attack in world cricket at the moment and find themselves already one win up in the four match ODI series against Australia. The second ODI will be played in Adelaide on tomorrow (Friday).

There is no bigger honour the country can bestow for sporting excellence than the S.A Sports Awards. Consisting of as many as 19 categories, The 13th edition of the SA Sports Awards will be held in Bloemfontein this Sunday and swimming sensation Tatjana Schoenmaker is waiting with bated breath for the glitzy ceremony. Dubbed the princess of South African swimming, the 21 year is nominated alongside Luxolo Adams and Minke Janse Van Rensburg in the Newcomer of The Year category. Schoenmaker believes winning the award will endear her to more South Africans.

Softball South Africa President Mashilo Matsetela says his federation has an ambition of qualifying for the 2020 Olympics in Japan. They will compete in the African qualifiers for the Olympics in April/May where they are likely to go through. But they still have to overcome a challenge in the Africa/ Europe qualifiers where they will face the likes of Great Britain, Italy before going to the global showpiece.

The South African president Cyril Ramaphosa was among the dignitaries who graced the event, including the Premier of Gauteng David Makhura and Mayor of Johannesburg Herman Mashaba. President Ramaphosa indicated that he has been longing to run the People’s Race. President Ramaphosa went on leading by example in encourage all the citizens to take part in activities that aid their state of health.

Irvette van Zyl successfully defended her Old Mutual Soweto marathon title yesterday. Van Zyl crossed the 42km finish line at the FNB stadium in 2:33:43, breaking the marathon course record by over 2 minutes. She was followed by a Basotho long-distance runner Mamorallo Tjoka who finished at 2:37:12, Seating on the third place is the Ethopian Selam Abere Alebachew who came out in 2:44:50. Van Zyl who also beat a record set by Tjoka in 2011 admitted that her pace shocked her.

At least 30, 000 athletes have filled the slots for the 2018 Old Mutual Soweto Marathon that will take place this Sunday the 4th of November at FNB stadium. Dubbed the “People’s Race” because of its inclusion of runners throughout the country, the race will start and finish at FNB Stadium, with the route via the heart of Soweto. The longest distance of the day 42km, is expected to start in at 06h00; followed by 21km at 06h30 and the 10km at 07h00. Soweto Marathon Trust chairman, Sello Khunousays a surprise inclusion in the race will be President Cyril Ramaphosa, who will be sweating it out with the rest of the runners. In an honourable gesture, three EMS fire-fighters will run in honour of their late colleagues that lost their lives when a Johannesburg building caught fire two months ago. EMS runners commemorating the fallen heroes will be Siphiwe Shabalala and Nkosi Mzolo who revealed that they will be wearing their fire fighting work suits for this cause. Danny Blumberg the race Director has more.

South Africa’s golden girl Caster Semenya was named as Tuks Female athlete of the century and 400m hurdles veteran LJ Van Zyl as the Tuks male athlete of the century at the University of Pretoria on Wednesday night. This historic institution was celebrating the Tuks Athletics Club centenary celebrations as the club was formed way back in 1918. Former South African sprinting queen, 2006 Commonwealth Games 100m silver medalist and SABC Sport Athletics presenter Geraldine Pillay was the Programme Director. SA’s 100m sprinter Thando Roto who made headlines when he ran a sub 10 (9.95secs) last year and qualified for the IAAF World Championships in London only at the age of 21, was proud of the Tuks Sports School. Also in attendance at the function was Minister of Sport Tokozile Xasa who acknowledged the role played the Tuks Athletics club in producing top athletes for this country.

Softball in South Africa is not one of the most popular sports compared to football, rugby and cricket. Softball SA was established in 1994 and have an estimated 200 clubs, with over 10 000 players and over 120 technical officials. SA Softball President Mashilo Matsetela highlights the tournaments they had this year as well as the upcoming tournaments. SA national teams have been doing well on the continent and also globally. The men’s senior team are ranked number one in Africa, with the senior women’s team ranked number two behind Botswana in Africa. The senior men are ranked number 15 in the world with the senior women ranked number 16 globally according to Matsetela. Matsetela is a shrewd administrator who has been nominated in the administrator of the year award at the SA sports awards to be held in Bloemfontein on the 11th of next month. He says they have been working hard behind the scenes to improve the sport.

South African boxer Hekkie Budler has had a good year having won the world junior-flyweight title in Japan early this year. He narrowly beat Japanaese Ryoichi Taguchi in Tokyo on points. Taguchi was one of the few unified champions in boxing, holding the WBA and IBF titles, as well as the Ring magazine‘s belt given to him as their champions of the world. Budler says he might fight Taguichi in a rematch in December. The victory against Taguchi was arguably the biggest for a South African since Vic Toweel won the undisputed world bantamweight crown in 1950. He says 2018 has been the best year of his illustrious career so far. The 30-year old Johannesburg born fighter has an impressive professional record having won 32 fights in 35 matches with only three losses. He won ten fights through a technical knockout and says he still wants to achieve a lot in the sport. Budler has been nominated in the SA Sports Awards to be held in Bloemfontein on the 11th of next month. He will contest the Sportsman of the year and Sports star of the year awards. Another boxer Zolani Tete has been nominated in the Sports Star of the year category. Budler is hoping that Tete wins the medal.

The annual University of Pretoria Tuks Open Tennis tournament currently underway at the university’s Hilcrest Sports Campus will end on Sunday the 4th of November. Since its inception 20 years ago, organisers have not missed hosting the event except in 2015 due to the fees must fall campaign. Compared to the previous events Tuks acting head of programme Prince Madema who is also the coach of Tuks tennis academy admitted that the bar dropped a bit this year because of lack of sponsorship.Zimbabwe junior tennis ace Mehluli Sibanda is the International star that graced this tournament with his presence. The 18-year-old will be representing Zimbabwe in the Africa Tennis Nations Cup at Botswana Gaborone from the 5th to 10th of November. He says that the tournament is necessary for his preparations.

International Chess Master, Jesse Nikki February will be competing in the 2018 World Championships in Russia on Friday. She leaves for Khanty-Mansiysk this Wednesday to represent South Africa where 64 players from different countries will be competing. February qualified as the only South African going to the tournament. Two other Africans Wafa Shahenda and Toubal Hayat from Egypt and Algeria respectively, will also be taking part in the tournament. February qualified for the World Championships by coming 3rd in the African Championships in Oran, Algeria last year. The 21-year-old is looking forward to the challenge. February has attended a lot of other international prestigious tournaments in her career, but she says the World Championships is the toughest of them all.

The 2018 Two Oceans champion Gerda Steyn is leaving South Africa for New York tomorrow (30th of October) to take part in one of the greatest races, The TCS New York Marathon. Steyn, South Africa’s golden girl of long distance running reiterated her intention to enter the race after her 10 km Spar Women’s race. Steyn came second in the race after being denied victory by Irvette van Zyl. Steyn has more on her next race. The 2018 edition of the New York Marathon will be held Sunday the 4th of November. The route covers all five areas of New York City. It will start on Staten Island, in Fort Wadsworth, near the approach to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Steyn points out that with her practice in a not so flat Johannesburg she is ready for the up hills of New York.

The South African Men’s Hockey team will take on France in a test series with dates for the four matches planned yet to be announced. South Africa will be hoping to step up their preparation for the Hockey World Cup to be held in India in two months time. Veteran goalie Rassie Pieterse says friendly matches are always welcome for the national team. South Africa and France are both ranked 15th and 16th in world rankings respectively. They are looking to field most of their World Cup squads with the impetus largely placed on fine tuning the squad. Pieterse admits that France has skillful players.

Beach tennis is set to flourish following Tennis South Africa (TSA)’s partnership with Kia Motors South Africa. The duo have signed a three years deal to launch a high-profile International Tennis Federation event circuit in December 2018. Hosted today at George Lea Park, Sandton, this partnership announcement and press launch of the Summer Slam beach tennis tour, was supported by plenty of athletes from other sporting codes, including Erin Burger and Lenize Potgieter from SA Netball, Wihan Lubbe and Aaron Phangiso from bizhub Highveld Lions as well as Grant Thomson and Wandile Makwetu from Multiply Titans. TSA CEO Richard Glover explains this initiation. In addition to the high-profile December events, the new partnership will also see beach tennis courts being built at existing TSA Growthpoint development centres – in Soweto, Atteridgeville, eThekwini and Cape Town, respectively. Glover believes that tennis should accessible to all.

Boxing South Africa (BSA) Chief Executive Officer Tsholofelo Lejaka has revealed that the BSA board is going to meet this coming weekend and decide on where to hold the next edition of the South African Boxing Awards. The Boxing Awards returned to the BSA calendar last year after seven years and the 2016 award ceremony was held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC) in Durban in January last year while a function for the 2017 awards was held at the Boardwalk Hotel and Casino in Port Elizabeth in February this year. Meanwhile, the BSA boss has admitted that they are faced with challenges in their efforts to take boxing to greater heights. According to Lejaka, the implementation of BSA’s Rules and Regulations is still a challenge in as far as ensuring that their licensees do things the right way. On the other hand, Lejaka is happy with WBA junior-flyweight champion Hekkie Budler and reigning World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight king Zolani Tete’s nominations in the SA Sport Awards. The SA Sport Awards function is going to be held in Bloemfontein on Sunday, 11 November. Budler got two nominations in the Sport Star of the Year and Sportsman of the Year categories while Tete is a nominee in the People’s Choice Sports Star of the Year award.

Free State Sport Confederation President Lucas Matobako says women in sports are not adequately catered for like their male counterparts. Motabako says the inclusion and support of women’s sport in the Free State is a slap in the face for women emancipation. He says for decades women’s sport has taken a back seat without support while support for their male counterparts continues to soar. Matobako calls on parental guidance as the foundation of female inclusion into sport, adding that if parents can support the girl-child from a young age that we will start to see a significant change in the number of women taking part in sport. Free State has produced a number of female Olympians including Karen Muir, who broke the world swimming backstroke record at the age of 12 in 1995, Lesley-Anne George in hockey, she's currently the Proteas vice captain and the barefoot Athletics world champion Zola Budd. Matobako says the inclusion of women into all sporting codes starts with the girl-child at school level. It is hard to not notice the ongoing financial troubles at PSL club Bloemfontein Celtic and Matobako is worried about the future development of the ladies team at Celtic.

The KIA South Africa Davis Cup team succumbed to a 4-0 clean sweep in a Euro/Africa Group One relegation tie against Portugal in Lisbon over the weekend. The loss puts South Africa back into Euro/Africa Group two for 2019 whilst Portugal survive relegation play-off to remain in Euro/Africa Group One next year. Here’s a reaction from Team SA captain Marcos Ondruksa.

Zimbabwe’s Mike Fokoroni won the 2018 Legends Marathon in East London in 68 km, crossing the finish line in 04:08:34. Fokoroni was followed by Joseph Mphuthi who finished in 04:11:24 and in the 3rd place it was Siya Mqambeli who finished in 04:12:12. Meanwhile in the females section Jennifer Koech of the Nedbannk club clinched the first place in 04:57:09; followed by Lieketseng Molefe in 05:38:34 and Monica Kativhu in 05:42:56. The Chairperson of Road running Border Athletics Thembela Makaula indicated that the event went well.

Team South Africa finished their Youth Olympics campaign in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with five medals, three of them gold, which is a big improvement compared to Nanjing 2014 where they returned with only one medal. Sprint sensation Luke Davids made history at the Games by winning a gold medal in the 100m finals. Outclassing the fastest under-18 sprinters in the world, the 17-year-old completely dominated the 100m event. Though he was pushed by a 3.4m/sec wind, the Parow High School pupil went 0.05sec quicker than the national youth record of 10.20 held by Gift Leotlela. Davids was obviously impressed with his display. Dane Roets also gave it her all and ended with a bronze medal in the girls’ shot put. Roets launched a 17.34m heave, going four centimetres further than she did in stage one to clinch the medal.

Olympic champion Caster Semenya has dominated the list for major categories for the South African sports awards that will be held in Bloemfontein on the 11th of November. The 800 metre champion has been nominated in the sports star, people’s choice and sportswoman of the year awards. The list was released by Minister of Sport and Recreation Thokozile Xasa at the SABC headquarters in Johannesburg today, swimmer Chad Le Clos has also been nominated in the two categories in the two awards, the people’s choice and the sportsman of the year. Xasa says the team of auditors had a tough time selecting the nominees. There will be 19 categories overall with the prize money for the winners remaining the same as last year. Newly crowned IBF, WBA, super and the Ring Magazine junior flyweight champion Hekkie Budler has been nominated in the two categories, sports star and sportsman of the year awards. Xasa says the awards have been growing in leaps and bounds.

Cape Town-based Kinetic Cycling Club is producing a growing stock of exciting young riders, particularly among the disadvantaged communities of the Western Cape. The club, formed in 2000 has managed to not only harness talented youngsters but also do its little bit to help combat the threats of drugs and gangsterism in some parts of Cape Town. The club, based in Ravensmead has been tapping into talent from the Cape Flats which includes Brackenfell-Kraaifontein areas Club Chairman O’Ryan Bruintjies has more.

This year’s Otter African Trail Run will have a special significance in its 10th instalment, as it will also serve as the Grand Finale of the Golden Trail Series, which will see the top 10 men and women in the world compete for the Series crown. The Golden Trail Series is a collection of the five most iconic marathon-distance Trail runs, and on Saturday athletes from 11 different nations will compete alongside local runners. One of the top 10 women competing for the prize is South African Megan MacKenzie, who is also the defending champion of ‘The Otter’. MacKenzie says that the race is incredibly tough, and while she may know the course better than her competitors, she knows how tough her opponents are.

Reigning World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete had to put up a brave face and soldiered on after he was informed about his mom Nomonde’s hospitalization in East London just a few hours before his fight against Russian boxer Mikhail Aloyan in Russia on Saturday evening. The news didn’t dampen Tete’s spirit and he went on to score a unanimous points decision victory over Aloyan in the quarter-finals of the World Boxing Super Series at the Expo Center in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Tete returned to his Mdantsane home Monday night.

International Chess Master Watu Kobese says the game is not growing at the rate it is supposed to in South Africa as compared to other countries. Kobese had recently returned in the country from the 43rd World Chess Olympiads, organised by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) in the Georgia’s Black Sea coastal city, Batumi. South Africa, which was represented by two teams consisting of five women and men, came with a ranking of 70 out of 185 teams. The somewhat disappointed 45-year-old who resides in Cape Town says there is impressive talent in the country, but emphasises that players need funding and support to play regularly in international tournaments. Kobese also takes us through his concept of a chess book he wrote...

South Africa won the third gold medal in the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aries, Argentina. Swimmer and flag bearer Michael Houlie claimed gold medal in the men’s 50 metre Breaststroke event. He clocked 27.51 seconds after he earlier posted 27.33 seconds, which was the fastest time in the semi-finals. He is happy with his performance.

South African Protea Netball player Shadine van der Merwe has become the latest player to join a team overseas. She will team up with Surrey Storm in the Vitality league in England next year. Van der Merwe has been a regular player for the Proteas, and she made her debut early this year. She is excited for the opportunity. Many Protea players are already plying their trade overseas such as Bongiwe Msomi, Lenize Mostert, Phumza Maweni, Maryka Holtzhausen and many more. Van der Merwe says the foreign contingent has improved netball in SA.

