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Issue 19, August 2015

SA PolocroSSe

Team wins world

Championships

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BENCH (CONTRIBUTORS) Andrea du Plessis

Justin Klusener

Andrew Harvard

KARIEN JONCKHEERE

Anthony Moruthane

Mark Burgess

Badminton SA

Monster Energy

Backpage Media

Philna van Veijeren

Catherine Kotze

Polocrosse SA

Dan Lombard

Pr communications

Dawid Visser

Publicity Matters

Dee Hean

Reg Caldecott

elenagiolai ©

Sailing South Africa

Elana Meyer

SASPA

FULLSTOP COMMUNICATIONS Shannon Gilson Graeme Jackson

Squash SA

James Waters

Varsity Sports

Jonathan Cook

Wessel Oosthuizen SPECIAL THANK YOU TO BACK PAGE MEDIA

The ultimate online sports magazine

contents Cover Feature tanya snyders has her sights set on success Words: Dan Lombard | Photos: Provided

Main FeatureS ilse hayes The fastest Paralympic woman on the planet Running limitless Words: Karien Jonckheere | Photos: Wessel Oosthuizen / Saspa

polocrosse sa “we are the champions.... my friends” Words: Polocrosse SA | Photos: Shannon Gilson Photography

Jason jenkins an awakening giant Words: Dan Lombard | Photos: Provided

Ursula Grobler and Kirsten McCann raising the bar for SA Woman’s Rowing Words: Dan Lombard | Photos: Provided

Alexandra Fuller SA’s rising squash star Words: Karien Jonckheere | Photos: Jeffrey Schulman (Squash SA) & Provided

Issue 19, august 2015

YOUTH Features

sporting News

Luvo Claassen Realising his rugby dream!

badminton: USSA Badminton Tournament 2015

mind sports: Mphumzi mali wins 2015 draughts league

sailing: first sa sailor books spot for rio olympics

cycling: Madibaz cyclists take silver at Student Champs

football: varsity football season iii kicks off

squash: uj twins to represent sa squash at international games

hockey: ussa hockey championships 2015

rugby: english touring team visit curro college hazeldean

footBALL: wits university charge back into varsity football

hockey: Die Hoërskool Menlopark’s girls’ hockey is making waves

mountain biking: matthew lombardi

tennis: double glory for montjane at the swiss open

squash: Gauteng Central squash their competition at the U19 IPTs!

rowing: durban’s head of the bay regatta a huge success!

tennis: lucas sithole claims his second british open title

athletics: 2 golds, 2 silvers and a bronze at the iaaf world youth championships

Words: Dan Lombard | Photos: Provided

SA hosts 2015 Commonwealth Fencing Junior and Cadet Championships Words: James Waters | Photos: Provided

Ivanna Samu SA’s rising golf star at 16! Words: Karien Jonckheere | Photos: Catherine Kotze

Nduduzo Mfoza A unique spin bowler is born Words: Lunga Ntuli - Backpage Media | Photos: Anesh Debiky

Unexpected SailPro TLT finale SA’s first ever School v University regatta Words: Sailing South Africa (Karien Jonckheere) | Photos: Provided

Engen Knockout Challenge Best of the Best Words: Graeme Jackson | Photos: Provided

Durban Girls College Take third SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament Title Words: Publicity Matters (Sophie Thompson) | Photos: Justin Klusener

Khule ngubane Making music with a skateboard Words: Dan Lombard | Photos: Monster Energy

HeaLth Focus preparing for the sanlam cape town marathon Words: Elana Meyer, Andrea du Plessis and Dawid Visser | Photos: Provided

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

tanya snyders has her sights set on success

has her sights set on success

HoĂŤrskool Kempton Park

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Cover Feature: Shooting

Contributed by Dan Lombard | Photos: Provided

Nineteen year old Tanya Snyders is fast becoming one of the best female air rifle shooters in South Africa. She has only been shooting since 2010 but she is already breaking records and creating a legacy of her own.

In June, Tanya broke the South African Junior 10m Precision record at the 2015 Gauteng Open. Her total score was 8.8 points higher than the top placed senior woman. Her ability and determination sets her miles apart but it was her courage in the face of great adversity that made people sit up and take notice. “Nine days before the Gauteng Open my Dad passed away in a microlight crash. I didn’t practice at all in the run up to the competition as I was busy with family commitments. I decided to still compete because I knew it was what my Dad would have wanted. I didn’t want to win. I just wanted to have fun and remember my Dad.” “When I broke the record I had mixed feelings. It was great that I won, but I was saddened that I could not share this triumph with my Dad. I miss him terribly and whatever I achieve on the shooting range is for him.”

Tanya’s journey started on the family farm in Limpopo, where the family would pass the time shooting air rifles. She enjoyed it so much that she joined Hoërskool Kempton Park’s school team where the coach, Piet van der Merwe, has supported her to developed her raw talent. “The way I shoot today is all thanks to Piet. He taught me everything I know and I owe him a lot. I’ve also been coached by Martin Senore who is a Senior Protea. A major problem in South Africa is that we don’t have coaches to train athletes so we tend to struggle when competing against international athletes. At the moment I don’t have a coach but I keep up to date with international standards through textbooks. Basically I coach myself.” Tanya has reached the level where she is on par with the athletes that she looks to for inspiration and motivation. Marle Taljaard is the top Senior Women in South Africa, and it was her Junior record that Tanya broke. “I have so much respect for Marle. She’s achieved so much and has always made time to

give me advice. Internationally I look up to Sonja Pfeilschifter from Germany. I got to compete against her in Spain which was incredible. I want to be like them and one day be better than them.” Tanya also competes in the three position air rifle discipline. Athletes fire at targets from a distance of 10m using three positions: prone, standing and kneeling. She is ranked first in the country for 3P and second for 10m Precision. Her dream is to represent South Africa on the biggest stage of them all.

“I really want to go to the Olympics. It is my biggest dream. Unfortunately not having suitable coaches means we cannot prepare like other nations. But I will train as best as I can. If the 2016 Olympics are out of reach then I will set my sights on the 2018 Commonwealth Games. I won’t allow setbacks to stop me from competing on the global stage.”

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

tanya snyders has her sights set on success

Tanya’s mom and manager, Marelize, knows just how difficult it is to be a successful athlete within air rifle shooting. It is incredibly expensive to participate in the sport and the lack of competition means that Tanya’s development is hindered. “The gun and clothing required to compete costs about R60 000 and we have to cover all the costs. This excludes tournament fees, travelling costs and other expenses pertaining to the sport. The Protea team has been to Germany, Egypt and Spain since 2013. Everything has to be paid by the athletes which is unacceptable. Our athletes should not have to pay to represent their country,” explained Marelize. “It saddens me that because of money a lot of people don’t have access to air rifle shooting. There are so many talented kids out there but they cannot practice or compete because of the lack of funds.” Johan Pienaar, Gauteng Chairman of the South African Air Rifle Association (SAARA), is frustrated with the way the sport is governed in South Africa. A lack of financial support and quality coaches as well as administrative issues with sporting governing bodies is stunting the growth of air rifle shooting. “We get a bit of money from the Department of Sport and Recreation but that is solely for development purposes. We cannot use the money to assist established shooters such as Tanya. Development-wise we have established a division for blind shooters and earlier this year we held a camp for our athletes that competed in Germany,” said Johan.

“We are also in the process of implementing coaching courses that are recognised by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). We are making inroads in terms of growing air rifle shooting but it is a slow process.” “The biggest issue we face is the administration by our national sporting governing bodies. South Africa was set to host the African Continental Championships later this year which would allow our athletes a quota place at the Olympic Games. Both the South African Shooting Sport Confederation (SASSCo) and the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) refused to recognised the event so it was cancelled.” No reason was offered to SAARA by SASSCo and SASCOC as to why they would not recognise the event. This decision has had a detrimental effect on not only South African athletes but African athletes as a whole as there are no other tournaments scheduled that will allow the athletes to qualify for the Olympics. “There is a loophole in the system for a quota place at the Olympics. If an athlete wins a gold medal at any of the World Cup events then South Africa can qualify. The only problem is that it may not be the athlete who won the gold that goes to the Olympics as that decision lies with SASCOC,” Johan said. Tanya’s Olympic aspirations may have to wait until 2020 but she is determined to attend the Commonwealth Games in 2018. Rest assured whichever event comes first, Tanya will fly the South African flag high as she seeks to leave a lasting impression in air rifle shooting.

Fast Facts Fullname: Tanya Snyders Date of Birth: 20 September 1995 Hometown: Kempton Park High school: Hoërskool Kempton Park Tertiary education: College SA (Forensic DNA)

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Cover Feature: Shooting

Contributed by Dan Lombard | Photos: Provided

Tanya’s 2014 and 2015 results 2014 Africa Games - Egypt February 10m 7th Team 3rd

North West Open 5 April 2014 10m 4th 3P 1st

390,5 585

Northen Cape Open 1 March 2014 10m 1st 3P 1st

401,8 585

405,8

Gauteng Open 24 May 2014 10m 1st OVL Open 5 July 2014 10m 1st 3P 2nd World Championships - Spain Sept 2014 10m

406,8 582

125th

SA Championships 9/10 Oct 2014 10m 2nd 10m Final 3rd 3P 3rd Team u/20 1st

403 581

North West special trial 13 Dec 2014 10m 3rd 3P 1st

401,5 589

2015 North West Open 2 May 2015 10m 1st 3P 1st

407,8 587

Gauteng Open 6 June 2015 10m 1st 3P 1st

409,2

New Jnr Record

587

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Ilse Hayes The fastest Paralympic woman on the planet Running limitless

Hoerskool Brandwag

Stellenbosch University

The fastest Paralympic woman on the planet

Running limitless

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Main Feature: Paralympics

Contributed by Karien Jonckheere | Photos: Wessel Oosthuizen / Saspa

Poised, confident and ridiculously quick, Ilse Hayes is a very different athlete to the one that competed at her first World Championships back in 2002. She was 17 and the partially sighted sprinter had only been involved in disabled athletics for two years. “The World Championships was on a very different level. I was just a little girl against all these women,” explained the former Stellenbosch University student. “It was definitely an eye-opener and I learned a lot. “I was a bit intimidated by my fellow competitors in the call room. I remember it was the World Champ at that stage from Russia. She was shouting and hitting herself and I didn’t know what was going on. “As the trip went on I got used to it and realised that I should just focus on my own race and do things I’m used to doing. It was a huge honour to represent SA on that level and I was very proud when I could sing our national anthem on the podium. Something I will never forget.” So, despite her initial fears, Ilse emerged as World Champion in the T13 400m that year – just a small sign of things to come.

Fast forward 13 years and, aside from amassing five Paralympic and nine World Championships medals, Ilse is now the fastest Paralympic woman on the planet. That’s after shattering the world record in the 100m in Sao Paolo, Brazil in a lightning fast 11.89 seconds. “My aim was to break that record but I was so surprised by how far I broke it. I felt really blessed and privileged to be in this position and it’s motivating me even more to keep up the good work because records are there to be broken and it’s not going to stand forever,” explained the 29-year-old. “I’m still very grateful for the whole experience. It was perfect conditions on the day and I was ready to run limitless and give it my all. It was a

very competitive race which just added to the special experience, When I crossed the line I didn’t know the time as I can’t see it, but I heard my teammates going crazy so I suspected something great happened. Only after I saw my coach after a few minutes did I hear my time and felt really grateful.” “After dope testing it was confirmed a new world record and only then did it sink in and I got a bit emotional while all the sacrifices flashed through my mind and I just realised that every one of them was worth it.”

Running limitless

While Ilse won her last Paralympic gold in long jump, the former Hoerskool Brandwag student has decided to concentrate purely on the sprints for October’s World Championships in Doha – and ultimately at the next Paralympics in Rio. “I love both sprinting and long jump for so many different reasons. With jumping you have that thrill of hitting that board and flying through the air. With sprinting you have that adrenalin of the gun shot and blasting out of those blocks and driving through that finish line. The dip at the finish line just adds more to the victory. I must say I miss jumping very much but it’s really great to focus only on one discipline. Jumping is very technical and hard on the body so just focussing on the sprinting now is paying off.”

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Ilse Hayes The fastest Paralympic woman on the planet Running limitless

That it certainly is, and there will be far higher expectations heaped on Ilse when she lines up for the 100m in Doha as world record holder. Ilse is set to be one of 1,300 athletes from 90 countries who compete at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships which take place in Doha, Qatar, between 22-31 October. “It’s motivated me to keep up the good work and put in 100 per cent in every session so that when I line up for that 100m I know I have done everything in my power to be the best version of myself. I won’t have any regrets and hopefully that will be good enough on the day to try and break that record again. At the end of the day you need to focus on yourself and your own race and not try to worry too much about all the external pressure,” said Ilse who is also aiming to improve her 200m time. With gold in Rio the focus after these World Championships, Hayes has a bigger picture in mind when it comes to defining her long-term goals. “To leave a legacy of hope to all the people out there. I want to be satisfied that when I hang up my spikes for good that I was the best version of myself. I don’t ever want to regret things in life.” “I love being out there and meeting new people. Building relationships with all the fellow athletes from all the different parts of the world is amazing. I really use athletics as a platform to glorify God’s Name. He has chosen this path for me and gave me this talent so I want to experience every part of it. I want to give people hope that even though you have obstacles in your life, there is a reason for it and you must embrace it.” “Athletics is a huge passion of mine. I really love being outdoors and living a healthy lifestyle. I set a lot of short and long term goals for myself and it’s satisfying if I reach them. I love a challenge so resetting my goals keeps me on my toes. “ “I believe in running limitless and pushing yourself all the time. You’ll be surprised how much your body can handle if you allow it to go to that space.”

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Main Feature: Paralympics

Contributed by Karien Jonckheere | Photos: Wessel Oosthuizen / Saspa

More about Ilse: Diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease while still at primary school, Hayes’s central vision is what’s most affected.

CLICK TO Watch

In Paralympic competition, there are three different classes for the visually impaired: T11 (F11 in field events) are totally blind athletes who needs to run with a guide. T12 (F12 in field events) athletes can choose if they want to run with a guide or not. There will always just be four athletes in a race. With long jump these two classes have a meter by meter area from which they can take off. T13 (F13 in field events) has all the rules the able bodied athletes have – eight in a race and they jump from the standard long jump board. They don’t run with a guide. “I compete in the T13 category. My central vision is affected causing my vision to blur. My peripheral vision is less affected than my central vision so sometimes I rely on that a bit more,” explained Hayes.

Running limitless

“Basically what a normal sighted person can see over 60m I can see over 2 to 4 meters. That doesn’t mean it’s perfect vision. It is still blurry.”

Running limitless

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

polocrosse sa “We are the Champions…… my friends”

“We are the Champions...

my friends”

South Africa are the 2015 World Champs in Polocrosse

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

main Feature: polocrosse

Words: Polocrosse SA | Photos: Shannon Gilson Photography

Pre World Champ Expresso interview

Our Protea team was crowned the 2015 Polocrosse World Cup Champions when they defeated Zambia in the finals held on Sunday 12 July at the Durban Shongweni Club. The South African team successfully defended their 2011 title in the all-African final; the runners-up Zambia climbed from eighth on the world rankings to number two. Over 5,000 spectators turned up to enjoy the final dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s action. The prestigious event began with the opening ceremony on 2 July 2015, with the first round pool games starting on 3 July. Semi-finals and finals were played out from 10 to 12 July. The local polocrosse community provided 130 A-grade horses for the international players. Each international team drew a pool of 16 horses for the tournament.This event was attended by Zimbabwe, Zambia, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

polocrosse sa We are the Champions…… my friends

WHAT IS POLOCROSSE? Teams consist of eight players a side, played on horseback, the game is a fusion of the classic polo sport and lacrosse. Each player has a fibreglass cane with a racquet-headed, loose net attached to the end to carry the sponge ball; the aim is to get the ball through the opposing team’s goal. For more info about the game, click here.

The South African Polocrosse sides consisted of eight celebrated sportsmen and sportswomen - Jean Hackland from Bishopstowe, Celicia Jacobs (Delmas, Mpumalanga), Cayley Higgs (Richmond, KZN), Natalie MacLarty (Elandslaagte, KZN and Pretoria), Gavin Cocker (Cato Ridge, KZN), Jan-Albert Steenkamp (Wellington, Western Cape), Graham MacLarty (Elandslaagte, KZN) and Travis Timm (Mooi River, KZN). These teams were supported by six reserves - TembiMadonsela (Greytown), Dawnay Jacobs (Mpumalanga), Leigh Higgs (Richmond), Patrick Nkosi (Bethel), 2014 SA Player of the Year, Andrew Heynes (PMB, Bishopstowe) and Nico Van Wyk (Mpumalanga). Coach of the Protea team, Bruce MacLarty, 47 years old and a farmer in the Elandslaagte district (Biggarsberg, KZN) is an experienced and passionate mentor who has supported and challenged his players to reach the international level that they play at now. “Today has been a great milestone in South African Polocrosse history. The Proteas have now won the World Cup title twice in a

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

row. It has been an honour for me to end my time as the IPC President on a high note with SA proving that they are the champions. I would like to thank every player from across the world for a great event,” commented Wessel Strauss, president of the International Polocrosse Council. An on-form Zambian side came out flying in the final and they were quick to put goals on the scoreboard. The showdown proved to be a nail-biting affair with a goal scored every 52 seconds. The situation shifted in favour of the Proteas when the ladies team came out and scored five goals early on, this proved to be a game changer. The Protea men continued the charge to secure victory ahead of Zambia with 32 goals to 23.