As South African tennis star Lloyd Harris continues to climb up the ATP rankings, the academy that nurtured his talent, the Anthony Harris Tennis Academy, is starting to get recognition for the good work they are doing in Cape Town. Founded in 2013 by tennis coach Anthony Harris, who is not related to Lloyd, says the academy has already seen players in their structure win 74 international titles. He says this year has been exceptionally good, with Lloyd, who won his second ATP Challenger in Stockton, California on the weekend, at an ATP high-ranking of 113th, while Kholo Montsi and Pierre Malan are ranked in the top 100 juniors in the world. Harris explains that for the first three years of the Academy’s existence, it was completely self-funded.

Reigning World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete is confident that he is to going to retain his title on Saturday. Tete is going to fight against Russian boxer Mikhail “Misha” Aloyan in the quarter-finals of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) at the Expo Center in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Tete is positive about getting a win in Russia even though he has admitted that Aloyan is more like a closed book to him as the 30-year-old Russian only has four fights in the paid ranks. The WBSS pits the best eight boxers in the bantamweight division with World Boxing Association (WBA) Super champion Ryan Burnett fighting against Nonito Donaire early next month.

Netball SA President Cecilia Molokwane has called on Corporate SA to get involved and back Netball and women’s sport as a whole in South Africa. Molokwane said this last night after the 2018 Netball Varsity Cup final last night in Bloemfontein, when University of the Free State team Kovies beat University of Pretoria’s Netball 63-59, to lift the championship trophy. Molokwane is saddened by the lack of backing netball is getting from the corporate side.

South African female swimmer Mariella Venter is hoping to win a gold medal at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aries, Argentina. SA only managed to win one medal at the Nanjing games in China four years ago. The backstroke swimmer will be competing in her last youth games and would love to finish with a bang. Swimming is expected to carry team SA with bringing many medals home. The code always delivers medals in major events such as the Commonwealth games and the senior Olympics. Venter says they do not feel any pressure. Chad Le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh and many other male swimmers have managed to qualify for the major events. Only Tatjana Schoenmaker has managed to reach the World championships in Hungary last year, although she did not take part due to school commitments. Venter is inspired by other great female swimmers. The 18-year old takes part in the 50 metre, 100 metre, 200 metre and 4x100 metre medley relay. She took part in the Commonwealth games in Australia in gold coast earlier this year. She is excited to be part of the games.

Amber Schlebusch staged an exceptional comeback and won the first gold medal for Team South Africa in the women’s triathlon at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. After a poor start, Schlebusch struggled at the back of the field in the first two segments but moved up through the pack, overtaking race leaders Sif Bendix Madsen from Denmark and Switzerland’s Anja Weber to win the title. The 17-year-old from Durban began the race with a weak swimming opening leg, leaving the water in seventh position and 27 seconds behind the leaders. She eventually caught Weber and then Madsen and was near tears as she crossed the finish line 11 seconds ahead of the latter.

In the just ended Johannesburg-leg Spar Women’s Race, Irvette van Zyl emerged victorious, crossing the 10km finish line in 00:34.07. She was followed by the current Two Oceans champion Gerda Steyn who finished in 00:34.57, Kesa Molotsane took the 3rd place in 00:34.59. Van Zyl says despite being exhausted the race was good. Moletsane, a 2017 winner, admitted that she came into the race still feeling discouraged by the Maritzburg Grand Prix saga. She was among the athletes who were disqualified by the organisers for taking the wrong route. Steyn who was running for the first time in this race and will also be running in the New York Marathon this year on the fourth of next month, says this race was what she needed.

Minister of Sport and Recreation Thokozile Xasa says the controversial Ministerial Committee of Inquiry report into the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) governance will be released in due course. The final report is alleged to have delved deep into the alleged irregularities and financial mismanagement at SASCOC. The report follows the hearings that took place between February and March this year, where SASCOC board members, members of the management, leaders from different sporting codes appeared in front of the committee. Xasa says the final report will be made transparent to the public. The report of the committee was chaired by retired Judge Ralph Zulman, veteran cricket administrator Dr Ali Bacher and labour law expert Shamima Gaibie was scathing on the conduct of SASCOC President Gideon Sam and former CEO Tubby Reddy. Xasa was speaking at the send-off for the Youth Olympics that is going to Buenos Aries, Argentina from the 6th until the 18th of this month. The multi-coded team departed to South America on Tuesday, 2 October 2018. The team brought only one medal in the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China four years ago, and Xasa is not putting pressure on the young team.

Swimmer Michael Houlie will be South Africa’s flag bearer at the Youth Olympics starting this Saturday in Buenos Aries, Argentina. Houlie will lead the team of more than 100 athletes in at least 19 sporting codes such as swimming, athletics, rowing, sailing, hockey and many more. Houlie says it’s a great honour. The 17-year old from Cape Town will follow in the footsteps of Wayde van Niekerk and Caster Semenya as a flag bearer. Houlie is set to take up a swimming scholarship in America next year. He is currently the national 50 metre breaststroke champion but he is not putting himself under pressure to win a medal.

Limpopo MEC of Sport Arts and Culture Thandi Moraka has encouraged the winners at the 2018 Limpopo sports awards to invest their prize monies. Moraka’s department hosted the awards ceremony on Saturday night, 29 September 2018, in Polokwane. The MEC says athletes should strive for economic freedom adding that her department away from the event are putting some programmes that will assist them to manage their finances better. The MEC was also asked how Black Leopards football club received an Excellence award when there is controversy surrounding the Premier Soccer League side.

Softball was the biggest winner at the 2018 Limpopo Sport Awards after bagging provincial federation of the year, administrator of the year and Lucas Lamola winning new comer of the year at the awards ceremony in Polokwane last night. The federation has been a good feeder of players and coaches to the National softball teams this year while also producing umpires for international events. Lamola was a key member of the South African team at the Junior World championships in Canada earlier this year. The 18year-old from Ga-Mashashane Jupiter thanked his family and coaches for always encouraging him to play...

Registration and booking for accommodation for the annual Old Mutual Soweto Marathon at the Runners’ Village is still underway, and organisers are optimistic they will meet the target. The event is strictly for the underprivileged athlete. There is still space for applicants to register for the under privileged race which is held on the eve of the major event. At least 600 under privileged athletes will be accommodated at the Morris Isaacson High School in Central Western Jabavu. The chairman of the Soweto Marathon Trust Sello Khunou explains.

The Limpopo department of Sport Arts and Culture through the provincial sports academy have organised counselling sessions for the Limpopo Ncuva team. This comes as the team mourns the passing of one of their own Vutomi Forget Maleyana. The 25 year old passed-on on Saturday morning, 22 September, following a short illness whilst in camp with team Limpopo for the 2018 national Indigenous games. The games are being held in Seshego outside Polokwane until Friday 28 September 2018. The department is helping with arrangements of the athlete’s burial which is expected to be this coming weekend. SABC Sport’s Lethabo Kganyago has more.

Port Elizabeth-based South African female junior-lightweight champion Nozipho Bell will make history when she fights for the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) junior-lightweight title next month. Bell will become the first South African female boxer to fight for a WBO title, when she challenges Warsaw-based reigning world champion Ewa Brodnicka in Poland on Friday, 26 October. Bell is happy that she will get a short at Brodnicka’s title.

South African sport will never be the same again once the Ministerial Committee of Inquiry report into the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) governance is released. The SABC can exclusively reveal that one of the recommendations of this report is that the President of SASCOC, an accountant and a commercial lawyer must be filled by persons who are independent and not affiliated to any sport or recreation body. SABC Sport is in possession of this final report that delved deep into the alleged irregularities and financial mismanagement at SASCOC. SABC Sport senior journalist Velile Mbuli has been following this inquiry and has compiled this report

Minister of Sport and Recreation Thokozile Xasa is happy to see young people become part of community teams for Indigenous games. Xasa was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2018 national Indigenous Games (IG) in Seshego yesterday. Nine provinces will compete in the week- long festival in codes such as diketo, nchuva, kgati, moraba-raba, juskei and dibeke from today until Friday in Seshego. Xasa says the games are not part of the school sport programme fully but hopes things will improve to help close the gap between IG and mainstream sport.

Swimming South Africa President Allan Fritz says they took a developmental team to the African swimming and open water Championships in Algeria. The SA team concluded the 13th edition of the Champs on Sunday with an outstanding total of 40 medals (12 gold, 18 silver and 10 bronze) and claimed the second spot on the medal table behind Egypt. Top swimmers such as Chad Le Clos did not take part as they are at the world cup circuit in Doha, Qatar

Gymnastics South Africa President Elizabeth Cameron-Smith says lack of funding is hampering their efforts to grow the sport. Gymnastics is a sport that requires balance, strength, flexibility, coordination and endurance. The sport has many disciplines such as rhythmic, trampolining and tumbling, acrobatic and aerobic. The sport is not one of the popular sports in the country such as football, rugby and cricket, it is an Olympic sport and SA was represented at the Rio Olympics in Brazil. Artistic men and women, rhythmic and trampoline are four disciplines that take part in the Olympics. Gymnastics is one of the sports that take part annually at the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic in Sandton where their aim is to develop the sport from the young age especially in schools, something Smith is passionate about.

The Proteas netball national team will play in the upcoming Quad series in Australia and New Zealand without star player Erin Burger. The 31-year old from Pretoria is the most capped SA player having amassed over 100 caps for the national team. She is expected to be out for at least six months with an injury according to Coach Norma Plummer.

Proteas netball national team new cap Jessica Khomo believes that they will surprise top teams at the Quad series in New Zealand and Australia in the coming week. SA will play against New Zealand in Auckland on Saturday morning (SA time 4am). The Proteas are ranked fifth behind Australia, New Zealand, England and Jamaica. The team has finished bottom in the last two editions of the Quad Series only beating England in the last two years.

South African youth developing athletics are looking forward to 2018 Youth Olympic games, to be hosted in Buenos Aires, Argentina next month. Hezekiel Sepeng, one of the organisers, says that they are running successful projects such as street athletics and cross athletics to identify and prepare young athletes who will represent South Africa in the junior level.

Former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-featherweight and International Boxing Organisation (IBO) featherweight champion Vuyani “The Beast” Bungu has mixed feelings about South African boxing. Bungu says the fact that boxers like World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight champion Zolani Tete and World Boxing Association (WBA) junior-flyweight titlist Hekkie Budler hold titles in credible organisations is good for our country’s fistic sport. In the same breath, Bungu has lamented divisions in the Eastern Cape where promoters do not see eye to eye. There are two rival organisations, which represent boxing promoters in the Eastern Cape. The 51-year-old former South African junior-featherweight champion says cracks among boxing promoters in the Eastern Cape are bad for boxing as they hamper the progress of boxers.

With only two months before the IAAF’s female classification rule that is targeting South African golden girl Caster Semenya takes effect, Athletics South Africa (ASA) President Aleck Skhosana says they are yet to get a date from the Court of Arbitration for Sport for their legal challenge. Semenya faces having to take medication to lower her testosterone level after the IAAF ruled that it gives her an unfair advantage. This rule will start operating on the first of November and only applies to women who race in track events from 400m, 800m, 1500m up to a mile. It’s a rule that’s clearly targeting Semenya and it’s for that reason that the ASA through Norton Rose Fulbright is leading this legal challenge. Canada was one of the first countries to show its support to SA on this IAAF matter and SABC Sport understands that it was also one of the reasons that government convinced SAFA to back the successful United Bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Skhosana confirms that they are getting a lot of international support in this legal challenge against IAAF,

Johannesburg-based boxing trainer Colin “Nomakanjani” Nathan has welcomed highly-rated East London boxer and current International Boxing Federation (IBF) Africa junior-lightweight champion Azinga “Golden Boy” Fuzile to his gym. Fuzile, who arrived in Johannesburg late last week, will today start training under Nathan at Hotbox Gym. This comes after the 22-year-old left his long time trainer Mzamo “Chief”Njekanye in Duncan Village, East London. Nathan, who is the 2017 Trainer of the Year award winner, insists that he didn’t poach Azinga. Nathan started his friendship with Fuzile soon after Rumble Africa Promotions (RAP), a promotions company which promotes the boxer, appointed the Johannesburg-based boxing trainer as its international advisor in July.

Finally, the Ministerial Committee of Inquiry report into the South Africans Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) governance and financial mismanagement will be released before the end of next month. This was confirmed by the Minister of Sport Tokozile Xasa at the annual Andrew Mlangeni Golf Day at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club today. The inquiry chaired by retired Judge Ralph Zulman, assisted by veteran cricket administrator Dr Ali Bacher and labour law expert Shamima Gaibie sat between February and March this year listening to more than 25 witnesses. Xasa says they are almost ready to release the report and has promised to implement all its recommendations.

The Proteas will be looking for a massive improvement in the forthcoming Quad Series. They will be looking for only their second victory in the event in two years. The only team they have beaten so far is England and they have always finished rock bottom on the log. But the team has lost narrowly to Australia and New Zealand in recent times. Plummer says they will be competitive. Plummer selected 15 players for the quad series include three reserve players. The team comprises of experienced players such as captain Bongiwe Msomi, vice captain Karla Pretorius and new caps such as Khanyisa Chawane, Rome Freyer and Jessica Khomo. Plummer explains why she chose three reserves Sigrid Burger, Meagan Roux and Monique Reyneke.

Proteas national team Coach Norma Plummer says her mission is not only to coach the team but also to impart her knowledge to the local coaches. Netball South Africa selected budding coaches such as Zanele Mdodana, Dumisani Chauke and Jenny van Dyk to learn from the veteran and experienced Australian coach. The young coaches will accompany the team to the upcoming Quad series in Australia and New Zealand next month.

Sports minister Tokozile Xasa has called on the media to play an active role in promoting women sports by increasing the coverage of female athletes. Xasa was speaking at today’s Women and Sport Breakfast which was hosted by the Department of Sport and Recreation. The Breakfast, held during women’s month, looks to create a platform for dialogue and networking for South African women in sport. Xasa says events like these show that the Sports Department is dedicated to transforming sports, especially for women. The Minister also mentions that they look to increase participation and create policies that enable the progression and development of women sports.

South Africa’s leading wheelchair tennis ace Kgothatso Montjane has secured funding to the value of 1,5 million rands, which will go towards helping her compete in various tournaments for the next year. The Limpopo-born star received this financial boost after it was revealed that she did not have enough money to cover her tours this year. Montjane’s financial woes started after Wheelchair Tennis SA lost the support of Airports Company SA (Acsa) 19 months ago. Montjane says she is relieved to have the support. Before jetting off to the French Open and Wimbledon, Montjane had to embark on a last dash sponsorship drive to secure funding for the prestigious tournaments. She returned to the country having made history by becoming the first black South African woman to play in Wimbledon. There she reached the semi-finals where she succumbed 6-1, 7-5 to Dutchwoman Diede De Groot. The frustration of not having adequate financial support for her career weighted heavy on the 6th ranked player, who revealed that she considered quitting at some point.

Former South African lightweight and super middleweight boxer Dingaan Thobela says his involvement with Limpopo boxing promotions is about helping the sport run professionally and help boxers do well in their provinces. Thobela says it is a partnership he would like to have with many promoters in the country, and Limpopo is only the beginning. The parties are also working together to organise a 10 bill tournament in Sekhukhune this coming weekend as their first project.

The Italtite Orange River Rafters made history by becoming the first team to win all of their group stage matches in the Premier Hockey League (PHL) after beating Namaqualand Daisies 1 – 0 at the Randburg Astro stadium on Sunday. Striker Lerato Mahlangu scored the only goal for the ladies when Donna Small went on a slalom run to set her up in the box for a fantastic finish. Going into the game, the defending champions were top of the log table, securing their spot in the semi-final on Saturday. Rafters captain, Nicole Walraven was excited to reach the last four but first coach Shaun Hulley said he wanted to maintain the momentum.

Thirty games of hockey in the last two weekends have so far produced 108 goals and just four women’s and men’s are sides left in the 2018 CTM Premier Hockey League being contested at the Randburg Astro. The biggest upset this weekend was seen in the men’s tournament as two-time defending champions Maropeng Cavemen suffered two defeats to drop to fourth spot and just about qualify for the semi-final stage. Kilimanjaro Addo Elephants marquee player Miguel da Graca believes the Cavemen still pose a threat despite his team beating the Cavemen 2-1 on Saturday.

South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee President Gideon Sam says that the country does not focus enough on youth and junior sport. Sam was speaking based on the fact that the SA youth team will be competing at the 2018 Youth Olympic games in Buenos Aires in Argentina in October. The last time they sent a large contingent of athletes to the games held in Nanjing, China four years ago only to be disappointed, winning only one medal. SA sent 54 athletes in 14 sporting codes for the second edition youth games where they took part in athletics, wrestling. Aquatics, canoeing, equestrian, golf, gymnastics, hockey, judo, sailing, shooting, swimming, tennis and triathlon. Sam could not predict how many medals they expect this time.

New cap Khanyisa Chawane is proud to be selected to the Proteas Netball national team for the upcoming second leg of the Quad series in Australia and New Zealand. Chawane was part of the 12-women travelling squad that also includes overseas based players and two other new caps. The team also included three reserves that will also be part of the team.

Internationally acclaimed boxing judge and referee Stan Christodoulou has spoken out against the late payment or non-payment of boxers’ purses after they had fought. Christodoulou says late payment or non-payment of boxers’ purses is rife in the Eastern Cape even though he didn’t mention names of culprits. Current World Boxing Federation lightweight champion Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni is still owed R1 million by Dicksy Ngqula from the days of the Premier Boxing League. Ndongeni was also among boxers who were not paid their purses after fighting at a Sijuta Promotions tournament in April 2016. Ndongeni only got his purse after BSA paid him from its coffers and then suspended Sijuta Promotions managing director Andile Sidinile. Late last month a tournament promoted by Ayanda Matiti’s Xaba Promotions and Events in East London was cancelled by BSA chief operations officer Cindy Nkomo only for BSA board chairman Dr Peter Ngatane to overrule her. Nkomo cancelled the tournament after Matiti had only paid 10 percent of the purse fees on the day of the official weigh-in. Christodoulou, the former executive director of the then South African National Boxing Control Commission (SANBCC), who has officiated in more than 140 fights all over the world, puts the blame squarely on BSA’s door as he insists that the organisation has failed to uphold its own rules and regulations.

Fifteen netball players have made it to the Spar Proteas team for the upcoming Quad Series in New Zealand and Australia later this year. The 12-man squad will travel with the team alongside three backup players. Initially, 40 players assembled on Monday for training assessment until the team was trimmed to 15 players. New caps such as Khanyisa Chawane and Jessica Nkomo have been included. Here is Netball South Africa (NSA) President Cecilia Molokwane. NSA is negotiating to have two test matches at home before the end of the year. The Quad series will not take place in SA for the rest of the year and early next year. The team will also take part in the Diamond league also this year. Molokwane explains the tight programme ahead.

A date for World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete’s fight against Mikhail “Misha” Aloyan in the quarter-finals of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) has been set. Tete from Mdantsane is going to clash against the Russian at the Expo Center in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on Saturday, 13 October. The WBSS pits the best eight boxers in the bantamweight division with World Boxing Association (WBA) Super champion Ryan Burnett against Nonito Donaire while WBA regular titlist Naoya Inoue will face Juan Carlos Payano and current International Boxing Federation (IBF) belt holder Emmanuel Rodriguez will fight against Jason Moloney. The final of the WBSS tournament is set for June next year with the overall winner going to pocket $11 million (about R147-million) Tete’s manager Mlandeli Tengimfene gives more on the fight.

Gauteng Jaguars Coach Jenny van Dyk believes that her team will do better than last year in the Super club tournament in New Zealand later this month. The Jaguars will take part again as the prize for winning the Brutal Fruit tournament this year after they beat the Western Cape Stings in the final. The team finished rock bottom in their debut tournament last year. This year it will take place from the 16th until the 24th of August. Top three teams from New Zealand (NZ) as well as five elite international club sides will take part in the eight-team annual tournament that will see 20 matches played. NZ team Southern Steel beat Northen Mystics in the grand final last year. Van Dyk says it is a very difficult tournament.

Veteran middle distance runner, Stephen Mokoka, says the quality of South African road runners has vastly improved over the recent years. Mokoka’s comments come after his successful title defence at the ASA Half-Marathon Championships in Port Elizabeth at the weekend. There, he came out tops in one hour, one minute and 44 seconds (1:01:44), edging out international contenders Benard Bil and Linus Ruto, who finished second and third respectively.

It is all system goes for the IBO junior-bantamweight showdown between champion Gideon Buthelezi and his Argentinian challenger Lucas Emanuel Fernandez, at the International Convention Centre in East London on Friday evening. Tuesday, the two were among 14 boxers who were given a clean bill of health at a pre-medical check-up ahead of the Xaba Promotions (XPE) bill. East London’s Yanga Sigqibo will face Filipino opponent Rene Dacquel in a vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) International junior-bantamweight title contest while another East London boxer Ntlantla Ngamntwini and Mexican Ulises Salvador Lara will clash for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) Intercontinental junior-bantamweight belt. XPE managing director Ayanda Matiti explains. Matiti is happy that boxers from Argentina, Mexico, Tanzania and the Philippines, who are already in East London, have also been declared fit for the tournament.

SA MTB XCO Champion Mariske Strauss says she is thrilled to have earned the right to wear the National Championship jersey for another 12 months, after winning the elite women’s race in Bloemfontein, Free State, at the weekend. Strauss outclassed Candice Lill and Cherie Redecker, who finished second and third respectively, in the five-lap race. The victory handed Strauss her 15th national title. Strauss is fresh from producing her best European performance since 2013, after placing 21st at the UCI MTB World Cup at the Vallnord Bike Park, in Andorra. She says she is happy to have carried her good form to the SA Championships.

The third annual Brics games got underway at the Wits Rugby stadium and Old Mutual Hall today (18 July 2018) and they were officially opened by the South African Minister of Sport Tokozile Xasa last night. With the Brics Summit set to take place later this month here in Johannesburg, these games bring together the five countries, namely SA, Brazil, Russia, China and India. They will compete in U17 Women’s football, men and women’s Volleyball. Xasa has more on the importance of these games.

Boxing South Africa (BSA) chief executive officer (CEO) Tsholofelo Lejaka says they never doubted Moruti Mthalane’s ability when he left South Africa to fight against Pakistan-born Muhammad Waseem. Mthalane had the International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight belt strapped around his waist for the second time following a unanimous decision victory over Waseem at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this morning. This is the same title the IBF stripped from Mthalane in 2014 because of inactivity. Lejaka has added that the 35-year-old Lindelani-born Mthalane’s victory has added more excitement to BSA in as far as the number of world titles is concerned.

Nelson Mandela Bay A coach Desree Neville says it is a fantastic opportunity for the new players to be exposed in the Spar National Netball Championships in Port Elizabeth. The new tournament, which is played at the Lotto Young Park Tennis courts commenced Sunday, 08 July 2018 and will end on Saturday. It features 87 teams from the districts with more than 1000 players including the under-21 and senior teams. Eastern Cape, as the host province, has entered eight teams which is the second biggest number after Kwazulu Natal.

South African long jump world champion Luvo Manyonga is looking forward to competing at the inaugural athletics world cup in London from the 14th until the 15th of this month. The Athletics World Cup is a team-based international athletics competition that will feature eight national teams based on world rankings, with each team entering one athlete per event, with points gained on the basis of finishing position. Manyonga is leaving for London today (Wednesday, 11 July 2018).

A media statement by the Limpopo premier spokesperson Kenny Mathivha confirmed that former MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Onicca Moloi has tendered in her resignation as MEC of the department. The statement said Premier Stanley Chupu Mathabatha accepted the letter, and is sad to see Moloi go. Though the premier wished Moloi well in her future endeavours he admitted that he had hoped to see the former MEC appointed in September 2016 stay longer. Current MEC of Treasury Rob Tooley will act as the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture until a replacement is found. Kenny Mathivha.

Xaba Promotions and Events (XPE) managing director Ayanda Matiti has launched the annual tournament dubbed Celebrating Madiba as a boxer. Highly regarded boxer Yanga Sigqibo from Duncan Village in East London and Filipino opponent Rene Dacquel will headline the tournament when they fight for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) International junior-bantamweight title. The tournament is going to take place at the East London International Convention Centre (ICC) on Friday, 27 July.

Cape Town-based boxing judge and referee Deon Dwarte says none of the two boxers will get favours from him when he officiates in the vacant International Boxing Organisation (IBO) welterweight title fight between Mdantsane-born Thulani Mbenge and Diego Chaves from Argentina at the Emperors Palace in Kempton Park on Saturday. Dwarte will be assisted by judges Ace Makaluza from Port Elizabeth, Jean-Robert Laine from Monaco and Zambian John Shipanuka.

There is still no clarity over the storm that surrounds unpaid Comrades Marathon athlete Alexandra Morozova with both organisers and Athletics South Africa pointing fingers at each other. The Russian, who finished third at the 93rd running of the world-famous race on Sunday, sparked controversy after the race by revealing she had not being paid for coming second last year. She blamed ASA for holding back earnings, but the country’s mother body responded by saying Comrades Marathon Association was responsible because it allowed a banned athlete to run. This was what ASA president Aleck Skhosana had to say about the issue.

Bongmusa Mthembu admitted that he had to fight his emotions to win the Comrades Marathon yesterday (Sunday) after a difficult year. The 34-year-old, who surged to his third title when he crossed the finish line first at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, saw his preparations severely disrupted three months ago when training partner Sphiwe Ndlela passed away due to illness during a training camp in the Drakensberg. However, Mthembu managed to put that all beside him, even though he was still thinking about Ndlela. He also spoke about his love for Comrades after he became the first South African in 30 years to win back-to-back races.

Kwazulu/Natal Kingdom Stars coach Madri Maritz believes that Gauteng Jaguars are the overwhelming favourites to win this year’s Brutal Fruit Netball tournament. The Jaguars are on top of the log after five rounds having won all their eight matches. They remain the only unbeaten team in the tournament so far followed by Western Cape Stings with just one loss. The sixth round of the tournament will continue this weekend at the University of Pretoria, with Stars taking on the favourites Jaguars later tonight.

The 93rd running of the Comrades Marathon takes place this weekend with organiser optimistic their historic move to end the race at the iconic Moses Mabhida World Cup Stadium will be the start of growing the race even further. The 2018 edition of the race has already seen the second biggest entries received for the world-famous ultra-marathon. More than 23,000 people have registered with around 22,000 qualified to run, meaning it will be the biggest field since the Y2K hype of 2000. Organisers have also moved from the traditional Kingsmead finish to Moses Mabhida and race director Rowyn James is looking forward to it.

Botswana rising star Karabo Sibanda was the biggest winner at the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Sports Awards function held at the Birchwood hotel in Boksburg last night. Sibanda, a finalist in the 2014 Olympics 400m final and part of the Botswana 4x400m relay team that won the gold medal at the recent Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast in Australia, is a promising athlete on the global scene. Sibanda is currently away in Europe competing in the Diamond League and his trainer Mogomotsi Otsetswe collected his junior sportsman of the year and sportsperson of the year awards…

Free State Crinums are showing good form in the Brutal Fruit Netball tournament, after they narrowly beat Gauteng Fireballs 44-43 in a third round match at the University of Pretoria Saturday. The victory was their fifth in six matches in the tournament so far, with the only defeat coming against the reigning champions Jaguars on Saturday. Crinums coach Burta de Kock was satisfied with the results.

Port Elizabeth-based Boxing South Africa (BSA) service provider Mthunzi Mapitiza has described the death of female boxing promoter Phindile Mbhele, who traded under the Aphile Boxing Promotions banner, as a great loss to the sport. Mbhele, who was based in Port Elizabeth, died of kidney failure last week just a week after another female promoter Gladys “Noforty” Tsenene passed away.

The Canon South African Disabled Golf Open reached its milestone 20th year and former British soldier Mike Brown claimed a breakthrough victory in style. The 38-year-old leg-amputee from England won with a 12 shot victory on 232 ahead of second placed Iglin Grobberlaar at the Magalies Park Golf Club this past week. Brown had this to say about how he started playing disabled Golf and also spoke about his victory.

Boxing South Africa (BSA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tsholofelo Lejaka has hailed Hekkie “Hexecutioner” Bulder after the 30-year-old presented himself with a birthday present by dethroning former International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Association (WBA) “Super” junior-flyweight champion Ryoichi Taguchi at the Ota City Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan, today. Budler, who celebrated his 30th birthday on Friday, won the fight via a unanimous decision with all three score cards reading 114-113.

Reigning South Africa’s World Boxing Organisation’s (WBO) bantamweight champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete will take part in a multi-million rands boxing bonanza starting in September this year. Venues for the super fights will be announced at a later date. According to Tete’s manager Mlandeli Tengimfene, the WBO champion has signed to fight in the money-spinning World Boxing Super Series tournament. Tengimfene and Tete are in London, where they attended the launch of the tournament Tuesday. The overall winner of the tournament will pocket $11 (R135. 7 million). Tengimfene, who is confident that Tete will win the competition, says the tournament will be staged in different venues across the world. He says the first quarter-finals are going to be staged in September with the second installment of quarter-finals scheduled set to take place between January and March 2019. The final is going to be held in June next year.

Netball South Africa president Cecilia Molokwane has no doubt that the Brutal Fruit Netball League (BFNL) has improved the standard of the sport in the country. Speaking ahead of the start of the fifth edition of the competition that gets underway this weekend, the country’s netball chief also expects the competition to keep growing stronger, while she has no doubts that the effect of the league will rub off on the Spar Proteas. The 2018 season begins on Friday with Kingdom Stars of KwaZulu-Natal taking on Northern Cape’s Diamonds in Johannesburg. Molokwane is looking forward to steady increase in standards.

Minister of Sport Tokozile Xasa has revealed that they are facing a court challenge from Solidarity, which is accusing them of practicing apartheid in reverse through their policies on transformation. This also follows some of the political statements that have been made by the civil rights group Afri-Forum, which have been along those lines. Xasa is accusing Solidarity of trying to preserve the apartheid and colonial legacy by resisting transformation in sport.

Limpopo MEC for Sport Arts and Culture Onicca Moloi has joined growing chorus of support for Olympic medallist Caster Semenya. This follows the IAAF’s decision to introduce new eligibility regulations for female athletes with Difference of Sexual Development (DSD) from middle distances. Under these new rules female athletes will have to take medication to lower their testosterone. The Limpopo born athlete is seen as a target for the rules set to come into effect in November this year. Last week minister of Sport Thokozile Xasa said her department was going to challenge the IAAF and Moloi echoed those sentiments in Polokwane yesterday.