“We are a proud nation and I am a proud president. To see an all-African final on African soil meant that Polocrosse was always going to be the winner today. I would like to salute our team for converting the pressure that they were under into focus and determination which saw them crowned champions,” commented Andre Truter, President: Polocrosse Association of South Africa.

main Feature: polocrosse

Words: Polocrosse SA | Photos: Shannon Gilson Photography

“Zambia showed incredible commitment, talent and determination, never complaining or appealing umpires calls, they are a team of true sportsmen and women,” commented Mike Taylor, Vice President: Polocrosse Association of South Africa. “Zambia, a Polocrosse playing country with not more than 50 odd registered players, showed true grit and determination today. Their coach, Henry Harris, management, and supporters – fondly referred to as the Zamie Army - should be proud,” added Taylor. The play-off for third and fourth place never disappointed, the United Kingdom (UK) came out firing and even led by putting the first goal on the board. The courageous UK side continued to put up a brave fight against an extremely talented and experienced Australian team. Australia went on to secure a well-deserved victory with 25 goals to 19 to finish third overall. The UK side moved up in the world rankings from sixth up to fourth. Australia retained third place in the world rankings. “The UK did really well against a strong Australian side – both sides will leave the tournament looking forward to the 2019 Polocrosse World Cup; they can pat themselves on the back for never disappointing their spectators and fans right up until the end,” said Andre Truter, President: Polocrosse Association of South Africa.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

polocrosse sa We are the Championsâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;Ś my friends

Expresso feature on Polocrosse Development in SA

Pre-final TV coverage

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

main Feature: polocrosse

Words: Polocrosse SA | Photos: Shannon Gilson Photography

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Polocrosse World Cup 2015 - Final South Africa vs Zambia

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

polocrosse sa We are the Champions…… my friends

AND FOR FUN: YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS ONE! POLOCROSSE (1947)

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

main Feature: polocrosse

Words: Polocrosse SA | Photos: Shannon Gilson Photography

SOUTH AFRICAN POLOCROSSE TEAM PROFILES: South African team captain Gavin Cocker has grown up with cane in hand as he started playing at the age of five. As a young adult, Cocker played for the Zimbabwe men’s side, winning the first Quadrangular Cup in 1997. After immigrating to South Africa, Cocker, who now lives in Cato Ridge, qualified for the South African team that won the 2011 Polocrosse World Cup. Father to five, Cocker’s true joy is in practising the sport with his children.

Celicia Jacobs, from Delmas (Mpumalanga), although only 25 years old is a seasoned Polocrosse player at an international level has been named the South African ladies captain. Jacobs found time to play in three Zimbabwean opens, compete in two Polocrosse World Cup championships and while studying, coached and introduced Stellenbosch University students to the sport. Jacobs was named the best ladies player on the English and Zimbabwean tour; she was also a part of the team that won the Inter-Provincial Tournament (IPT) and South African Championships.

26 year old Jan-Albert Steenkamp – better known as ‘Jannie’ is currently the world’s best player. He was awarded the Male Player of the World Cup award in 2011. Not only was Wellington (Western Cape) resident, Steenkamp a standout

competitor but his horse Melody won Golden Pony at the last World Cup. That same year Steenkamp played for Western Province, the winning team at the IPT in South Africa. He represented the Cape Unicorns at the South African Championships and was named ‘SA Player of the Year’. In addition to his remarkable Polocrosse skills, Steenkamp also happens to be a single handicap golfer.

Protea team member Jean Hackland, a KwaZulu-Natal player, hails from Bishopstowe, a small farming area outside Pietermaritzburg. Hackland is a veteran of the sport and has an impressive array of accomplishments.Her experience saw her playing for the U19 ladies team and competing in the South African ladies side against the UK in 2004. Hackland makes the most of everyday juggling a family as well as other sports that include running, mountain biking and canoeing.

Nineteen-year old Natalie MacLarty, from Elandslaagte (Biggarsberg, KZN) is one of the youngest team members and is currently studying a BSC in genetics at the University of Pretoria. MacLarty was originally a showjumper who represented KZN in Pony Riders (1:15m) in 2007 and 2008, and again for KZN in the Open Equitation in 2007 and 2008. MacLarty then moved on to play for the winning South African under 16 polocrosse team against Australia in 2009 and the winning South African side in the 2013 Quadrangular. At the age of 15, Graham MacLarty broke a 30 year record in that he was the youngest member of the South African men’s polocrosse side. MacLarty lives in a farming area near Elandslaagte (Biggarsberg, KZN) and was awarded Player of the Year in 2009 and in 2013.MacLarty proved himself a skilled athlete as the youngest member of the South African team during the 2011 Polocrosse World Cup and at the age of 21 this year, he was again the youngest male player on the South African side.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

polocrosse sa We are the Champions…… my friends

Cayley Higgs, the youngest team member, was born and raised in Richmond in KZN and matriculated last year from Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High. Partly due to her being a part of the team at this year’s Polocrosse World Cup, 18-year-old Higgs is taking a gap year while working at Roselands, an outdoor adventure and environmental education experience. Higgs was also a part of the team in the 2013 when South Africa won the Quadrangular. Higgs spends some of her time riding the horses in preparation for the tournament. She has played polocrosse for 12 years and three generations of her family have played at an international level.

Topping off the acclaimed Protea team is Travis Timm - three generations of polocrosse players down, he adds to the legacy of playing in his family. The apple has not fallen far from the tree, since Timm also prides himself on being on the South African side, as his father was. Timm runs his polocrosse ponies on the family farm in Mooi River, KZN, and began practising the sport at the age of eight.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

main Feature: polocrosse

Words: Polocrosse SA | Photos: Shannon Gilson Photography

For more information and to follow the event, visit the official Facebook page

Polocrosse World Cup South Africa and the Twitter page

@PolocrosseSA the official event hashtag is

#PolocrosseWC

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Jason Jenkins An awakening giant

An awakening giant South Africa is considered a country that churns out exceptionally talented lock forwards at a rate second to none. Frik du Preez, Mark Andrews, Kobus Wiese, Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield are just a handful of freakishly good players who have donned the Green and Gold with aplomb. The Rugby World Cup is set to take place in England later this year and with its conclusion the retirement and movement of many rugby players. It is the time when countries begin rebuilding their national squads. The question is, who will take over once the giants have left? A possible answer has unearthed itself in Jason Jenkins.

St. Albans College

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Jason stamped his mark on world rugby at the Under-20 World Championship in Italy earlier this year. His abrasive general play and excellent line-out work are the weapons that any good player in his position has at their disposal. What sets Jason apart is his athleticism. That and the fact that he only started playing rugby in Grade 11.

Main Feature: Rugby

Contributed by Dan Lombard | Photos: Supplied

“Cricket was my main focus throughout school and I played a bit of hockey on the side. In Grade 11 I decided to give rugby a go as I didn’t want to leave school having never played the sport. I played my first game for the second team against St. Stithians. A first team player was injured shortly after the main game kicked off and I was sent on. It was quite something to play

two games in one day having never played before.” In his final year at St. Albans College in Pretoria he was selected for the Blue Bulls Academy Week team. He achieved this off the back of a season and a half of rugby while playing for a school that is not renowned for its rugby. Unfortunately an ankle injury put paid to him playing schoolboy provincial rugby but that did not stop him from getting noticed.

“Cricket was still my main sport at the time until I received an offer from the Bulls saying that they had seen me play and were interested in obtaining my services. Up until then I hadn’t really thought about playing professionally so I signed a one year contract to allow me to keep my options open. I opted to further my studies as well because one never know what can happen in rugby.”

An awakening giant Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Jason Jenkins An awakening giant

Fast Facts - Jason Jenkins Name: Jason Jenkins Date of Birth: 2 December 1995 Hometown: Pretoria School attended: St. Albans College Tertiary education: BCom Financial Sciences (2nd year), University of Pretoria Position: Lock Height: 202cm Weight: 124kg Teams represented: St. Albans College 1st XV, Blue Bulls Under-18 Academy (injured), Blue Bulls Under-19, UP-Tuks Young Guns, South Africa Under-20, Blue Bulls Under-21.

Follow Jason on social media

jason4jenkins

@JasonJenko

An awakening giant 24

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Main Feature: Rugby

Contributed by Dan Lombard | Photos: Supplied

It was only after making the South African Under-20 squad that Jason realised that he wanted to give rugby a full “bash”. His maturity in approaching his new sport is something that not many young athletes possess and he credits his dad and grandfather for his ability to keep a level head. His role models are players that have worn the Springbok jersey with distinction and the young lock forward is hungry to learn from them. “I look up to Bakkies and I’m a huge follower of Eben Etzebeth. There are so many talented no. 4 locks in South Africa and I can learn so much from them. I can never stop learning which is something I learnt during my first year at Loftus. I thought I knew the ins and out until I was selected for the Junior Springboks. International rugby, even at Under-20 level, is a whole other ball game.” The Under-20 Championship was definitely a highlight of his blossoming rugby career. But it is a school memory that Jason holds dear. “The build up to the Under-20 Championship was just incredible. I learned so much as a player and as a person. I got to meet players from other unions and build friendships. Obviously it was disappointing to lose the semifinal against England but credit must be given to them. They outsmarted us on the day. But as a team we showed great character in beating France in the bronze medal match.”

“I’m pretty fortunate to have played in quite a few finals already. Winning the Young Guns with UP-Tuks earlier this year was a highlight for me.

And representing South Africa was a huge honour. My fondest school memory was when we beat Hilton College in the dying moments of the game. It was the first time we had beaten Hilton so it was pretty special.” The Bulls are grooming Jason for higher honours and he believes that they are doing an exceptional job at managing his career. Jason has a list of goals he would like to achieve. A list that culminates with the highest honour of them all. “The Bulls have been really great. They have managed my game time to allow me to play as much as possible but haven’t rushed my development. Last year I was part of the Super Rugby squad and then moved down to Young Guns.”

“I’d like to be playing Super Rugby within the next two years and one day be able to pull the Springbok jersey over my head. But I’ve got a long career ahead of me and I’m happy with my progress so far. Everything will happen in due time”. The Bulls are set to lose Flip van der Merwe and Jacques du Plessis at the end of the year and the void left by their departure will need to be filled before the expansion of Super Rugby in 2016. Jason has already shown his intention to cement a Super Rugby starting spot and if his rapid growth as a rugby player is anything to go by it may already be a given that he will be the starting no.4 lock.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Ursula Grobler and Kirsten McCann raising the bar for SA Woman’s Rowing

Willowridge High School

St. Andrew’s School for Girls

University of Pretoria

University of Johannesburg

Ursula Grobler and Kirsten McCann are raising the bar for South African Woman’s Rowing

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Main Feature: Rowing

Contributed by Dan Lombard | Photos: Supplied

On the Olympic stage South Africa has struggled in the realm of medal taking in the realm of rowing. Historically, Team South Africa have only returned on two occasions with medals, in 2004 (Bronze) and 2012 (Gold). In both instances, it was men’s teams that claimed podium finishes. Ursula Grobler and Kirsten McCann are determined to change this and become the first female rowing podium finishers for South Africa. And they are not prepared to settle for anything less then gold.

Their stories could not be more different. Ursula (35) took a learn-to-row class while working as an aupair in the United States. She returned to South Africa and took up work as a graphic designer which she studied while at the University of Pretoria. When she was 27 she experienced some life-changing experiences in losing her brother and then her job. In coming to terms with her life being in turmoil, and experiencing a great deal of soul searching, she remembered how much she enjoyed rowing and got involved in the sport again. A year later, having developed a full blown love of the sport, she decided to do it fulltime and go to the Olympics. Contrastingly, Kirsten (26) started rowing while in Grade 7, had the backing of her family from the very beginning with the only condition being that she furthered her studies after

school. Kirsten went to the Beijing Olympics in 2008 but it was a more of a development initiative for her. Ursula’s support base was initially very limited as her father was (initially) against her decision to row because he felt her age was against her. “My Dad wasn’t very happy with me when I told him I wanted to row professionally. It put strain on our relationship and we didn’t really speak for about a year. It was difficult, but I knew what I wanted to do was right for me. By a stroke of luck we were both in Spain at the same time, and he came to watch me row. Afterwards he told me that he knew that this is what I should do. He’s now my biggest supporter, he wants to carry my oars and my boat. I have to calm him down before races as he gets so excited,” explained Ursula.

The two rowers compete in singles events as well, but the pair are more focused on the Double event for one simple reason. The Olympics. “We have done well at the Singles events over the years but the results don’t mean much to us because of Olympic qualification. In our category, Lightweight Women, there is only one event, the Doubles,” said Ursula.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Ursula Grobler and Kirsten McCann raising the bar for SA Woman’s Rowing

Ursula and Kirsten recorded their best result at the World Rowing Cup III held in Lucerne, Switzerland in mid-July where they won silver. Click to watch the video Race name: Final – FA - LW2x

Olympic qualification is based on the performances from three World Cups and the World Championships. There is a chance that the duo will not row together as there is another rower in the squad, Kate Johnstone. The final decision on who goes lies with the coaches and contention for selection will run until just before the Olympics. “It is difficult to train as a team when we are unsure who we will be rowing with for every

competition. As a team we need to get in sync with each other, our stroke rhyme. But for now we just have to adapt as quickly as possible to whoever our partner is,” said Kirsten.

from the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) but it barely covers the basics. We’ve learnt to live a very minimalistic life,” explained Ursula.

Team dynamics is not the only issue the pair have to contend with.

“It makes it very limiting as we cannot row indefinitely. I don’t want to live with my parents forever. I want to be independent but I can’t on the money I’m earning now. We are rowing purely because we love it,” said Kirsten.

“The cost of rowing is exorbitant and we have to cover the majority of it ourselves. A boat costs in the tens of thousands of Rands. We get a small salary

Watch the South African rowing team on the road to success

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Main Feature: Rowing

Contributed by Dan Lombard | Photos: Supplied

The biggest problem is South Africa’s lack of water. The only suitable training water is in Pretoria. The effort that these two women are putting in to qualifying for the Olympics is incredible. “We train six days of the week. Our training consists of rowing, running and gym work. Because we are lightweight we have weight restrictions. Individually we cannot weigh more then 59kgs and as a crew the maximum we can weigh is 57kgs so our diet is very strict. We basically make every calorie count. But we do cheat every now and again,” said Kirsten. As a team the duo have set themselves two goals. They have also given thought to life after rowing with Ursula set to return to work as a graphic designer

while Kirsten will use her degree in Biochemistry and Physiology to pursue a career in health and nutrition. They are both hoping that rowing becomes more sustainable. “We want to win gold at the World Champs and take top spot at the Olympic Games. It is as simple as that. We are not rowing for second place,” said Ursula. The final countdown to the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games 2016 has begun. A gold medal finish is what the duo of Ursula Grobler and Kirsten McCann have been putting the sweat and tears in for. Judging by their commitment, passion and drive South Africa may very well have their third Olympic medal in 2016 and it will not be silver or bronze.

Fast Facts Name: Ursula Grobler Date of Birth: 2 Feb 1980 Hometown: Pretoria High school attended: Willowridge High School Tertiary education: University of Pretoria Name: Kirsten McCann Date of Birth: 25 August 1988 Hometown: Johannesburg

new science research says its not. Paleo is founded from our caveman days. What we were meant to eat. Yet the science is there supporting this is what our bodies need. Nothing processed. 3. Our western diet all went haywire the day breakfast cereals came to the table. Before the ‘convenience’ of this boxed food, we were cooking real food that looked like food. 4. Eating is supposed to be shared, enjoyed and a very social thing. I always felt irritated that I had to eat and sleep. Now I have come to prize these very two things! 5. Changing to Paleo does you good, and does the earth good. Its such a great way to just be a better person. You run clean, and you turn the earth back to green. The reasons for eating Paleo will become worthwhile to you when you start feeling it on your body. It’s shockingly wonderful and uplifting, and the best gift you can ever give yourself.

Read more about ursula’s paleo experience Ursula’s Paleo video:

High school attended: St. Andrew’s School for Girls Tertiary education: University of Johannesburg Ursula’s Paleo Lifestyle Choice: I have learnt and felt the following from following a Paleo Lifestyle: 1. It is so simple to do, that it looks complicated, because we can’t wrap our minds around it. For example, dessert can be just a few grapes. But our TV tells us dessert needs to be some baked thing topped with ice-cream or custard. 2. Paleo is not a diet. It is not the new Atkins, or South Beach. It is not new research where wine at dinner is now good for you, tomorrow

Amazing Paleo Apple Crisp Recipe (gluten-free, grain-free, no refined sugar, reduced-carb)

Click Here

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Alexandra Fuller SAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rising Squash Star

Alexandra Fuller

With trips to compete in Australia and India coming up, Alex Fuller couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have asked for a better send-off. Getting her hands on the SA national title for the first time is exactly what the 21-year-old needed to boost her confidence ahead of the international tournaments.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Rustenburg High School

main Feature: Squash

Words: Karien Jonckheere | Photos: Jeffrey Schulman (Squash SA) & Provided

“Winning the National Championships is a goal for every South African squash player and is a special achievement,” admitted Alex. “I was seeded two for the tournament which means, according to my seeding for the tournament, I was meant to make the final.

“It was a 32 draw for this event. My first hurdle and a massive win for me was beating Milnay Louw (SA number four) in the semi-finals to earn my spot in the finals. I had never beaten her before and therefore the confidence for me going into the final after overcoming Milnay in the semi was high.