Former South African netball national team player Dumisani Chauke believes that the Spar Proteas could have finished higher than the fifth place finish they achieved at the recent Commonwealth games in Gold Coast, Australia. The Proteas finished behind the gold medal winners England, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica, who are the top four ranked nations in the world. The Proteas managed to improve on the sixth place finish they achieved in the Glasgow games in 2014.H

International Boxing Organisation (IBO) junior-bantamweight champion Gideon “Hardcore” Buthelezi’s next defence of his title has been postponed from tomorrow to Friday, 11 May. Initially, Buthelezi was set to defend his crown against Filipino boxer John Riel Casimero at the Emerald Resort and Casino in Vandebijlpark tonight. Buthelezi will now face Hugo Berrio from Colombia in two weeks’ time.

Minster of Sport Tokozile Xasa has expressed her disappointment and dismay at the decision by the IAAF to introduce new eligibility regulations for female athletes with Differences of Sexual Development (DSD) for events from 400m to a mile. These new regulations are seen to be targeted at South African superstar middle stance runner Caster “Cobra” Semenya as she will be forced to take daily testosterone lowering medication to be able to compete in the 400m, 800m and 1500m events. These new regulations are expected to start from the first of November later this year but Xasa says they will fight them head on.

Middle distance runner Caster Semenya says her main goal now is to break records and not to win medals. Semenya has done it all having won gold medals at the Olympics and Commonwealth games in recent times. She has also dominated the African championships and national championships in the 800 and the 1500 metre events. The Limpopo-born runner recently broke the records in the 1000 metre event and the 1500 metre event at the Commonwealth games.

Entries for the 25th Old Mutual Soweto Marathon this year opened earlier than ever before but already 13000 entries have been sold. The People’s Race will take place in November with the start and finish set at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. The race has over the years tailored itself as a great way to experience our country, its history and diversity. The People’s race is beginning to attract more sport tourists as runners’ race through eight heritage sites.Race Director Danny Blumberg has more.

World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight champion Zolani Tete was disappointed with his opponent Omar Andres Narvaez in their fight in Belfast, Northern Ireland on Saturday night. Tete retained his title in a lopsided victory when he won all the 12 rounds against the Argentinian. He arrived back in South Africa this morning after a long flight from the United Kingdom. The 30-year old says he expected a decent fight.

Organisers of the Amashova Durban Classic cycle race have announced a new feature to the iconic event which takes place on the 16th of October. A new 160km distance has been added to the event, which will now form part of the Gran Fondo World Tour. Elite riders will however still compete over the standard 106km distance that starts in Pietermaritzburg and takes them all the way to the finish in Durban. Race Director, Annie Batchelder explains.

South Africa has an opportunity to get a medal in the 4x100 metre relay at the Commonwealth games in Australia. But the lack of adequate preparation could hamper the team’s chances at the global spectacle. The relay team did not compete at the recent athletics grand prix series and also at the SA track and field national championships leading up to the games. Some of the athlete’s coaches have been reluctant for their charges to take part in the relay. Athletics manager Hezekiel Sepeng says coaches of individual athletes need to embrace the relay team.

South African swimming sensation and one of the top athletes this country has ever produced Chad Le Clos has completed a treble of gold medals at the Commonwealth Games currently underway at the Gold Coast in Australia. He completed a clean sweep of the butterfly events with this 100m, adding to the 50m and the 200m gold from this past weekend. He broke his previous Commonwealth games record of 51.29 secs to finish in 50.65 secs and looks back at this successful day at the swimming pool for Team SA. Le Clos has now won 16 medals (seven gold, three silver and six bronze) from the 2010 Delhi, 2014 Glasgow and 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Le Clos, who turns 26 on Thursday is happy with his progress in these games.

Day five has proven to be a very successful day for Team South Africa at the Commonwealth Games, the medals have now reached double figures. At the Gold Coast in Australia, they have added nine medals in lawn bowls, swimming and athletics to bring the total medal tally to 18. Cameron Van der Burgh has just won the the 50m breaststroke in 26.48 seconds to add to the bronze medal he won on Saturday in the 100m breaststroke final. The 29year-old has now won this event in three consecutive Commonwealth Games. Tatjana Schoenmaker also added her second gold medal in these games when she smashed the African record that was set by the great Penny Heyns in 1999 to win the women’s 100m breastroke final in 1:06.41secs. The 20year-old earlier won the 200m breastroke gold medal this past weekend and didn’t come to this race with a lot of expectations.

Swimming sensation Chad Le Clos has won his third medal at the Commonwealth Games currently underway in the Gold Coast in Australia as he finished joint second in the 100m freestyle to pick up the silver medal. Le Clos finished second in 48.15 secs, the fastest time he has ever swum this race. The South African star finished behind Scotland's Duncan Scott (48.02 secs) and was tied with Australian Kyle Charmers for the second spot. Team SA has now picked up four gold, one silver and four bronze medals so far at the games. Le Clos has another favourite event as he will be involved in the 100m butterfly final later this afternoon (13:59 SA TIME). Les clos, who turns 26 on Thursday, believes that he tried his best in the freestyle final. Team SA also picked its fourth bronze medal in the bowls women’s singles as Colleen Picketh beat Kelly McKerihen from Canada 21-17 in the bronze medal match. Picket won two medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow four years ago and was equally excited with the third medal too.

We will bring medals for South Africa at the Commonwealth games in Gold Coast, Australia. Those words were expressed by shooting player Andre du Toit ahead of the games that will commence from the fourth until the 15th of this month. SA will send four shooters in Bartholomeus Pienaar, Pierre Basson, Arno Haasbroek and Du Toit himself. He knows the expectations from the nation for them to deliver medals.

Saturday sees the 49th edition of the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon take place in Cape Town. The Gold Label status marathon remains one of the most anticipated sporting events of the Cape Calendar year, and it is predicted to bring in over R675 million into the Western Cape, while also creating thousands of jobs in the region. Speaking on behalf of the sponsors, Thabi Khanyile says they are very proud to be involved in the sponsorship of a race that represents the spirit of South Africans. Bongmusa Mthembu, who won the Comrades last year, says the Two Oceans is a great way to prepare himself for marathons like the Comrades, and he is hoping to improve on his 7th place from last year. One of the favourites for the women’s race is Gerda Steyn, who finished fourth in last year’s Comrades Marathon. Steyn, who is still relatively new to competitive racing, says she does not feel pressure with the favourite tag, and has had a good build up to the race. And the Zimbabwean Collen Makaka, one of the most successful Two Oceans runners, with 4 top 5 finishes in the last 6 years, says that this will be the last time he challenges for this race, as he looks to focus on the Comrades going forward.…

South African women hockey player Shelley Jones is confident the Proteas can win a medal at the Commonwealth games in Gold Coast, Australia. The quadrennial games will commence on the 4th of next month. In the past the Proteas narrowly missed out on the podium finish in Glasgow 2014 when they finished fourth. Jones spoke about the challenges facing the team ahead of the games.

Olympic and world champion Caster Semenya says Commonwealth gold medal is the only missing link in her glittering career. Semenya has won gold medals in the major events such as the Olympics, world championships and All Africa games. This will be the first time she will be competing in the Commonwealth games and she is looking to complete the puzzle.

The World and Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya will be the flag bearer for team South Africa at the Commonwealth in Gold Coast, Australia. Semenya was chosen at the official sendoff for the team at the gala dinner in Johannesburg last night. Semenya is expected to win two gold medals in the 800 and 1500 metre events at the games. She is honoured to be the flag bearer at her first Commonwealth games.

South African swimming legend Natalie du Toit is pleased to see so many female swimmers and youngsters in the SA team that is heading to the Commonwealth games in Australia early next month. Youngsters such as Erin Gallagher, Emily Visagie. Mariella Venter and Kate Beavon will compete at the Quadrennial games in Gold Coast, Australia. Out of 23 swimmers overall, eleven female swimmers will represent SA. This was veneration to many after no female swimmers qualified for the Rio Olympics in Brazil, while only Tatjana Schoenmaker qualified for the world championships in Hungary last year. Du Toit is happy to see many women in the team.

The South African National Men’s Hockey team flew out to Australia yesterday as their preparations for the 2018 Commonwealth Games get into full swing. The games will take place between the 4th and 15th of April. Veteran goalie Rassie Pieterse says the SA team will square up against Wales, Canada and India in the lead up to the Gold Coast games.

Road Race cycling specialist Bradley Potgieter says it would be an honour to represent South Africa following his late call-up to the SA Commonwealth Games team that will do duty at the games in Australia. The Gold Coast Games will take place from the fourth until the 15th of next month.

South African 200 metre record holder Clarence Munyai says he will focus on his own race to become the best in the world. Munyai broke the SA 200 metre record recently when he posted 19.69 seconds to smash Wayde van Niekerk’s record he set in Jamaica last year when he clocked 19.84 seconds. He will be competing in the Commonwealth games in April and also in the Diamond league later this year, where he will compete with the likes of Canadian sprinter Andre de Grasse and Jamaican Yohan Blake.

With the opening race of this year’s Women’s 10km Grand Prix series scheduled to take place on Sunday at the Bellville Stadium in Cape Town, South African runner Rene Kalmer says she anticipates a highly competitive season, as top female road runners challenge each other over the six race series. This year marks the 11th edition of the highly competitive women’s race which was launched back in 2007. Kalmer, who is also one of the Grand Prix ambassadors, says she is delighted to have witnessed the growth of the event over the years.

South Africa has a potential to get a medal in the 4x100 metre relay event at the Commonwealth games in Gold Coast, Australia next month. The team has a golden generation of talented sprinters such as Akani Simbine, Anaso Jobodwana, Henricho Bruintjies and the young Clarence Munyai. All the athletes have run sub-9 times at some stage in their careers. But lack of preparation ahead of the Commonwealth games might hamper their chances of a podium finish according to Anaso Jobodwana.

Reigning World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete is disappointed that he will not get a chance to fight against the World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight Luis Nery of Mexico. This follows Nery’s failure to weigh between 52.16kg and 53.52kg before his fight against now retired Japanese boxer Shinsuke Yamanaka more than a week ago. This has also cost Nery his belt on the scales which the WBC has since declared vacant. There were already talks of a unification bout between Tete and Nery. The only thing that was pending was for Tete to beat Argentine boxer Omar Narvaez in next month’s mandatory title defence. Tete is going to fight against Narvaez in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Saturday, 21 April.

South African women hockey player Stephanie Baxter says their goal at the Commonwealth games in Australia is to finish in the top three or four. SA has been to the five Commonwealth games finishing in fourth place twice in 2010 and 2014. They finished in fifth place in 1998 and 2002, as well as in eighth place in 2006. Baxter is looking for a podium finish this time.

Ashleigh Buhai wrote her name in the record books of the Investec South African Women’s Open once again, thanks to a two-stroke victory at Westlake Golf Club in Cape Town. The only amateur to win the national championship twice and the youngest champion to boot, Buhai fired a flawless final round 67 to realise a dream she’s nurtured since she joined the pro ranks in 2007. With the event having been moved from its original venue Atlantic Beach Country Club to West Lake due to the Cape Town water crisis, nothing was to take the glow and shine of the event and Buhai says she is proud to have won the R2 million showpieces.

Former South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) CEO Tubby Reddy has accused his former boss and the organization’s President Gideon Sam of collapsing the country’s hopes to host the 2022 Commonwealth’s Games. Reddy was testifying at the Ministerial Committee of Inquiry into SASCOC governance at Ellis Park stadium yesterday. He was dismissed at the beginning of the year from his position after he was found guilty of sexual harassment, financial mismanagement and corruption. Reddy says Sam’s greed contributed in the government’s decision to drop the hosting of the Commonwealth Games. South Africa had won the 2022 Commonwealth Games bid without any opposition after the city of Edmonton in Canada had also dropped an interest in hosting these games. After having won the bid in 2015, a year later the country was lagging behind in government guarantees and the then Minister of Sport Fikile Mbalula later indicated that the country does not have enough money in the kitty to afford these games. Reddy lays the blame squarely at Sam.

Anaso Jobodwana set the scene alight when he comfortably beat world 100 metre champion Justin Gatlin in a 150 metre race at the Athletics Grand Prix event held at Tuks stadium in Pretoria last night. The 2015 World Championship 200m bronze medallist clocked 15.08 seconds to win the race ahead of second-placed Roscoe Engel, who posted 15.17 seconds and Luxolo Adams on 15.18 seconds with world champion Justin Gatlin finishing fourth at 15.23 seconds . Jobodwana dedicated the victory to his new born baby. On the other side the golden girl Caster Semenya smashed the SA record in the 1000 metre event when she posted 2:35.44 seconds. The previous record, held by Ilze Wicksell, had stood for 35 years. It was the first time the Olympic and world champion competed in the event. She was happy with her time

American sprint legend Justin Gatlin says he is bothered by his doping past as a human being, but not as a sprinter. Gatlin spoke at the press conference for the Telecom Liquid Athletics Grand Prix event that will take place at Tuks stadium in Pretoria tonight. The 36 year old reigning 100 m World Champion was banned from competing between 2006 and 2010 for failing a second drug test, testing positive for testosterone.

The Ministerial Committee of Inquiry into the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) entered its second week and the spotlight was on the serving members of the SASCOC board. Previous testimonies about how divided and dysfunctional this board has been were confirmed this week by some of the board members including Natalie Du Toit and Merill King. SABC Sport journalist Velile Mbuli has been following this inquiry at Ellis Park from Day One and he’s prepared this report.

World number one and 20 time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer has firmly set his sights on becoming the first tennis player to win 100 tournaments this year. Regarded as arguably the greatest tennis player of all time and certainly the greatest of the Open era, Federer is currently on 97 tournament and is the oldest ranked number one. He has credited his longevity in the game by staying healthy and admits that he has exceeded his wildest dreams with his success. Speaking in Monaco after being crowned the World Sportsman of the Year and also Comeback of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards to become the most decorated sports star with six Lauereus awards, the 30 year old Switzerland born, believes that South African tennis star Kevin Anderson can become a Grand Slam winner and that Anderson making it to the final of the US Open last year, could be the key to bigger success. Federer has a South African connection through his mother Lynette who is South African and a lot of charities he support are also in South Africa.

International Boxing Organisation (IBO) Cruiserweight champion Kevin “KO Kid” Lerena is focused on starting his 2018 on a good note against a boxer he has got a lot of respect for in Dmytro Kucher from Ukraine. Lerena will be defending his title against Kucher in a tournament dubbed Palace Pandemonium at the Emperors Palace on Saturday evening. Speaking during a pre-med today in Kempton Park, Lerena says the strength of the opponent is his toughness and durability.Also stepping up into the ring this coming weekend in the same bill would be Thulani Mbenge, the WBC International and South African Welterweight champion. He will be taking on the Mexican Diego Cruz in a 10 rounder and is banking on his height advantage going to this fight.

Athletics South Africa (ASA) has secured a sponsorship for the upcoming Grand Prix Series that kicks off tomorrow, the 1st of March. Liquid Telecom will be the new sponsors for the next three years. The first meet will take place at Ruimsig stadium in Johannesburg, with the second on the 8th of next month at Tuks stadium in Pretoria, where American sprint legend Justin Gatlin will take part in. The last event will take place in Cape Town later next month. ASA president Aleck Skhosana is thrilled with the developments.

Multiple Olympic and World Champion hurdler Edwin Moses says the IAAF treated South African track queen Caster Semenya wrongly and unfairly a few years ago with the gender verification scandal. Semenya had to be ruled out of athletics between 2012 and 2014 as a war of opinions and science raged around her eligibility to participate as a woman. Moses says there is enough research around Semenya’s condition and that the double Olympic and world champion was not trying to circumvent the rules for her gain. Moses was speaking from Monaco ahead of the Laureus World Sports Awards where Semenya is nominated in the Sports Woman of the Year category.

Former Athletics South Africa (ASA) President James Evans has repeated previous claims made at the Ministerial Committee of Inquiry into SASCOC governance that the SASCOC President Gideon Sam could have been involved in a conflict of interest because he was the chairperson of a sports marketing company Accelerate Sport. Evans was one of the six witnesses that testified today at the inquiry, which resumed at Ellis Park after a weeklong break last week. Evans says it was questionable that an amount of R2million had to be paid to Accelerate Sport…

Startling revelations were made in the first week of the Ministerial Committee of Inquiry into SASCOC governance this week. But Wessel Oosthuisen’s explosive revelations on former SASCOC CEO Tubby Reddy will remain a talking point until Reddy comes to defend himself in front of retired judge Ralph Zulman and his assistant Dr Ali Bacher and Labour Law expert Shamima Gaibie. Oosthuizen who is a former SASCOC official photographer first dropped a bombshell by saying he was paid R52 000 despite not having worked on an assignment.

Veteran sports administrator and former Boxing South Africa (BSA) chairperson Ntambi Ravele has added her voice to those who are claiming that the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee’s (SASCOC) board is dysfunctional. Ravele was one of the six witnesses today at the Ministerial Committee of Inquiry into SASCOC governance when it resumed today. Ravele says SASCOC board is dysfunctional and that is not good for South African sport.

South African Netball National team Goalkeeper Phumza Maweni believes that they stand a chance of winning gold medal at the Commonwealth games in Gold Coast, Australia in April. The Spar Proteas have never won the Commonwealth games before. Their best results was when they finished 4th in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Maweni says that the recent Quad Series featuring Australia, New Zealand and England will help them to prepare for the games.

One of South Africa’s finest female Golfers Stacey Bergman says although her game has had its fair share of up and downs, it is consistency this year that has been her strength. Bergman so far won this year’s Tshwane Ladies Open in January but it is her tenacity and willingness to take risks that has set her apart from other golfers in this year’s Sunshine Ladies Tour.

South African national 100m champion and record holder Akani Simbine can look forward to having his long time coach Werner Prinsloo on a full-time basis. This is thanks to a three-year partnership he has entered into with Liquid Telecom, which was announced in Midrand today. The Telecommunications company will provide support to Simbine for the next three years leading to the next Olympic games in Tokyo, Japan in a deal worth R8million. The 24year-old has more on the importance of this sponsorship.

Moruti Mthalane’s trainer Colin Nathan has revealed that Mthalane will have an opportunity to fight for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight belt. This comes after Mthalane, who once held the same title, was moved from eighth to third on the IBF flyweight ratings. And Nathan says it is a matter of time before Mthalane fights for the belt again. Mthalane vacated the IBF flyweight crown in 2015 after he was offered what was reported to be a measly purse for a title defence. Nathan explains.

Startling revelations were made in the first week of the Ministerial Committee of Inquiry into SASCOC governance this week. But Wessel Oosthuisen’s explosive revelations on former SASCOC CEO Tubby Reddy will remain a talking point until Reddy comes to defend himself in front of retired judge Ralph Zulman and his assistant Dr Ali Bacher and Labour Law expert Shamima Gaibie. Oosthuizen who is a former SASCOC official photographer first dropped a bombshell by saying he was paid R52 000 despite not having worked on an assignment.

South African Women hockey coach, Sheldon Rostron, has stuck with consistency and largely retained the players that faired so well in the past year to represent the country at the 2018 Common Wealth Games in Australia. The women’s team, currently ranked 14th in the world achieved a respectable 5th position at the World League Semi-finals at Wits Astro-turf last year and Rostron says he will surely add a few youngsters to the team but experience will be vital as the aim is to win a medal.

If South Africa is to compete successfully and be on par with some of the best countries in sport globally especially in games like Olympics, the model of funding needs to be addressed. This was the view from the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) High Performance manager Ezera Chabangu who was testifying at the Ministerial Committee of Inquiry into SASCOC governance at Ellis Park stadium yesterday. Chabangu’s believes that the funding model needs to be improved. Chabangu’s office heads the Operation Excellence (OPEX) programme that identifies deserving top athletes and priorities them for the major competitions like the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games. Labour Law expert Shamima Gaibie has given a strong indication that an athlete could be appearing as a witness in this inquiry.

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) employee Desiree Vardhan has described the mood at the Olympic House in Johannesburg as toxic and unbearable. She was speaking at the Ministerial Committee of Inquiry into SASCOC governance at the Ellis Park stadium yesterday. Vardhan who accused former SASCOC CEO Tubby Reddy of sexual harassment that led to his dismissal alleged that her computer had been hacked. Vardhan could not hide her excitement at the fact that Reddy, Maharaj and senior manager at Reddy’s office were dismissed last month. Vardhan, whose husband is alleged to have benefited in two SASCOC linked coaching projects amounting to just more than R3million says the dismissal of the three officials was good riddance.

Former Athletics South Africa board member Laraine Lane has accused South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) President Gideon Sam of conflict of interest. Lane who was testifying at the Ministerial Committee of Inquiry into SASCOC at Ellis Park stadium today, alleged that Sam was benefiting from sports marketing company Accelerate Sport who have been working with different sports federations in the country.

Mark Hopkins has been named as the head coach of the South African Men’s Hockey team and will take charge of the team up until the 2018 FIH Hockey World Cup in India. The England born Hopkins began his coaching in Wales and was also Youth Director at one of the world biggest clubs, Bloemendaal from Holland. Locally, Hopkins has led Southern Gauteng’s men to Gold at the inter-provincials and says he aims to get SA back in the world’s top 10 from 15th ranking.

The South African netball national team player Erin Burger says their main ambition at the Commonwealth games in Australia is to improve on their world rankings. The Spar Proteas are currently fifth in the rankings behind Australia, New Zealand, England and Jamaica. The Commonwealth games will commence in the Australian city Gold Coast from the fourth until the 15th of April. Burger says their aim is to break into the top four. The Proteas recently competed at the annual Netball Quad series that features Australia, New Zealand and England. The tournament was held in England and South Africa. The Proteas finished rock bottom for the third year in a row, but Burger believes that it was a good preparation for the games.

The inaugural Athletix Grand Prix promises fireworks following confirmation yesterday morning that world 100m champion, Justin Gatlin will be running the 150m in Pretoria on the eighth of next month. Gatlin who holds three world titles and an Olympic title is the single biggest name to appear on South African soil since the likes of Michael Johnson and Marion Jones at the turn of the century. Gatlin has never been to SA, nor has he raced in a 150m. Both prospects have him excited. Gatlin is also the fifth fastest ever human being in the 100m and 200m. He is very excited to see the incredible sprint talent coming out of SA, feeling that the more countries are competitive in the sprints, the more the bar will be raised.

Lee-Anne Pace clinched her 12th Sunshine Ladies Tour title with a play-off victory in the Cape Town Ladies Open at Royal Cape on Thursday ( yesterday 08-Feb-18). Pace fired a final round 71 to tie for the lead with her close friend from France, Anne-Lise Caudal on eight-under-par 214 to find herself in a play-off for the second successive year. The 36-year-old Pace buried a long birdie putt to deny the French competitor a long-overdue trophy.…

Swimming South Africa president Alan Fritz Official opened Tiger Valley High performance Swimming Academy, this afternoon, at Lynnwood Pretoria. The facility will also be made accessible to twenty schools that were identify by Swimming SA, which is expected to unearth talent from previous disadvantaged communities.

National netball side Spar Proteas wing defence Precious Mthembu says they’ll be aiming for nothing less than a top four finish at the upcoming Commonwealth Games, to be held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia from April 4 to 15 April. South Africa were drawn in pool A for the 21st edition of the games, alongside defending champions Australia, Jamaica, Barbados, Fiji and Northern Ireland.

South African top doubles tennis star, Raven Klaasen says he struck a good cord with his new doubles partner, Michael Venus who hails from New Zealand. The 35-year-old Klaasen boasts 13 ATP doubles titles and is currently ranked No 25 in the world. The Capetonian split with long-time partner, Rajeev Ram from USA and had his first pairing with his new partners at the Australian Open earlier this year. Klaasen believes it is a good pairing.

He might not have his predecessor’s razzmatazz and huge social media following but on policy the current Sport Minister Thulas Nxesi cannot be faulted. By quickly establishing the two Ministerial Committee of Inquiries into the FNB stadium and SASCOC, he is showing the way. Nxesi says all he is demanding from the federations and their mother body SASCOC is accountability and good governance. SABC Sport understands that there was a bit of resistance from the SASCOC board when it comes to this inquiry as it also comes at a time when there’s infighting at this macro sports body. This has resulted in SASCO firing its CEO Tubby Reddy after founding him guilty on allegations of sexual harassment and mismanagement together with the CFO Vinesh Maharaj and Jean Kelly a senior manager at Reddy’s office. Department of Sport and Recreation Director General (DG) Alec Moemi is no stranger to Ministerial Committee of Inquiries having helped to put together the Cricket Inquiry that saw the demise of former Cricket SA CEO Gerald Majola and he is clear about what is to be expected from the inquiries that start next week and would last until April.

The South African Netball national team coach Norma Plummer says the recent Quad Series will help her team to prepare for the Commonwealth games in Gold Coast, Australia in April. The Proteas gave a good account of themselves in the series that include top three nations in the world Australia, New Zealand and England. They finished bottom of the log for the third year running, but have been improving in leaps and bounds with every match.

The Director-General of Department of Sport and Recreation Alec Moemi has clarified that the public should expect a Ministerial Committee of Inquiry and not Commissions of Inquiry to South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and FNB stadium. Earlier its been reported that there would be two Commission on Inquiries starting in two weeks time but Moemi provides clarity. The inquiry to SASCOC would be looking at corporate governance failure after few federations (SASCOC members) approached the Ministry with their concerns as Moemi explains. The inquiry into FNB stadium will be looking at the death of two football fans during the Carling Black Label Cup pre-season game between the two Soweto archrivals Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates in July last year. Moemi says they have to find answers and closure on this matter. The inquiry into SASCOC is long awaited following the boardroom squabbles that have seen the macro sports body firing its CEO Tubby Reddy on allegations sexual harassment and mismanagement. SASCOC also parted ways with its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Vinesh Maharaj and Jean Kelly a senior manager in Reddy’s office. Following the announcement of Team South Africa to the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast in Australia in April, we asked SASCOC President Gideon Sam about their readiness for this inquiry.

As the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) announced its 169 member team to the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast in Australia today, the organization’s President Gideon Sam admitted revealed that boardroom squabbles didn’t affect their preparations. SASCOC recently fired its CEO Tubby Reddy after finding him guilty on allegations of sexual harassment and mismanagement. They also got rid of their CFO Vinesh Maharaj and Jean Kelly, a senior manager at Reddy’s office. Sam says the selection of the Commonwealth team was not affected by this but admits that this has been damaging to brand SASCOC.

Netball SA president Cecilia Molokwane has hailed the 2018 Spar Quad Series which wrapped up at a packed Ellis Park Indoor Arena yesterday. The final day of the third edition of the series saw the Australian Diamonds hand defending champions the New Zealand Silver Ferns a 67 – 48 defeat to win gold. Molokwane says the fact that they managed to fill the 4300 capacity venue proves just how successful the tournament was.

The 100m and 200m world record holder Usain Bolt, arrived in South Africa last week and has been involved in a series of corporate events including training with former African champions Mamelodi Sundowns yesterday. He announced his official retirement after the IAAF World Championships in London last year and he says he’s been on the road for the past few months attending to all the corporate gigs

Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane was happy to host the legend at their training session. The former Bafana Bafana coach joked that he is willing to sign the legend to bolster their team. Sprint legend Usain Bolt trained with Mamelodi Sundowns at their headquarters in Johannesburg this afternoon. The eight-time Olympic champion is visiting South Africa as part of an Athletics South Africa development. The retired super star also has a passion for football and he showed glimpses of his footballing skills. Bolt enjoyed his experience training with the PSL log leaders.

Boxing South Africa (BSA) CEO Tsholofelo Lejaka has declared his organization’s readiness for the 2017 South African Boxing Awards ceremony. The function, which is going to be used to reward deserving boxing personalities, is going to be held at the Boardwalk Casino in Port Elizabeth this coming Friday. Last year’s function was held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban.

Veteran boxing trainer Loyiso Mtya is happy to be back as chief trainer at East London’s All Winners Boxing Club where reigning World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete trains. Mtya, who guided Tete to WBO glory in April last year, left All Winners Club mid-year following a fall out with the club’s managing director Mlandeli Tengimfene, who is also Tete’s manager. Mtya’s return means that he is going to be in Tete’s corner when the Mdantsane-born champion defends his world title against Argentine boxer Omar Narvaez in April.

At age 25, International Boxing Organization (IBO) Cruiserweight world champion Kevin Lerena feels that he is getting into the important stage of his boxing career and wants to make the most of it this year. He was speaking at the Smith Boxing gym in Fourways, Johannesburg yesterday afternoon where his next fight against Ukrainian Dytro Kucher was announced. Lerena won all his three fights last year including his latest IBO belt on a split decision against Youri Kalenga from Democratic Republic of Congo (based in France) late last year. In 20 fights, he has won 19 and lost only once and that was four years ago, the former South African Cruiserweight champion is looking forward to bigger things this year. Lerena won all his three fights last year including his latest IBO belt on a split decision against Youri Kalenga from Democratic Republic of Congo (based in France) late last year. In 20 fights, he has won 19 and lost only once and that was four years ago, the former South African Cruiserweight champion is looking forward to bigger things this year.

Reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete’s second title defence, which was going to be against Argentine boxer Omar Narvaez has been postponed until a yet-to-be confirmed date in April. The postponement of the fight, which was scheduled for the 10th of next month at the Copper Box Arena, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Hackney Wick in London, follows after Tete picked up calf muscle and Achilles tendon injuries while preparing for the Narvaez duel at the beach in East London. Doctors have since advised Tete to stay away from training until the end of this month. Tete’s manager Mlandeli Tengimfene has more on the champion’s injury.

Nicholas Dlamini in his first full season for Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka on the World Tour, this week proudly wore the King of the Mountains jersey at the end of stage one of the Tour Down Under. The UCI World Tour stage one race had begun in Port Adelaide and ended 145 kilometres later in Lyndoch. The “King of the Mountain” is the title given to the best climber in a cycling road race, usually and officially known as the Mountains classification. The 22-year-old South African who also raced for Team Dimension data last year, becoming the first black South African to ride in the Tour de France has remained humble and had this to say.

Boxing SA chairman Dr Peter Ngatane says having experienced members serving on the board is going to make his life a bit easier as he believes they will be in a better position to address the challenges in local boxing. In November last year, Minister of Sport Thulas Nxesi mandated Ngatane together with Matilda Kabini, Mzamo Gumbi, Khulile Radu, Luthando Jack, Letlhogonolo Noge-Tungamirai and Gilberto Martins with the task of taking boxing out of the doldrums. Kabini, Gumbi, Radu and Jack served with Ngatane in the previous board, which was chaired by Ntambi Ravele. South African boxing has stagnated in the last 10 years because of lack of finances and poor administration. Ngatane’s priority is securing a sponsorship for BSA as the organisation has not had sponsorship since Vodacom pulled out in 2005. BSA has been operating through a grant from the Department of Sport and Recreation, and also from funds raised from sanctioning fights and licensing fees. Ngatane has admitted that it is not going to be easy to secure sponsorships because companies don’t want to be associated with an organisation, which is in disarray. BSA Chief Executive Officer Tsholofelo Lejaka revealed during a presentation at a boxers’ seminar in East London in June last year that BSA’s budget allocation for the 2017/18 financial year was R14,1 million with R11,5m coming from the Department of Sport and Recreation with the remaining R2,6m expected to be raised through sanctioning and licensing fees in terms of the Boxing Act.