“I just had to go through the motions in the finals and managed to pull off a 3-1 win against Cheyna Tucker. I was overly-excited to win this event and it meant a lot to me, my coach, my family, my ranking and my confidence,” added Alex.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Alexandra Fuller SA’s Rising Squash Star

“The confidence has definitely improved since winning the National Championships, although it is never easy being at the top as people are consciously out to beat you. This comes with being humble and staying modest in order to keep fighting for your spot. Winning events like this are the little hurdles in my career (well, a big hurdle in this case) that all create confidence and belief.”

That belief has brought her a long way since first picking up a squash racquet at the age of nine. “My parents were playing and I went along and just started hitting around on the court in between their games and the squash bug bit me. From then on, I have loved the game immensely and started competing and playing for Western Province from the age of 10.” The former Rustenburg Girls High student played first team squash from Grade 8 – along with hockey (a sport in which her grandmother had represented South Africa) and tennis before that, but it was squash in which she really excelled.

“I don’t think it is about realising when you are really good, it is rather about knowing how to play the game. I have realised how to play the game, but there is always something new to learn, to try and practice. This is all part of it.” Alex took what she had learnt at school through to Varsity level, representing UCT (where she was studying Social Science, majoring in Sociology and Gender Studies) at various tournaments.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Alexandra Fuller

main Feature: Squash

Words: Karien Jonckheere | Photos: Jeffrey Schulman (Squash SA) & Provided

“I played no. 1 in the UCT squash team and attended the USSA (inter-university) tournament for three years,” explained Alex.“I have been semi-professional for two years, and this year I have decided to go full professional. Here my life has been taken up and filled with squash specific and squash focused activities.”

While Alex is thriving as a professional, covering travel expenses can be tricky sometimes. “One of the biggest

challenges is trying to find sponsorship in order to travel overseas, and around the world to compete at an international level. It is expensive to travel from South Africa and therefore any bit of sponsorship for our top players is greatly appreciated,” she explained.

But for Alex, the sacrifices are all worth it – to be playing the sport she loves. “I am a very competitive person and the competitiveness of the sport is immense. I thrive off this. I love the tactical and mental side of squash. You don’t just hit the ball against the wall. It’s always about being aware of where your opponent is, what is working for you and what is not, what is the right shot to play at that time, and being able to do this in a short space of time due to the game being so quick.”

While three tournaments in Melbourne and Tasmania and one in Mumbai are next up for the Cape Town star, after having recently finished runner up with the WP team at the prestigious Jarvis/ Kaplan Cup in Potchefstroom, the goal is ultimately to compete at the Olympics.

That, of course, will only be made possible if the international body for squash succeed in their bid to have the sport included in the Olympic Games programme – a possibility for the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

“I definitely think squash should be in the 2020 Olympic Games and with the eradication of the limit on the number of sports there should be, I think this increases the chances of squash becoming an Olympic sport. “

“Ideally, I would like to make top 20 in the world and compete at the highest level of the sport. This would include competing at the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics,” said Alex.

“The bids that have been done to get squash in have been extremely comprehensive, but it is now up to the Olympic Committee. This will make such a difference to the sport itself. The exposure and recognition that squash will

receive will change the idea of this sport and allow our top players in the world to be recognised for the work and effort they put in,” she added. Alex will know if it’s a realistic goal to work towards in August next year, when the International Olympic Committee make the final decision on sports for the Tokyo Games. For now though, it’s on with the hard training and competition that she loves so much.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Luvo Claassen Realising his rugby dream!

Luvo

Realising his rugby dream!

Claassen Pretoria Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; High School

South Africa is a country with an abundance of quality rugby players. Unfortunately not all of them have the opportunity to play first class rugby. Many just give up on their dreams. Luvo Claassen is one example of a player not willing to just quit because his path proved to be full of obstacles. Game On Magazine chatted to the promising young scrumhalf after the EP Kings gave him a chance to shine. And heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s determined to make the most of his time in Port Elizabeth.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

youth Feature: rugby

Words: Dan Lombard | Photos: Provided

Name: Luvo Claassen

Position: Scrumhalf

Date of Birth: 1 February 1995

Height: 172cm

Hometown: Cape Town High school: Pretoria Boys High School Tertiary education: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Weight: 81kg Teams represented: Pretoria Boys High School 1st XV, Under-19 Noordvaal Blue Bulls, Under-19 Tuks (University of Pretoria), Under-19 Limpopo Blue Bulls,Under-21 EP Kings

watch the luvo claassen tribute video:

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Luvo Claassen Realising his rugby dream!

Luvo

Claassen GOM: When did you start playing rugby?

LC: I started when I was

a sportsman I would say I look up to Derrick Rose, a basketball player for the Chicago Bulls. His mindset and his hunger to be the best inspires me.

nine. I was more focused on cricket at the timeand I only started taking rugby seriously when I was in Grade 10. I was the only Under-16 B team player selected forthe 1st team squad.

GOM: You have tried your

GOM: Who has been your

LC: The opportunity to

luck at a few teams. What is the hardest thing about trying to break into rugby?

to as a player?

showcase your talent. In my final year at Boys High the 1st XV had a good year yet I think we were overlooked by the Blue Bulls for the Youth Weeks teams. I think that if you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t made a name for yourself, coaches tend to look at players they know or have heard of.

LC: There are a couple of

GOM: How did you get the

support base?

LC: My Mom and Dad. They have always supported me. My Mom has given so much of her time for me, my sports and events.

GOM: Who do you look up

names that come to mind from family members to sportsmen. If I had to choose

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

opportunity to play for the EP Kings?

LC: I moved down to PE for varsity and to somehow try break into the EP Kings. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how I would make it at first. But once the Varsity Cup ended, club rugby started for the varsity. After one game for the 2nd team, I moved up to the 1st XV asa reserve. I played a few games as a reserve until the 1st XV scrumhalf got injured so I got called up.I remained in the 1st XV squad and made the USSA team.

youth Feature: rugby

Words: Dan Lombard | Photos: Provided

The USSA assistant coaches are also the assistant coaches for the Under-21 EP Kings. They saw me play and asked me to join the Under-21s. GOM: You recently

GOM: What are you

LC: I like to play FIFA with

competed at the USSA Rugby Week at the University of Johannesburg with NMMU. Talk us through the experience and your thoughts on student rugby?

studying at NMMU and what would you like to do once you have graduated?

friends. I enjoy fellowship with friends and Pastors at church. I live by the beach so I spend a bit of time there.

LC: It was a great week anda great platform to work on my play and tick a few boxes. There were a few Varsity Cup players that were in the squad. It was an opportunity to learn a few new things from the players, like what the coaches look for in a player and how to improve my game. I think the rugby that was played was competitive. I watched the Tuks-Maties game and our game against the Shimlas was a tough but good game. So I’d say student rugby is exciting!

LC: I’m studying Building Engineering at NMMU. I’d really like to play professionally so I’m hoping everything works out for the best.

GOM: What are your aspirations as a rugby player?

LC: I would like to play senior rugbyfor the EP Kings, Super Rugby and one day run out for the Springboks.

GOM: What do you enjoy

GOM: If you could give a struggling rugby player any advice, what would you say?

LC: You have the last say regarding your future. If you love the game and it’s a dream of yours to play at a high level then just keep working hard and keep pushing. Also have an open mind, your opportunity might be in another city or country.

doing away from the rugby field?

follow luvo on social media:

Twitter

Instagram

@luvo01

@luvoclaassen

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

SA hosts 2015 Commonwealth Fencing Junior and Cadet Championships

The Commonwealth Fencing Junior and Cadet Championships that were held at the University of Cape Town in which more than 240 fencers from 15 countries like Singapore and England, Australia, New Zealand, India, Jamaica, Ghana and Botswana converged in Cape Town.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

youth Feature: fencing

Words: James Waters | Photos: Provided

From left to right: Robert McGregor, Pasha Tyshler, Coach Misha Galukhin, Alexander Collings and Faaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;iq Gamieldien

South Africa performed extremely well and ended overall 4th, and the South African team also came away with several medals. This Championship took place from the 11th to the 17th of July and was hosted by the Fencing Federation of South Africa. It is the biggest fencing competition on South African soil in nearly 10 years.

The Commonwealth Fencing Junior Championships for fencers under the age of 20 was first held in India, and is held every three years. This is the first time the championship is being staged in Africa and is also the first time that cadet, or U17, categories are being added.

Commonwealth

Fencing Federation

Fencing has three disciplines or weapons: foil, epee and sabre and the aim of the game is to hit and not to be hit. Each discipline has its own rules and target areas. The sport comprises of individual and team events. A team is made up of four members: three starting fencers and a reserve. The combination of starting fencers and reserve changes according to opposition as the starting lineup is chosen to match and, hopefully, beat the opposition.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

SA hosts 2015 Commonwealth Fencing Junior and Cadet Championships

Fencing in the junior men’s foil final. England on left. SA on right

The foil team representing South Africa in the under 20 section were Robert McGregor from Constantia and who studies at UCT, Alexander Collings from Claremont (also at UCT), Faa’iq Gamieldien from Grassy Park (who is at Oracle Academy) - all are members of the Fencing Western Cape.