Cycling South Africa race director, Bosseau Boshoff believes cycling enthusiasts in South Africa can look forward to another exciting year in a sport that keeps generating more interest amongst South Africans. The cycling season kick-starts with the Mpumalanga Tour which is currently underway. Several elite riders are taking part including the Namibian national team. Boshoff has more.

Nominees for the 2017 SA Boxing Awards were announced at a media briefing in East London today. The winners from the 17 categories are going to be announced at a function, which is scheduled for the Boardwalk Hotel in Port Elizabeth on Friday, 02 February 2018. Here is Boxing South Africa (BSA) Chief Executive Officer Tsholofelo Lejaka with more on the awards.

With the new pro cycling season looming on the horizon, there are many professional riders still hoping to land a last-minute contract for 2018, however Umtata born rider Songezo Jim has sealed a deal with the Pretoria based side, Sampada Private Equity. The former Dimension Data rider joins one year after spending a year with Kuwaiti based side, Cartucho Es and has more on his latest move.

Reigning World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete has decided against training in Johannesburg ahead of his second defence of the title against Omar Narvaez next month. Normally, Tete, who faces the Argentine in London on Saturday, 10 February, completes his preparations in Johannesburg before jetting out of the country after having started in East London. However, Tete will, this time around, remain in East London until the day of departure for London. The Mdantsane-born Tete believes that East London-based boxers are capable of giving him good sparring sessions ahead of the Narvaez fight. The 29-year-old Tete goes into the Narvaez clash following his sensational 11 seconds stoppage of compatriot Siboniso Gonya in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in November last year

South African’s top swimmers continued to post Commonwealth Games qualification times after day five at the Kwazulu-Natal Aquatics Premier Championships in Durban. Twenty-eight swimmers have already made the Commonwealth list and with one more day of action to go. The final Commonwealth Games team will be selected and announced by South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) in accordance with their Selection Policy. Brad Tandy was victorious in the men 50m freestyle event with 22.33 seconds. The 2016 Rio Olympic finalist was happy for qualifying. Douglas Erasmus finished second in the highly competitive men 50m freestyle final in 22.90 seconds. Armand Maritz finished fourth in the men 50m freestyle final but dipped below the qualifying time in 23.25 seconds behind Ryan Coetzee in third. Jarryd Baxter posted qualification in the men 200 metre backstroke final in a time of 1:59.65 seconds despite finishing second behind Martin Binedell, who claimed his first qualification time in 1:59.59 seconds. Baxter says it feels unreal to qualify

The Orange River Rafters were at their best Tuesday night following a 3-2 victory against Private Property St Lucia Lakers in their first Premier Hockey in the women’s final at the Randburg Astro Turf last night. The team’s victory follows their shaky start in the tournament where they were at the bottom. In the men’s section, Crossroads Maropeng Cavemen stormed to a successful title defence with 3-0 over the Pro-Grip Drakensberg Dragons to clinch the final. Rafters captain Sulette Damons says her team were underdogs...

The last two years have been very difficult for South African sprint sensation Anaso Jobodwana, he’s been hampered by injuries and failed to make his mark in the Olympics and IAAF World Champs. In 2016 Jobodwana was troubled by injuries and he couldn’t make it past the 200m heats at the Rio Olympics. This year he also failed to make it to the IAAF World Championships in London. The 2015 World Champs 200m bronze medalist who is now based in Durban after returning full time from the US, looks back at his challenges this year. Jobodwana’s major event is the 200m where he previously held the South African record of 19.87 seconds but Wayde van Niekerk set a new record in June of 19.84 secs. His target this year is to run a sub-10 in the 100m, his season’s best clocked at the national champs in Potchefstroom in April is currently 10.19 seconds.

SA Athletics programme has gone through its leadership challenges in the last six years due to some administrative challenges. This resulted in some sponsors pulling out and when Aleck Skhosana took over as Athletics South Africa (AS) President three years ago together with his team they had a lot of challenges to deal with. And today he had a broad smile. outh African athletics calendar will never be the same again following the launch of the Athletix Grand Prix Series in Johannesburg today. This series gets underway in March next year and it will see the countries top athletes competing against their international counterparts in three meetings around the country. Close to R1,4million in prize money will be on offer throughout this Grand Prix Series. In recent years SA athletes like Wayde van Niekerk, Caster Semenya, Akani Simbine, Luvo Manyonga and many others have been making headlines, clinching gold medals and world titles. Simbine, the 100m national champion and record holder sees a direct link between this new competition and SA athletes improved global profile.Henricho Bruintjies was amongst the first sprinters to break the 10-second barrier in the national 100m. He’s amongst the current golden generation of sprinters and is excited by this new series. Jobodwana didn’t have a good 2017 season, as he couldn’t qualify for the IAAF World Champs also following an unsatisfactory Rio Olympics performance last year. The 2015 World Champs 200m bronze medalist sees the new competition and addition to the ASA calendar as a great concept for local athletes

The Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (DSRAC) is pulling all the stops to ensure that Sunday’s 42,2km Heroes Marathon in Mthatha becomes yet another success. This is the 18th edition of the marathon, which will start at the Mthatha Airport and finish at the Nelson Mandela Museum in Qunu. Nompendulo Msi, a manager from the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (DSRAC) in the OR Tambo Region has more.

Olympic gold medalist and South Africa’s swimming sensation Chad Le Clos is crediting his world-renowned Italian coach Andrea Di Nino and strong family support for the good recovery he’s had this year. Last week, Le Clos became the first South African to win four World Cup series title. Le Clos won this title in 2011, 2013 and 2014 whilst countryman Cameron Van Der Burgh has also won it three times. Speaking to SABC Sport from Turkey where he was rounding up his training, Le Clos looks back at his successful 2017 campaign. At the Rio Olympics last year, Le Clos could only return with two silver medals and he wasn’t impressed with that return. At the FINA world championships in Budapest, Hungary in July this year he won the men's 200m butterfly gold medal defeating home-crowd favourite Laszlo Cseh who was the defending champion. Le Clos showed that class is permanent…

Olympic and World champion Wayde van Niekerk had a great season according to his 75-year old coach Anna Botha. The 25-year old did his personal best in the 200m clocking 19.84 seconds. He also broke the world record in the 300m event when he posted 30.81 seconds. Van Niekerk capped a great season when he won gold medal in the 400m at the IAAF world athletics championships in London, and also silver in the 200m. Van Niekerk has been one of the most prominent sprinters in the world in recent times. He won the 40m event at the Rio Olympics in Brazil last year, and also smashed the world record set by the American legend Michael Johnson in 1999. Last year he also became the first, and to date, the first sprinter in history to have run 100m in 10 seconds, 200m in under 20 seconds, and 400m in under 40 seconds. Botha says he is a special athlete.

Doug Ryder has hailed the influence of Mark Cavendish for South Africa’s ever-improving UCI ProTeam Team Dimension Data. Cavendish has won the third-most stages at all three cycling Grand Tours with 48 in total. Ryder explains.

Boxing South Africa (BSA) manager in the Eastern Cape Phakamile Jacobs has hailed reigning World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete following his first successful defence of his belt. Mdantsane-born Tete made history when he stopped challenger Siboniso Gonya in 11 seconds of the first round at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Saturday night. As a result of the win, Tete beat former WBO junior-featherweight Daniel Jiménez’s record, which he set when he stopped Harald Geier in 17 seconds on 3 September 1994.

Olympic and World champion Caster Semenya says her main goal next season is to break the world record in the 800m event. She also wants to become the greatest runner of all time in the same event. The 26-year old will have a hectic year as she will be competing in the Commonwealth Games in Australia, African Athletics Championships, Inter-Continental Championships as well as the Diamond League series. Semenya has been dominating the 800m over the last few seasons.

Port Elizabeth’s Boardwalk Casino is going to host the next edition of the SA Boxing Awards on Friday, 02 February 2018. Nominations for the 17 categories opened at the beginning of this month and will close on Wednesday, 06 December. The Boxing SA (BSA) CEO Tsholofelo Lejaka Lejaka added that they did everything by the book and it was DSRAC’S duty to provide a venue for the ceremony.…

Fresh from achieving a time of 3 hours and 31 minutes at the Old Mutual Soweto Marathon 42 km distance last Sunday, South African Paralympian Louzanne Coetzee believes she has what it takes to one day break the T11 world record in the same distance, which stands at 3 hours 14 minutes. The 24-year-old running sensation has already represented the country at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and has taken to long distance marathon running with the goal of smashing world records. In the past at national championships for the physically disabled, Coetzee has broken South African records in the 800m, 1500m and 5000m. She has set personal best times at World Championships, African championships and at national level. Last year she also participated in the Berlin World Championships in July, improving her African record in the 1500m and the Bloemfontein based athlete says she does a lot of track training and has set her sights in doing big at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020.

South Africa men and women won the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, held at Ismailia in Egypt, defeating Egypt and Ghana 2-1 and 4-0 respectively in the finals. Coach Sheldon Rostron who had the very rare but enormous task of coaching both the men’s and women’s team landed in Johannesburg Monday morning delighted.

Former IBF Welterweight champion Tsiko Mulovhedzi says he didn’t get enough time to prepare for the intercontinental IBF Welterweight fight with Hungary’s Laszio Toth. Mulovhedzi lost his title to Toth on points at the Ngoako Ramatlhodi sports complex in Seshego on Friday. The man from Vhembe says he was given two and a half weeks which is not enough for an athlete who’s been inactive for the majority of the year. To add to his unfitness problems Mulovhedzi was also overweight. Fighting in this division requires a boxer to be 66, 68 kg and the Mulovhedzi weighed 71,22 kg while his opponent weighed 65,86 kg. Mulovhedzi says he felt weak as early as the second round. Mulovhedzi further says he was forced to risk fighting unprepared because he doesn’t want his family to starve. Asked if he shouldn’t have been ready seeing that he is a professional athlete, Mulovhedzi says that’s difficult in the sport as the training is really hard. Meanwhile the boxer says he’s going back to gym to prepare for a trip to Australia to work with boxing legend Lovemore Ndou next year.

SA women’s hockey team co-captain Sulette Damons says it is always a privilege to represent South Africa in any event as the team prepares to compete at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ismalia, Egypt from the 19th to the 29th of October. Damons is one of the more experienced team members having featured for South Africa in the 2012 Olympics and a few other major tournaments. The ladies had already qualified for next year’s 2018 World cup after finishing 5th at the World League semi-finals held in Johannesburg earlier this year, however their male counterparts still need to win the Africa cup of nations in order to qualify. Damons feels the ladies also have a lot to fight for despite not having a major challenger from Africa…

Gymnastics South Africa Chief Executive Officer Tseko Mogotsi says their mission is to grow the number of participants in the sport. Gymnastics is a men’s and women’s sport that requires balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, endurance and control. The sport comprises of many disciplines such as rhythmic gymnastics, trampolining and tumbling, acrobatic and aerobic gymnastics. Gymnastics is a minor sport is SA and as a result does not have many participants, but Mogotsi, who succeeded the retired Cameron Smith two years ago, is determined to change that.

The South African Men’s Hockey side will be heading to Egypt in an attempt to win the African Cup of Nations for the 8th consecutive time and defend the title that they last won in Johannesburg in 2015. Coach Sheldon Rostron has had to drop a few key players due to personal commitments and with some players plying their trade in European leagues not being selected for the tournament that takes place between the 22nd to the 29th of this month…

Badminton South Africa acting President Chris Dednam believes that they can do well at the Commonwealth Games in Australia next year, depending on the luck of the draw. SA was ranked 7th at the previous Commonwealth Games Glasgow, Scotland in 2014 with 13 Gold, 10 silver and 17 bronze medals but with no medal in Badminton.

Boxing South Africa (BSA) manager in the Eastern Cape, Phakamile Jacobs, who is mourning the death of Sinethemba Magibisela, has lamented the killing of boxers. Magibisela, who was a South African mini-flyweight title contender, was stabbed to death in Ilitha outside King Williams Town last Sunday, a day after he put up a fine performance during his win over Mbulelo Nxazonke at a tournament held at the Willowvale Indoor Sport Centre in the Eastern Cape. Jacobs added that a lot happens when one is a professional boxer thus he has called for extra care to be taken in as far as boxers are concerned.

Rowing South Africa President Sean Kerr believes that the sport is in a very healthy state in the country. Kerr said this on the back of the performances at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil. In 2012 the lightweight men’s rowing four comprising of James Thompson, Matthew Brittain, John Smith and Lawrence Ndlovu won gold medal while the men’s coxless pair of Britain and Shaun Keeling won silver medal at the Rio Olympics, with three boats finishing fourth and one finishing fifth.

The Chief of Staff at the national Department of Sport and Recreation Sumaila Khan says they appreciate the partnership they have with long term hosts of the annual national indigenous games in Limpopo. The province will once again be hosting the nine code event from Monday, 25th until the 29th of September in Seshego outside Polokwane. Khan who was representing Sport Minister Thulas Nxesi at the launch on Sunday also added that her department is also pleased that it is leaving an infrastructure legacy in the community of Seshego.

Former IBO lightweight champion Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni is leaving South Africa for the United States on a trip financed by former ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa. Nomeva will be trained by Luis Tapia after signing a four-year contract with the famous trainer. The unbeaten 27-year-old who is also former WBF International junior-light, SA junior-lightweight and national lightweight champion, is yet to discuss with his team as to which world title or titles he should go for once he settles in the US. Phosa also reveals why he decided to help Ndongeni through the Mathews Phosa Foundation.

South African sprinter Thando Roto says he can compete with the best athletes in the world following his exploits at the world University Games in Taipei, Taiwan. Roto won a silver medal in the 100 metre event after finishing second in 10.24 seconds to the local athlete Han-Chun Yang, who finished on 10.22 seconds and ahead of the third placed Malik Cameron Burrel with 10.27 seconds.

Event organisers of the 2017 Old Mutual Soweto Marathon have called on runners who were not able to enter before the cut-off date in June, to secure a substitution entry before the end of September. Organisers have opened a window for substitutions which enables a runner to officially take over the entry of an athlete that needs to withdraw from the race. The Soweto Marathon sold out early in June, making history by reaching full capacity for the 10km, 21km and the 42.2km marathon. Grant Panter from the Soweto Marathon race clarifies the process.

University Sport South Africa President Ilhaam Groenewald says gold medals would have boosted the country’s rankings at the world university games in Taipei, Taiwan. She said it after the team arrived from Taiwan at the O.R Tambo international airport on Saturday, 2 September 2017. SA was ranked 44th after amassing five medals at the 29th edition of the games. They sent over 130 athletes participating in ten sporting codes. The team got five silver medals but with no gold medals.

WBO bantamweight champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete’s proposed title defence against Siboniso Gonya has been floored by lack of funds. Last Born Promotions, which is Tete’s company, was going to promote the fight. Tete’s business manager Mlandeli Tengimfene has more.

Organisers of the 2017 Mandela Day Marathon have declared the race a huge success after around 15,000 athletes participated in the sixth edition of the event. The 42 kilometre race, run from Manaye Hall in Imbali to the Mandela Capture site in Howick, drew massive crowds and a positive response from everyone involved. New champions were crowned too as Ethiopia’s Tekletsion Kassahun Tefera went one better than last year to win the men’s race, while Lesotho’s Mamorallo Tjoka was the women’s winner. Lennox Mabaso is the Head of Marketing and Communications for the race and he was pleased with the way the weekend went. The Provincial Government of KwaZulu-Natal and the uMgungundlovu District Municipality are the main organisers of the race and this year they brought on a corporate sponsor for the first time. That investor is banking giant Absa, who have pledged their support for the next three years and Dante Mashile, head of Marketing and Corporate Relations, was also satisfied with the way the day went.

2017 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships event organiser, Alec Lenferna says preparations ahead of the upcoming Para-cycling Road World Championships in Pietermaritzburg this weekend have gone well and they are ready to welcome the World’s top Para-cyclists to Africa’s bike city.

Jamaican and World superstar Usain Bolt took to the track on Sunday as he said goodbye to the sport he loves dearly. Bolt who said he started running at the age of 10 said it was an emotional farewell for him. He competed in the Men’s 100m and came third; he was also part of the Men’s 4x100m relay team but couldn’t finish the race due to injury. He said his biggest race was when he won the 2015 Men’s 100m race in Beijing World Championships and the regret of his career was when he false started in World Championships Daegu 2011. Bolt said he wants to thank all his supporters with the way they have supported him throughout the years. Meanwhile British Athlete Mo Farah who also announced his retirement from track and field said his last race was one of the toughest and didn’t want to lose at his home town. Farah came second in the Men’s 5000m behind Ethiopian Muktar Edris of Ethiopia and Bronze medal went to Paul Chelimo of the USA. Farah who will now put his focus on road running said his last race was not easy.

South Africa’s golden girl Caster Semenya secured the country’s third gold after winning the Women’s 800m championship in London on Sunday night, 13 August. Semenya ran the world’s best leading time of 1:55.16 to take gold whilst Francine Niyosaba of Burundi came second with a time of 1:55.92, the third position went to America’s Ajee Wilson with the time of 1:56.65. Semenya said she knew it was going to be a fast race. Meanwhile another South African athlete who was in action is Lebogang Shange who participated in the Men’s 20 Kilometres Race Walk event. Shange surprised many by coming fourth in the event with the national record time of 1:19:18 just 14 seconds outside the podium finish. Columbian Eider Arevalo took gold, whilst silver went to Sergei Shirobokov and Caio Bonfim of Brazil took bronze. Shange said he felt great and happy with his performance.

Top Mountain Bike (MTB) rider William Mokgopo says he’s highly motivated ahead of UCI MTB World Championships in September. Mokgopo was named in the cross-country team to represent South Africa at the Championships in Australia. The young rider, who is a final year Sports Science student at the University of Pretoria, says he is relieved to have acquired a sponsor to fund his trip to Cairns.

The world student games are the stepping stone to bigger things for athletes. Those words were expressed by Thembi Baloyi who is going to be part of the strong South African team at the world student games that will take place in Taipei, Taiwan from the 19th until the 31st of August. The University games were a breeding ground for top athletes such as Anaso Jobodwana, Wayde van Niekerk and Akani Simbine, and Baloyi is hoping to achieve that.

National Basketball Association (NBA) players showcased their talent in front of an energetic African crowd at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg on Saturday night, 5 August 2017. Team World featured the likes of Portland Trail Blazers player CJ, McCollum, Boston Celtics, Jayden Brown and Team Co Captain Kemba Walker, while Team Africa boasted top names like Emmanuel Mudiay, Los Angeles Lakers Luol Deng and Utah Jazz's Thabo Sefolosha. Team Africa was the first to score, but couldn’t maintain control as Team World came back firing, building up a nice lead in the third quarter and eventually came out 108-97 winners on the night. Cameroonian Luc Mbah a Moute says he spotted a lot of talent during his time in South Africa and believes that with proper coaching and adequate infrastructure, top quality players could develop from the country. Team World Co-Captain Walker says that while the match was very tight at some points, the players all had fun on the court. Switzerland-born Thabo Sefolosha, whose father hails from South Africa, says playing in front of the Johannesburg crowd, was extra special for him.

Cycling SA believes that the 2017 UCI Road World Championships that will be held in Bergen, Norway from the 17th to the 24th of September is a crucial event and South African will be sending a strong team there. Cycling SA road director Bosseau Boshoff feels with a few household names in the team South Africa will have good shot.

After successfully defending his IBO junior-bantamweight title by a unanimous decision over Ryan Rey Ponteras at the East London International Convention Centre on Friday night, reigning champion, Gideon “Hardcore” Buthelezi, said he had his September fight with Dewayne Beamon in mind when he battled it out against the Filipino boxer.

Elias Tshabalala, who trains reigning IBO junior-bantamweight champion Gideon “Hardcore” Buthelezi, is confident that the Boipatong-born boxer will emerge victorious when he defends his crown against Filipino boxer Ryan Rey Ponteras at the East London International Convention Centre tonight. Tshabalala is confident of victory even though he has admitted that Ponteras is a closed book to them. A win from tonight’s fight will give Buthelezi a chance to fight against Dewayne Beamon in North Carolina in the United States in September. But Tshabalala insists that their focus is wholly on tonight’s contest.

Long distance runner Mapaseka Makhanya says that while she has been left frustrated by the chaos caused by the controversial Athletics South Africa (ASA) selection criteria, she remains grateful for the opportunity to represent the country at next month's IAAF World Championships in London. Makhanya was named in the final 23-man squad to represent the country at the championships from August 4. She and Jenna Challenor achieved the IAAF qualifying standard of two hours, 45 minutes, missing out on the tougher A standard of two hours, 28 minutes set by ASA. Makhanya, who secured her qualification at the 2016 Shanghai Marathon, with a time of two hours, 37 minutes and 19 seconds, says her selection means a lot to her.

Reigning IBO junior-bantamweight champion, Gideon “Hardcore” Buthelezi, has other thoughts about Filipino boxer Ryan Rey Ponteras whom he meets in a title defence at the East London International Convention Centre on Friday. The 31-year-old Buthelezi reckons that altitude and climate might work in his favour against Ponteras. Speaking through an interpreter Ponteras has declared that he is in South Africa to capture the IBO belt away from the Boipatong-born champion.

Reigning International Boxing Organisation (IBO) junior-bantamweight champion Gideon “Hardcore” Buthelezi, is unfazed as he is preparing to face Ryan Rey Ponteras from the Philippines even though he has admitted that he knows nothing about his Filipino opponent. Buthelezi, a former IBO minimum weight champion, will be out to defend his IBO junior-bantamweight title when he trades leather with the 27-year-old Ponteras at the East London International Convention Centre on Friday next week. Though the Boipatong-born southpaw admits that a closed book can be dangerous, he insists that a clever trainer can read the situation quicker for the benefit of his boxer. Buthelezi has a professional record of 19 victories (four KOs) and five losses compared to Ponteras’ record of 20 wins (nine KOs), a draw and 11 losses.

This weekend’s hockey action saw South African women’s and men’s hockey teams compete in the Hockey World League semi-final matches as the host nation at the Wits Hockey grounds in Johannesburg. The ladies played to a 0-0 draw against India in their opening match and the men’s game ended with a 2-0 loss for South Africa. While SA ladies coach Sheldon Rostron was disappointed with the draw, he was pleased with the fight shown by his team and says a top five finish is not out of reach.

Boxing South Africa (BSA) chief executive officer Tsholofelo Lejaka says his organisation is prioritising the growth of women’s boxing. Lejaka adds that the growth is going to happen in the form of tournaments, which will feature all-women bouts. With South Africa having only 41 professional women boxers compared to 746 male fighters, Lejaka says they want to see more females getting involved in the sport. The BSA boss is worried about the absence of South African boxers in prestigious world bodies like the WBO, WBC, WBA and IBF ratings.

Cycling South Africa President William Newman says the federation is proud of Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio’s achievements, on the international stage, saying she’s a great inspiration to young cyclists in the country. Last month, the Commonwealth bronze medallist moved up to the highest ever ranking for any South African woman cyclist, after climbing to a career best third in the Elite Women UCI Individual World rankings. Moolman-Pasio has enjoyed an incredible run of form on the world stage this year, recently finishing in the top ten at the Ovo Energy Women’s Tour. Her great showing on the road has her cushioned among the world’s top five ranked women in the world and Newman believes Moolman-Pasio has shown great class as an athlete by breaking into the top five.

Boxing South Africa (BSA) celebrated Youth Month with a difference as the organisation hosted a two-day seminar at Buffalo Park in East London. According to BSA chief executive officer (CEO) Tsholofelo Lejaka, the aim of the seminar, which started yesterday and ends today, is to empower boxers. Lejaka adds that boxers are faced with a lot of challenges, especially when it comes to substance abuse. As recent as this week, former SA featherweight and junior-lightweight champion Aphiwe Mboyiya was busted by the South African Institute For Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) after banned substances, furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide, were found in his urine sample, which was taken following his win over Sibusiso Zinganga in April this year.

South African male boxer of the year Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni says the non-payment of boxers could kill the popular sport in the country. Nomeva is still owed R1million by promoter Dicksy Ngqula, after he won the Premier Boxing League tournament in the Eastern Cape two years ago. In April last year, he did not receive his R100 000 for his ten-round lightweight scrap against Tanzanian Emilio Norfat, after he featured in the Sijuta Promotions tournament in which promoter Andile Sidinile failed to pay fighters for an event that took place in the Eastern Cape.

Veteran boxer and former IBF World Super featherweight champion Mzonke Fana believes that it is time to consider his future in the sport of boxing following yet another title fight loss last Friday, 16 June 2017. The 43-year-old Eastern Cape born fighter known as ‘The Rose of Khayelitsha’ as he now resides in Cape Town has lost his four of his last fights in and outside of the country. Fana holds a proud record of 51 professional fights, 38 wins and 13 losses with 16 of those 38 victories coming by way of Knock Out.

Swimming South Africa national Coach Graham Hill believes that the future of the sport looks bright in the country, heading into the Commonwealth games in Australia next year and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan. Only eight swimmers qualified for the FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary next month, but only three did not go to the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil which suggested that new swimmers are not breaking through. Hill’s confident words stems from the fact that more than twenty young swimmers managed to qualify for the FINA Youth World Champs in Indianapolis, USA to take place in August later this year. Hill had several young swimmers in his stable such as Erin Gallagher and Emily Visagie, who impressed at the recent national swimming championships in Durban. Hill believes the youngsters will be a force to be reckoned with in the near future.

Boxing South Africa chairperson Ntambi Ravele says the country needs prominent heavyweight boxers for the sport to return to its former glory. The sport was in the doldrums for many years when there were ongoing problems in the boardroom, which Ravele claims have since been resolved. There was a blackout from the South African Broadcasting Corporation for two years, until the public broadcaster made a return in 2014. The boxing awards also made a return early this year after a six-year absence.

South Africa’s top junior tennis player Bertus Kruger might have seen his golden run at the Junior French Open come to a disappointing end after going down to Oliver Crawford from the US who won 7-6, 6-4 this past week in Paris. However Kruger has since returned to South Africa and says the overall experience at the Roland Garros was his best so far in his fledgling career. On his way to reaching the last 32 of the boy's singles at the Junior French Open, the 82nd ranked Kruger recorded an impressive 6-3, 6-3 singles win over Rubio Fieros, from Mexico. In this tournament Kruger beat two players ranked in the top 50 before going down to the 10th seeded Crawford.

After three years of knocking on the door, the Jaguars have finally clinched their first Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League title on Sunday, after beating the North West Flames at the Mangaung Indoor Arena, in Bloemfontein. A dominant display from shooter Chrisna van Zyl and team captain Shadine van der Merwe led the Jaguars to a 49-43 win in their Premier League final. Jaguars coach Jenny van Dyk says it has been a tough four year search for them and they are thrilled to have finally stepped up to the number one spot.

Tennis South Africa (TSA) has formally endorsed Beach Tennis as a discipline and the governing body hopes with the time the discipline will be more competitive and that a national team to represent South Africa can be assembled in the near future. The rules are not too different from traditional tennis rules but the exception is that the ball cannot touch the ground. Smith says one cannot take away the fun element in the sport and he anticipates a lot of enthusiasm in this discipline.

The Gauteng Jaguars maintained their lead at the top of the Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League standings following their victories in the fourth round of the competition, which was played at the Bellville Velodrome at the weekend. On Friday the Jaguars battled to a 46-42 victory over the Southern Stings and followed that up with a 62-38 thrashing of Mpumalanga Sunbirds. They wrapped up their weekend play with a thrilling 67-38 victory over the EC Aloes. Jaguars coach Jenny van Dyk says she’s proud of their early season success. The Jaguars sit pretty on top with 12 points, with the Gauteng Golden Fireballs close behind on 10 points. Coach Van Dyk says the team understands that staying ahead of other teams won’t be easy and they’ll need to maintain their consistency, which has seen them do well enough to take an early lead in this year’s competition.

South African sprint king Akani Simbine’s exploits on the track continue to benefit him commercially and today he added another corporate company announcing a partnership with Condrac Communications. This is a precursor to a partnership between Simbine and Mercedes Benz South Africa through the AMG brand. Simbine has started the year on a bright note reclaiming the South African 100m title and also continuing running six sub 10 seconds. And now he’s reaping the benefits off the track. Whilst top SA athletes continue to attract good sponsors, the same cannot be said about the mother body Athletics South Africa (ASA). And this is affecting the development of athletics, Simbine believes that the corporate sector is now starting to notice the good work in athletics.

Lightweight boxer Jeffrey Nonhlanhla Magagane may have signalled his magnificent return following a point decision over Sinovuyo Tayi at Orient Theatre in East London last week. However, the boxer is still to convince pundits that he is back with a bang and will impress going forward. He is still being hunted by his only defeat in the hands of Ayanda Nkosi which cost him his Gauteng lightweight title crown.

Cape Town will be uniting again on Sunday 21 May as people from all walks of life gather together to run through the streets of the Mother City. The Cape Town 12 ONERUN celebrates everything Cape Town: The Vibe, the City itself, but most importantly the people. Founder of the race Michael Meyer says the Cape Town 12 is a lot more than just a race. It is about uniting people from all over the country and even the African continent.

Former Commonwealth and South African super middleweight champion Andre Thysse, has called on the boxing fraternity to fight for boxing to return to being the number one sport in South Africa. The former boxer turned promoter running Real Steel Promotions made the call following the passing of Nick ‘Mthakathi’ Durandt. Much like the late Durandt, Thysse who is also known for making bold calls in the game says it is time to fix the game and work together.

Tennis South Africa (TSA) has announced that they will be rebuilding women’s tennis as it is in an unhealthy state at the moment. TSA’s board member responsible for Women’s tennis Bridget Visee has this to say about the current state of women’s tennis. Visee says in line with the overall TSA strategy of encouraging greater participation in the sport she would like to see more women playing tennis especially the younger generation.