The team’s reserve, Pasha Tyshler from Johannesburg, managed to win a silver medal in their team effort. Tyshler, who is at school in Gauteng, managed to secure a bronze as an individual match. Patrick Collings, Chairman of Fencing Western Cape, said they were very proud of the South African team and the good work that they put in, as it wasn’t an easy competition.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

“We are so happy and very excited that we managed to get the medals. This shows that the country is going in the right direction. It shows how we are doing as a country, it shows the strength of our team. They are young but they are already doing a very good job. This time around it was about performance more than anything else,” says Patrick.

youth Feature: fencing

Words: James Waters | Photos: Provided

Patrick says Fencing is not a popular sport but he is glad that with time it is becoming more popular.

“People know about it. When there are matches they come out and they support. They really enjoy the sport so much. We are privileged to have some good fencers who are young because

often fencing picks up with age. When they get older that’s usually when they become better, but this group is a strong team of fencers,” says Patrick. South Africa ended in fourth position out of 15. England came out on top followed by Scotland and India securing the third place.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK: For more on fencing, LIKE UCT Fencing on Facebook.

@UCTFencing

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Ivanna Samu SA’s rising golf star at 16!

If you have developed a love for Golf, It helps when your Dad owns a pub and restaurant at a driving range, and the afternoons spent there after school with her brother have certainly paid off, as Ivanna Samu has risen from hitting golf balls just for fun to now being the number one-ranked amateur in the country. By the time she was 12, Ivanna had won her first golf tournament – the Ruimsig Ladies Club Championship, and it just got better from there. Now 16, the grade 11 Curro Aurora student claimed the Sanlam Amateur Matchplay Championship last year along with this year’s Sanlam SA Amateur Stroke Play Championship and a few months later, the Nomads SA Girls’ Championship.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Added to that, she swept aside all competition (including the boys) on her way to winning the A Division of the Els Family Tournament, and she’s been the best amateur around on the Sunshine Ladies’ Tour this year. Ivanna’s first opportunity to represent South Africa this January was met with a flood of tears. “I could hardly speak through the tears of joy when I called my parents after the announcement at SA Interprovincial. Being selected to represent South Africa in the Astor Trophy, Australia in January was a dream come true for me,” she explained. “I also represented South Africa for a second time in the Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan recently. This came very unexpectedly and reality only set in when the plane lifted up in the air. It made everything I work for every day worth it.” It wasn’t all smooth sailing from the beginning for the Ruimsig golfer, who battled initially when she played her first women’s tournaments.

Curro Aurora Private School

Youth Feature: Golf

Contributed by Karien Jonckheere | Photos: Catherine Kotze

“I really struggled to adjust from playing with the boys from Central Golf Union to playing in the WGSA tournaments in the beginning,” she explained. “It was very kind words from Sally Little at Metropolitan Golf Course that planted a seed of inner strength within me. It did not just cause a mind shift but it changed my life.” Now, having reached number one in the amateur ranks, Ivanna is not letting the pressure get to her. “I don’t ever think of myself as being number one. I just go into every tournament to learn, gain experience and give my best,” said the talented teenager, who gives much credit to her coach and family. “My strength lies in the coaching as well as mental coaching I get from my coach Graeme Francis. He is my pillar of strength definitely – also the support I get from the members and staff at Ruimsig Country Club, WGSA, my parents, my brother Julian, my uncle Ivan Snyman, friends and family.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Ivanna Samu SA’s rising golf star at 16!

“I’ve learnt from my Uncle and namesake Ivan to always stay humble, from my brother Julian to work hard and persevere, from my Mom never to give up, from my Coach that anything is possible, from my Dad to always to believe in myself and to let go of the past in order to move forward,” she added. That belief will certainly come in handy when Ivanna heads off again to represent South Africa – this time at the Annika Sorenstam Invitational Europe event and the British Girls Championship. “The Annika Invitational 54-Hole Stroke Play Championship is an elite junior golf championship for top girls aged 12 to 18 from all over the world, played in Sweden. It is a qualifying event for the Ping Junior Solheim Cup,” explained Samu. “The top three players will also get an invitation to the Helsingborg Open 2015 as part of the LPGA and an invitation to the Annika Invitational USA.” So, there’s plenty to play for. “The British Girls Championship is a 72-Hole team event played in England,” she added. “The only expectation I have is of myself – to stay in the game shot by shot and to play to the best I can on the day. Then there’s also the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy in Scotland to look forward to where Ivanna will compete against under-18 champions from around the globe. Ultimately, her goal is to play professionally one day, but, not one to get ahead of herself, Ivanna explained: “First I would like to learn and gain as much experience as possible and build a solid foundation before taking up a career as a playing professional one day.”

As for what keep her motivated to pursue the sport she loves so much, the 16-year-old simply adds: “I love the way golf always gives you a second chance every time with the next shot you play.”

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Youth Feature: Golf

Contributed by Karien Jonckheere | Photos: Catherine Kotze

Ivannaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stats 12/02/15

Chase to Investec Cup

02/03/15

Sunshine Ladies Tour Open

2nd

142 (-2)

Tied 5th

145 (+1)

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Nduduzo Mfoza A unique spin bowler is born

If you have been asking yourself where the spinners of colour in South Africa are, then you have the answer, because Nduduzo Mfoza is the solution. South Africa, and KwaZulu-Natal in particular, has not produced a handful of spinners, but Mfoza seems to be taking the challenge with both hands. The 18-year-old left-arm orthodox from Durban in the KwaNdengezi township is the only KZN player who has been selected for the South Africa Under-19 team that played Bangladesh recently.

Nduduzo Mfoza

A unique

spin bowler

is born

Glenwood Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; High School

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

youth Feature: cricket

Words: Lunga Ntuli - Backpage Media | Photos: Anesh Debiky

“I don’t know how I started bowling spin, the only thing I can remember was playing mini cricket and the next thing I was turning the ball,” said the Glenwood High School pupil. “I am grateful for my South African selection; this is what I have always dreamed of. I mean I had dreams that one day I would wear the SA colours and it now it’s happening.” Nduduzo’s journey has not been all rosy, as he saw his dream nearly coming to an end last year when he was not selected for the SA team during the Coca-Cola week. “I was so disappointed and at some stage I thought it was all over. In that moment I decided to go back home and work extra hard. I heard that there was going to be a second chance and so I put my entire effort in training hard and giving it my all,” he said.

Nduduzo stated that he looks up to the Proteas spin bowler Aaron Phangiso and he hopes to break into the Dolphins set up soon.“I have been privileged for all the opportunities that I have received and I am hoping that things will work out well as far as my cricket career is concerned.” “I look up to the Proteas player Aaron Phangiso and my dream is to one day represent the Sunfoil Dolphins as well as the Proteas senior team.” In the past month, Nduduzo had the honour of meeting some of South Africa’s best ever spin bowlers such as Nicky Boje and Paul Adams at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria.

“It was a dream come true for me to meet up and be coached by such legends. I am aware that there is a long journey ahead of me, so I will just enjoy my game and learn as much as I can,” he concluded.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

SOUTH AFRICAN

Unexpected SailPro TLT finale – SA’s first ever School v University regatta

SAILING

Unexpected

finale at SailPro TLT – SA’s first ever School v University regatta Upset results, defeated champions, thrilling performances and ideal conditions were the order of the day as the inaugural SailPro Team League Tournament (TLT) took place at Imperial Yacht Club recently, with over 50 youth sailors on the water. For the first time is SA Sailing history, the best varsity teams in the country took on the finest schools sailing squads – and the results proved to be rather surprising.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

The schools teams certainly made the most of their opportunity to race against university teams who regularly race each other at the annual University Sailing Championships (USSA) and the mid-year Intervarsity Sailing Event.

Youth Feature: Sailing

Contributed by Sailing South Africa (Karien Jonckheere) | Photos: Provided

While hopes were high that the young sailors from Zeekoevlei Sailing Centre (ZVSC), SACS, Springfield, Herschel, Bishops and Wynberg would be able to give some of the varsity rockstars a run for their money.

The consensus was that the final would come down to the Barbarians team and one of the major universities – the current USSA Champions, University of Stellenbosch Yacht Club were just a month ago beaten by UCT Yacht Club in the Intervarsity, so beyond the TLT title, this regatta was also for university pride.

Unexpected

finale at SailPro TLT – SA’s first ever School v University regatta

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

SOUTH AFRICAN

Unexpected SailPro TLT finale – SA’s first ever School v University regatta

SAILING

On the day, however, the racing dished up some stunning surprises, and the results stand as a phenomenal testament to the talented youth sailors who have come through the ranks at SailPro, and their cunning teamwork. Despite the incredible depth of skill that the UCT and Stellenbosch teams boasted, neither was able to find a place on the podium, and the Barbarians, boasting Geoff Meek, Markus Progli, Davey James and James Largier were unable to win a race. The young ZVSC Team kept their nerve to clinch third overall out of the eight teams, and the nailbiting final between Wynberg the 2014 SailPro Interschools champions, who retained their title – and the Cape

Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) was a non-stop battle from the pre-start, with the lead changing hands on every leg. Ultimately though, not even Wynberg’s boat-speed advantage could match the composure and experience of the CPUT team, who took the best-of-three final – Congratulations to CPUT’s Kevin Foreman, Patric Loydell, Tom Nortier, Murray Duggan, Brian Rutherfoord-Jones and Adam van der Ploeg.

“The single day event served as a pilot to test the format and logistical requirements for a collegiate and high school team-racing league,” explained Damian Gibbs, Commodore of the host club, IYC. “Equipment, human resources and racing format were scaled down to the bare minimum while still meeting SA Sailing safety requirements, providing a spectator and media friendly event, which was professionally run with ISAF Umpires and RO, to exceed the expectations of the competitors.”

Unexpected

finale at SailPro TLT – SA’s first ever School v University regatta

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Youth Feature: Sailing

Contributed by Sailing South Africa (Karien Jonckheere) | Photos: supplied

From research and the positive feedback from this pilot event, SailPro are planning high school and tertiary leagues to be run during the summer and winter seasons over a three month period. This provides schools and collegiate students the opportunity to participate in sailing throughout the year with regular feedback to schools, colleges and universities on results, raising awareness and visibility of sailing as a regular team sport.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many students are lost to sailing due to demands on their time for studies and sacrifice the cost of sailing on top of the costs of education. The TLT platform provides an opportunity to expose new students and scholars, and retain existing sailors, through an exciting sailing format which is less time-intensive, intrinsically social, and without the prerequisite of boat-ownership.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our vision is to grow district, regional and national leagues which culminate in an annual national play-offâ&#x20AC;? added Gibbs.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Engen Knockout Challenge â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Best of the Best

The annual Engen U-17 Knockout Challengeisunderwayandonceagain therisingsoccerstarsofSouthAfricaare doing battle to be crowned the best of the best. The 2015 Engen U-17 Knockout Challenge has already completed two legs of its five-tournament schedule, with the Eastern Cape and Free State events completed in late June and early July. In the remainder of this month, and into early August, the youth competition will wrap up with tournaments in KwaZulu-Natal (Durban), Gauteng (Johannesburg) and the Western Cape (Cape Town). The Engen U-17 Knockout Challenge is one of South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest junior football competitions and a key event in which future stars of our national game are first recognised for their burgeoning talent. The 2015 Engen U-17 Knockout Challenge is the 12th edition of the competition, which features five regional tournaments played at major centres around the country.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Youth Feature: Soccer

Contributed by Graeme Jackson | Photos: Supplied

The Eastern Cape leg opened this went through the round robin stage year’s event, with the tournament and knockout rounds without suffering a defeat. hosted by Glenville Celtic in Gelvandale in late June. Chippa In the finals both teams were obviously legUnited’s U-17 team claimed weary, having played five matches in three days. the honours after defeating In an even first half, Chippa did enough to deserve the hosts 1-0 in the final, the 1-0 lead. with impressive young After the break, Glenville dominated the match but striker Romano Roberto failed to convert their chances in front of the goalmouth. Tarentaal scoring the Tarentaal, who scored the winning goal, scooped three only goal. awards: Best Striker, Top Goalscorer and Player of the Played out in front Tournament. of an enthusiastic Chippa development coach Velile Eddie Dyaloi was thrilled crowd, the final with the result. “Considering the boys have only been playing was a meeting for two months this was an excellent performance,” Dyaloyi said. of the best “This bodes well for the future of Chippa (United) and I am looking teams in the forward to playing against the development teams of the other PSL tournament, teams in the national competition.” as both Chippa Captain, Litha Dlula, who is a Grade 11 pupil at Hillside High in the Northern Areas, said all the hard work had paid off. “I hope to play professionally for the senior side one day,” Dlula stated. The first weekend of July saw the second leg of the 2015 Engen U-17 Knockout Challenge held at Grey College’s Windmill Park in Bloemfontein.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Engen Knockout Challenge – Best of the Best

Harmony Sports Academy were crowned Free State Champions after they defeated Brebner High 2-0 in the final, with Felix Noge and Daniel Letsoara scoring in the second half. It was Harmony’s eighth victory in the Free State regional tournament, and they won all six matches they played n 2015, trumping Brebner, Navalsig High and Louis Botha High in the group phase before easing past James FC and FC Remember in the quarterand semifinals respectively. “I am very happy and proud of my boys for winning this tournament once again. Well done to them. I’m also happy for myself and the people around me for planning well for this tournament,” Pitso Mokoena, Harmony’s coach, told Express after the completion of the tournament. “I knew it was going to be tough to play against Brebner, Navalsig and Louis Botha. They are all strong sides, but we managed to beat them. I thought we did what we were supposed to do before we came to Bloemfontein.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Youth Feature: Soccer

Contributed by Graeme Jackson | Photos: Supplied

“Brebner made us sweat for our win in the final. They made things difficult for us. They were water-tight at the back. But I told my boys to be patient and the goals would come. I’m excited we did manage to score two goals in the second half eventually.” Harmony were inspired to victory by Midfielder and Player of the Tournament Sipho Mbule, while his teammate Vuyo Mantjie was awarded the Striker of the Tournament prize and shared the Top Goalscorer honours with Celtic Colts’ Moeketsi Makhele. Ntobeko Mbingeleli, communications and events specialist for Engen, said: “The tournament’s standard was actually raised by a couple of bars from last year. Even the eventual champions didn’t just walk over to the final, they had to sweat blood to beat strong opponents. “If you look at a team like James FC who finished eighth, they gave the champions a hard run for their money. It shows that the tournament was closer between the champions and the eighth-placed team. That can only augur well for our national teams.” “In the final, we saw two boys from Harmony who will be representing our U-17 national team in Chile later this year [South Africa’s U-17 national men’s team, known as ‘Amajimbos’ will play in the 2015 U-17 FIFA World Cup, to be held in Chile from 17 October to 8 November.”

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Engen Knockout Challenge – Best of the Best

“As Engen were are proud to be lending a hand to the nation to

give these boys a bit of experience so that when they go to play in the national teams they have experience under their belt,” concluded Mbingeleli. The third event took place at the Moses Mabhida Stadium outfields in Durban, and AmaZulu defended their KwaZuluNatal Engen Knockout U-17 Challenge title as they defeated city rivals Golden Arrows 2-1 in the final. AmaZulu coach Lindokuhle Mkhize was excited by his team’s achievement: “I am happy; this is what we were aiming for as a hosting team.” Sizwe Ngcobo of All Stars FC banged in ten goals, which saw him claiming the leading goal scorer award at the tournament.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Youth Feature: Soccer

Contributed by Graeme Jackson | Photos: Supplied

Tournament results so far Eastern Cape, Port Elizabeth Champions: Chippa United (defeated Glenville Celtic 1-0 in the final) Individual awards: Referee of the tournament – Marshall Naiken Defender of the tournament – Austin Prince Midfielder of the tournament – Jonavan September Striker of the tournament – Romano R Tarentaal Top goal scorer – Roman Roberto Tarental Goalkeeper of the tournament – Mbowisi Michael Mbele Coach of the tournament – Velile Eddie Dylaoi Player of the tournament – Romano R Tarentaal Fair play team award – Zwide Pirates

Free State, Bloemfontein

KwaZulu-Natal, Durban

Champions: Harmony Sports Academy (defeated Brebner High 2-0 in the final)

Champions: AmaZulu

Individual awards:

Referee of the tournament – Lindiwe Chamane

Referee of the tournament – Modise Moretsi Defender of the tournament – Kutlwano Ntholeng

Individual awards:

Defender of the tournament – Thabiso Tembe (Golden Arrows)

Midfielder of the tournament – Sipho Mbule

Midfielder of the tournament – Sibisiso Magaqa (AmaZulu)

Striker of the tournament – Vuyo Mantjie

Striker of the tournament – Reagan Marais (Chelsea)

Top goal scorers – Moeketsi Makhele & Vuyo Mantjie

Top goal scorer of the tournament – Sizwe Ngcobo (All Stars)

Goalkeeper of the tournament – Ntsane Kabi Coach of the tournament – Lee Bateman Player of the tournament – Sipho Mbule Fair play team award – FC Remember

Goalkeeper of the tournament – John Colbert (AmaZulu) Coach of the tournament – Wonder Ngcoya (Golden Arrows) Fairplay team of the tournament – Clermont Academy Player of the tournament – Sibisiso Magaqa (AmaZulu)

Remaining tournaments Gauteng, Johannesburg – 31 July-2 August 2015

Western Cape, Cape Town – 7–9 August 2015

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Durban Girls College Take third SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament Title

The winning team, Durban Girls College with the trophy after winning the 2015 edition of the SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament on the weekend.