Eastern Cape MEC for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Pemmy Majodina remembered the late Nick ‘Mthakathi’ Durandt as a community developer and a true champion in unearthing raw talent from the outskirts of the Eastern Cape. Majodina paid homage to the Durandt family and his Crusaders Bike Club, where he was serving as national President, on behalf of all Eastern Cape boxing licensee’s and the boxers. Majodina also called on the boxing fraternity not to cry but mobilize, celebrate a life well lived and take a leaf out of Durandt’s book.

South Africa boxing legend Dingaan ‘The Rose of Soweto’ Thobela was among thousands of mourners who gathered to pay their last respects to boxing legend Nick “Mthakathi” Durandt at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg today. Durandt, who was involved in boxing for 15 years, died in a motorbike accident on April 21. Durandt produced boxers such as; Thulani Sugar-Boy Malinga, Cassius ‘Hitman’ Baloyi, Philip “The Bomb” Ndou, Silence Mabuza, Geoffrey Mathebula, Zolani Tete and Moruti Mthalane. Speaking to SABC journalist Thando Gqamane, Thobela also extended words of comfort to Durandt’s son Damian.

One of South Africa’s fastest growing Cycling South Africa sanctioned mountain bike stage races, the Transcape MTB is set to undergo a revamp in terms of the route for 2018. Race director Darren Herbst has more about the race’s new innovations. With more and more South Africans taking up cycling as a leisure sport, there certainly is an opportunity for cycling enthusiasts to be more competitive. According to Herbst the new Transcape route will want to make riders fall in love with the countryside as the route will traverse small towns barely heard of and give riders a sense of adventure...

IBO (International Boxing Organization) flyweight champion Moruti “Baby Face” Mthalane is looking to defend his title, when he takes on Genesis Libranza from the Philippines at the Wembley Arena in Johannesburg on Friday night. Mthalane will be defending his title for the third time after he successfully defended it twice while he was still working under the late boxing hero Nick Durandt. The 34-year old has been starved of action after all his fights were cancelled at an eleventh hour last year, but is looking forward to the fight against the Philippine.

The executive Mayor of Polokwane Local municipality, Thembi Nkadimeng launched the 2017 Polokwane municipality Annual Mayoral road Race scheduled for 29 April 2017 and the annual Mayoral cycling Race taking place on 28 May respectively at the Peter Mokaba stadium on Monday, 24 April 2017. The event features the Comrades marathon qualifier, the mayor’s road race and, the 104km Cape Argus qualifier, the mayor’s cycling race and fun runs and cycling including walking. Registration was open as of Monday online (www.cycleevents.co.za), the municipality civic centre for walk-ins until the day of the events. Nkadimeng said the cycling race becoming a qualifier for Cape Argus is proof of the improvements in the event. The mayor also reveals that R300 000 has gone to prizes, with activities costing R2m.

After successfully defending her double national titles in the 400m and 800m in the South African Senior athletics championships in Potchefstroom this past weekend it’s understandably why many will be asking why Caster Semenya is not doubling at the IAAF World Championships later this year. But the Olympic champion says for the next few years she’s got no intention of doubling in major championships and has confirmed that in London later this year, she will only be focusing on her specialty, the 800m. Last year, Semenya made history when she became the first SA athlete to complete a triple at the SA nationals as she also won the 1500m title. She couldn’t do it this year but says for this coming weekend’s University Sport South Africa (USSA) athletics championships, she’s going to triple, in preparation for the IAAF Diamond League season.

2016 Rio Olympics double silver medallist Chad Le Clos wants to win the gold medal at the FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary in August. Le Clos shot into prominence at the 2012 London Olympics, when he won gold medal to stun the legendary and childhood hero Michael Phelps in the 200 metre butterfly event. The Cape Town based swimmer qualified in the four events for the world champs in the 100 and 200 metre butterfly, 100 and 200 metre freestyle events. He failed to win a gold medal at the Rio Olympics, but still managed to get double silver medals in the 100 metre butterfly and 200 metre freestyle races. He is looking to reclaim gold medal again in Hungary.

Newly crowned WBO bantamweight world champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete has paid tribute to the late boxing trainer and manager Nick Durandt who passed away on Friday in a bike accident in Clarens in the Free State. He was speaking after his arrival at the OR Tambo international this morning from the UK where he won the interim title on Saturday evening beating Filipino Arthur Villanueva on unanimous points decision. Tete worked briefly with Durandt after he lost to Moruthi Mthalane in the IBF flyweight world title fight in 2010. He says, he dedicated his fight and the unanimous points decision results to Durandt…

Wayde Van Niekerk, Akani Simbine and Anaso Jobodwana’s exploits at international level have profiled South Africa as a leading producer of sprinters on the African continent recently and an emerging one globally. It’s still too early to say SA can be mentioned on the same line as Jamaica and the US when it comes to sprinting. But this past weekend’s events at the SA senior championships in Potchefstroom where Van Niekerk won the 200m men’s national title in 19.90secs, proves that the country is on the right path according to the World and Olympic 400m champion. Teenager Clarence Munyai raised eyebrows last year when he won the 200m national title in Stellenbosch but it was a difficult and competitive field on Saturday as he couldn’t make the podium finish.

he star of Olympic silver medalist Luvo Manyonga continues to rise and shine on the athletics field. Earlier today Manyonga improved his own South African and Africa men’s long jump record when he leapt to a new record of 8.65m with his first jump in the final. He bettered his previous record that he set during the Athletics Gauteng North provincial meeting in Pretoria last month by 3cm. Last year Manyonga finished in a low position because of no jumps but this time he says he’s at another level. After breaking the record with his first jump, Manyonga who is currently carrying the world’s lead, stopped competing.

The world and Olympic 400m champion Wayde Van Niekerk has sent a strong message to his counterparts in the IAAF World Championships that his plan to double on the podium is not just an idea but reality. Van Niekerk won the 200m national title in 19.90 seconds at the conclusion of the two-day South African Senior championships at the McArthur stadium in Potchefstroom yesterday. This is the second fastest time by a South African in the 200m. Van Niekerk says this time proves why he’s right about doubling in London later this year…

In 2013 he was the first South African sprinter to dip under 10 seconds as he won his record sixth 100m national title in 9.98 seconds that year. Simon Magakwe made a return this afternoon to competitive athletics as he won his fifth heat in 10.40 seconds at the SA Senior Championships at McArthur stadium in Potchefstroom. In December 2013, the 30year-old was banned for two years after he refused a mandatory out of competition doping test by the IAAF. As he prepares to line-up in the semi-final and the final later today, Magakwe tells SABC Sport journalist Velile Mbuli that he nearly turned a professional footballer few months ago.

In its fourth year running, the Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League looks set to be more than just an eight week netball tournament by leaving a lasting legacy in women’s sport. Today Netball South Africa (NSA) in partnership with the sponsor, announced new features to the tournament, revealing that this year’s champions would get to travel to New Zealand to compete in the Super Club Championships. A new study programme was also introduced which will allow players within the league to further their studies. The beverage company’s Marketing Manager, Kudzi Mathabire had this to say. Since its inception back in 2014, the Netball Premier League has been instrumental in the growth of netball in the country. NSA’s President Mimi Mthethwa attested to this by saying the tournament has elevated the standard of netball in the country.

Top South African mountain biker Mariske Strauss says she’s still hungry for more titles in her cycling career and hopes to put out top performances in coming local events as she looks to book her spot in the World Championships in Australia, later this year. The current National Mountain Bike champion continued her dominance in the local scene at the weekend when she claimed victory at the second round of the 2017 SA National MTB Cup Series XCO at the Wolwespruit Bike Park in Tshwane. Strauss, who’s career best result so far is a second place finish at the 2013 Cross country World Cup in Malaysia, says her journey to the top took years of hard work and is fortunate to have a supportive structure behind her.

Following her victory over German’s Alesia Graf, the newly crowned World Boxing Federation (WBF) female bantamweight champion, Bukiwe Nonina will set her sight on the WBC silver title. The “Anaconda” beat Graf after 10 rounds on unanimous points decision in Cape Town late last month. She also became the boxer from Dutywa, Eastern Cape to win a world title. Nonina failed to win the WBC silver belt against Catherine Phiri in 2014 in Zambia, and will be gunning for revenge against the Zambian champion. The South African boxer of the year at some point held the SA title, which she defended successfully five times.

Swimming South Africa chief executive officer Shaun Adriaanse is impressed by how the inland provinces have performed at the on-going South African Schools Aquatics National championships in Polokwane. Adriaanse says one of the factors that can be credited for this improvement is the federation’s framework on everyone doing what they are supposed to do.

The annual SA National Aquatic championships ended in Durban this past Saturday, with many swimmers having achieved qualifying times to their respective world championships. Eight athletes managed to reach the FINA (world swimming federation) senior world championships in Budapest, Hungary later in July. Of those who qualified, five athletes took part at the Rio Olympics in Brazil last year, which shows that there is a lack of new talent coming through. What was encouraging was the fact that 24 young swimmers managed to reach the junior world championships which will take place in Indianapolis, USA later in August. The current President of African Swimming Confederation (CANA) Dr Sam Ramsamy says the future is bright with the many youngsters coming through.

In his first official outing as minister of Sport and Recreation Thembelani “Thulas” Nxesi opened the 2017 South African School National Aquatics championships in Polokwane on Sunday evening. All provinces except Northern Cape will compete in Limpopo’s capital from Monday until Thursday. Minister Nxesi admitted it’s a concern that learners from one province are missing on the activities however wasn’t happy with the racial representation which was majority white. Nxesi also believes that taking swimming to all parts of the country including predominantly rural provinces is one of the routes that can be used to make the code attractive to black people.

KIA South African doubles specialist Raven Klaasen and Ruan Roelofse overcame Slovenia’s Grega Zemlja and Tomislav Ternar in straight sets 7-6 (6) 6-2 6-4 to clinch an overall victory for South Africa in the Davis Cup at the Irene Country Club. With South Africa having clinched the tie 3-0, the reverse singles are effectively dead rubber as the team now stands a chance to play for promotion in September for a possible place in Euro/Africa Group I next year. SA’s double team were clear favourites but Klaasen says they did not expect it to be plain sailing but it went smoother than expected. Roelofse, who now stands at seven wins and no losses in Davis Cup ties was extremely proud of the team’s effort this weekend.

Polokwane City says it will travel with a bigger squad to Port Elizabeth for both the Nedbank cup last 16 encounter and the league match next week against Chippa United. The cup match is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium and the sides will meet again on Tuesday night at the same venue. City interim coach Bernard Molekwa reveals the side won’t be travelling back and forth as it could be taxing on the players.

Rio Olympic double silver medallist, Chad Le Clos has posted another qualifying time for the World Championship in Hungary later this year, at the SA National Aquatic Championships in Durban last night. Olympian Myles Brown also recorded a qualifying time in the 200m Freestyle race which was won by Le Clos. Meanwhile Rio Olympian silver medallist Cameron van der Burgh posted a qualifying time in the men’s 50m Breaststroke semi-finals in 27.06 seconds. Le Clos won the gold medal in the Men 200m Freestyle race in 1:46.48 seconds. He also posted the fastest time in the year in the discipline, and is pleased with that…

Two weeks ago, Gauteng North Championships earned a national and international status when the 100m final produced two sub-10’s. South Africa’s 100m record holder Akani Simbine, narrowly won the race in 9.92 seconds but a youngster by the name of Thando Roto was 0.03 seconds behind him. Roto who hails from Dimbaza, a small township between King William’s Town and Alice in the Eastern Cape is now officially the second quickest sprinter of all time in South Africa with his 9.95secs finish. As the athletes prepare for the Senior National Championships in Potchefstroom in two weeks time, the 21year-old tells SABC Sport reporter Velile Mbuli about his goal of running at the World Students Games and the IAAF World Championships later this year.

The men’s 100m final race at the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Senior Championships in Potchefstroom between the 21st and the 22nd of this month, promises to be lit in the modern lingo. With more than four sprinters in South Africa having ran sub-10’s in the last few months, this could go down as one of the most exciting and competitive 100m in the country. Names like SA 100m record holder Akani Simbine, 100m national champion Henrico Bruintjies, 400m world and Olympic champions and world record holder Wayde Van Niekerk, the new sensation Thando Roto, 200m world bronze medalist Anaso Jobodwana and many more. It’s for this reason Simbine is leading the athletes’ call for the venue to be packed, through the #FillupPotch ‘s campaign. It’s not just the 100m final that promises to produce fireworks at the Seniors but also the 200m final where Simbine, Van Niekerk and Jobodwana are also likely to square up to each other. But it’s also the youngsters like Gift Leotlela, the 18year-old sprint sensation who are ready to pull off an asset. Clarence Munyai is the reigning 200m national champion having reigned supreme at the national championships in Stellenbosch last year. He also participated at the Rio Olympics last year and has more on why SA sprints are at another level currently.

Myles Brown became the third swimmer to qualify for the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary later this year at the SA Aquatic Championships in Durban last night. He posted 1:47.51 seconds in the semifinals of the men’s 200m Freestyle ahead of Chad Le Clos on 1:49.47 seconds and Jarryd Baxter on 1:49.47 seconds. He will also be taking part in the 400m Freestyle race. Brown, who also took part at the Rio Olympics in Brazil last year was pleased with the qualification…

South African multiple Paralympic medalist Tyrone Pillay returned to action with an Impressive performance in as he claimed Gold in the Men’s Discus F42 category at the Nedbank National Championships for the Physically Disabled in Port Elizabeth yesterday. Pillay, who is taking part in his ninth national finals this year, says he is pleased with his performance upon his return from injury. After throwing 12.51m today, the reigning African and South African record holder (13.91m) Pillay, warned that this year he is looking to set the bar high and touch the 15m mark in preparation for the upcoming world championships. Reigning javelin world champion and Paralympic gold medalist Reinhardt Hamman believes that he is well on his way to finding his best form heading into the world championships in London. Albeit having struggle to clear 50m yesterday, Hamman says he feels that he is not too far from resetting the record books.

Entries for the 2017 Old Mutual Soweto Marathon have opened and with the “People’s race” being popular, the closing date has been set for 30 June. The chairman of the Soweto Marathon Trust, Sello Khunou has more. The race will take place on 5 November 2017 and the venue for the race remains the iconic FNB stadium for the second year running. This will be the location for both start and finish lines. The 2016 Soweto Marathon was a success beyond expectations and one of the best experiences for runners, largely due to the various parties that came on board to join the event sponsor like the SABC who are media partners.

Lesotho National Olympic and Commonwealth Games (LNOCG) secretary general Morake Raleaka says his organization is investing in weight-lifting athletes for the first time in preparation towards the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia as well as the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. He says the Olympic movement has introduced qualifications for the weight-lifters from the mountain kingdom. Releaka says Lesotho weight-lifters have shown immense improvement in recent times and that has prompted his organization (LNOCG) to inject funds into the weight-lifting sporting code. He says his organization will work with the Lesotho weight-lifting federation to promote the excellence among the weight-lifters. Releaka explains. Meanwhile Releaka says cycling is a high priority and one of the sporting codes his organization will be banging their hopes on in the medals stakes in the Commonwealth Games in Australia next year. Cycling remains one of the sporting codes that is showing high potential. The LNOCG secretary general says the Lesotho cycling team are currently on their way to Namibia to compete in the international terrain. Meanwhile Releaka says cycling is a high priority and one of the sporting codes his organization will be banging their hopes on in the medals stakes in the Commonwealth Games in Australia next year. Cycling remains one of the sporting codes that is showing high potential. The LNOCG secretary general says the Lesotho cycling team are currently on their way to Namibia to compete in the international terrain.