Durban Girls College Durban Girls’ College

take the SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament Title for 3rd year in succession. On Sunday 26 July, Durban Girls’ College made it three in a row as they claimed the title for the SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament in convincing fashion at St Mary’s DSG on the weekend.

The tall, impressive forward Teagan McFall playing for College proved to be a slippery customer for the Girls’ High back line as she managed to shake the defence off and score two spectacular goals. The second shot, a reverse stick sweep, rocketed into the top corner of GHS’s net.

College met Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High in the gold/silver final where the defending champions hammered in four goals, making it an impressive consecutive trio of golds in the five years of the tournament. Girls’ High entered the medal game as the “in-form” team but nerves seemed to get the better of them.

Captain for College, Kelsey Scott said, “We have been working hard for a while in preparation for the SPAR tournament. It was a bit of a shock to us where we drew in two of our pool games but that only made us more determined for today. We were extremely focused and pulled together to work as a solid unit when it counted against Girls’ High.”

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

The road to the 2015 finals for College had a bit of a bumpy start with a 1 all draw against a young and spirited King Edward High School team. And then in a classic Durban derby against rivals St Mary’s DSG in their second last pool game ended in a 2 all draw in a highly competitive, riveting game in the pouring rain at Thomas More College. The team from Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High were the most consistent out of all the competitors with five games played, 14 goals scored and no goals conceded. In their semifinal against home team, St Mary’s DSG, Girls’ High Katie Corf slotted the goal that counted in a game dominated by the visitors.

Youth Feature: Soccer

Contributed by: Publicity Matters (Sophie Thompson) | Photos: Justin Klusener

Lead by SA Women’s Indoor Hockey star, Taryn de Winnaar, Girls’ High resumed their unfortunate streak of always being the bridesmaid and never the bride, being awarded their fifth medal in the five years of the tournament. This is their third silver they have won, to add to that they have two bronzes in their trophy cabinet. MD for SPAR, Rob Philipson stated, “The welcomed torrential rain did not dampen the spirits of all the teams who took part. In freezing conditions, the girls took to the pitch with smiles on their

faces as they valiantly represented their schools and their regions. It was heartening to see the eagerness that each of the teams displayed as they tackled each game during the tournament. Congratulations to each and every one of them.” For the third position, it was a battle of the Saints with St Anne’s College managing to get two goals beating St Mary’s DSG in a hard fought game for the bronze. Both these teams have won previously and both team had similar results leading up to the bronze medal game.

Tournament Director, Les Galloway said, “Our tournament just keeps getting better and better. We really acknowledge the effort and energy that all the players put into their games to make this final weekend a success. We also acknowledge and thank all the coaches and managers who stand on the sidelines, endlessly supporting and guiding their teams, the superb commitment of the umpires, and the parents who spend countless hours making it possible for their girls to play.”

Sunday Play-Offs King Edward HS 1 - 2 Pietermaritzburg HS 1 - 0

Ferrum HS St Mary’s DSG

Match for 9/10:

St. Anne’s College

Wartburg Kirchdorf School

1-0

Ashton International College

0 – 0 King Edward HS

(Ashton International College won 3-1 on Penalties)

Match for 5/6: 1-0

2-0

Match for 7/8:

Empangeni HS 2 – 0 Amanzimtoti HS

Ferrum HS

Durban Girls College

Match for 3/4:

Wartburg Kirchdorf

St Anne’s

2-0

St Mary’s DSG

Final Durban Girls’ College

4-0

Pietermaritzburg Girls High

Results 1 Durban Girls’ College 2 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High 3 St Anne’s College 4 St Mary’s DSG 5 Ferrum HS 6 Wartburg Kirchdorf 7 Ashton International College 8 King Edward HS 9 Empangeni HS 10 Amanzimtoti HS

Trying to lose her shadow, Lauren Brown from Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School attempts to shake Kelsey Scott from Durban Girls’ College during the final of the SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament that took place on Sunday at St Mary’s DSG in Kloof.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Khule Ngubane Making music with a skateboard

Making music with a skateboard The teenage years can be a tough period of time for parents and children alike. This is the time when many youngsters buck the trend and start the difficult phase. A young mind can easily be manipulated which forces parents to remove anything from their children’s lives that they may think is detrimental. Khule Ngubane is no different. He was banned from skateboarding as his family didn’t approve of the lifestyle that it was associated with. In typical rebellious fashion he carried on skating away from the prying eyes of his elders.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

That decision has made all the difference in his life a decade later. “I first saw skateboarding on television when I was 11. I was instantly hooked and wanted to be a part of that scene. Letting

go on a skateboard just seemed right. For my next birthday I received my first board from my grandfather. Although a very basic board I was ready to start ripping up concrete.”

Youth Feature: Skateboarding

Contributed by Dan Lombard | Photos: Monster Energy

“A year later my parents told me that I needed to stop riding because they didn’t approve of the tags skating carried. I couldn’t just stop so I took it underground. It was difficult to keep my skating away from my parents. I needed their emotional support. It became even harder when I started winning the amateur contests in and around Durban.” “In a way I understood their fears. Luckily I now have the support of my family. My Mom freaks out whenever I achieve something.” Khule climbed the ranks pretty quickly and by 15 was already signed by DC Shoes. But it is the people who helped him in the beginning that he feels are responsible for where he is today. “I was fortunate to be surrounded by so many good skaters who could see my potential. They were all like my guardian angels. Because I had to keep my skating from my parents it allowed us to create a bond as many of them had to do the same. They would help me out with a new board or shoes whenever I needed it. I’m grateful for guys like Andrew Morck, Simon Stipcich, Lloyd, Alan Marola and Moses Adams. I’ll never be able to repay them for the faith they had in me. I’m just glad they did.”

Khule entrenched himself as one of the best skaters in South Africa when he took first place in the National Skateboarding Association’s contest ranking last year. He compares skating to music and derives his inspiration from an unusual source. “I see skating as a part of my life and not my whole life so I can be inspired by basically anything. If I see a kid trying to land a trick, even if it is a trick I can do easily, and I see the heart and soul that the kid is putting into it. That inspires me.” “I feel like skating is very similar to music. We all have our own tastes and we create music differently. It’s the same with skating. A kick flip is a kick flip is a kick flip but in a way we all do it differently. We as skaters all add a different colour that makes skating unique.” Khule has definitely left his mark on the South African scene but he feels it is time to spread his wings.

“It is kinda crazy how life has treated me. I used to watch these guys as a youngster. Now I get to travel the country competing against them.”

Making music with a skateboard

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Khule Ngubane Making music with a skateboard

“I’ve achieved everything I can within South Africa. I cannot grow any further or win anything new. I’m trying to get to America where the skating scene is more established. But right now I’m focusing on the Kimberley Diamond Cup in October. Many of the world’s best skaters will be in action and I’d really like to win it. To stamp my name on the international stage. Winning a million Rand wouldn’t hurt either [laughs].” Ryan Franklin, Action Sports Manager for Monster Energy, believes that Khule is a one of a kind athlete and the Durban ripper has a very bright future ahead of him.

“Khule is, in our opinion, South Africa’s most prolific skater. Not only as an athlete but as an ambassador for the sport and the lifestyle it carries. His results speak for

themselves as he’s currently ranked first. He’s an incredibly humble person as he’s not too cool to hit a session with up and coming skaters the night before a major contest in a foreign town,” said Ryan. “Khule should spend another year on the South African scene and try to finish as the top ranked skater twice in a row. Then he must try and break into the European and American skating circuits. He has the talent to go a long way.”

Khule Ngubane, with the backing of his sponsors, is a giant in the making. His pedigree places him in good stead to become South Africa’s best export and it is only a matter of time before he sets the world on fire. 62

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Youth Feature: Skateboarding

Contributed by Dan Lombard | Photos: Monster Energy

Making music with a skateboard

Fast Facts

Major contest wins

Fullname: Khule Ngubane

Halloween Jam 2013

Date of Birth: 16 December 1993

FTB 2014

Hometown: Durban

Grand Slam Durban 2014

High school: Durban High School

NSA Contest Ranking 2014

Stance: Regular

KDC Midway Mayhem 2014/2015

Sponsors: DC Shoes, Monster Energy and Nixon

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

preparing for the Sanlam cape town marathon

Preparing for the

Sanlam Cape Town Marathon Running a marathon can be an arduous challenge, but Sanlam Cape Town Marathon (Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only IAAF accredited marathon) ambassador Elana Meyer believes anyone can achieve the feat. With the right preparation and commitment, she says every person can reap the resultant rewards. Few people in South Africa are better equipped to offer advice on road running than Meyer, a former Olympic 10 000m silver medallist, world half-marathon champion and world record holder over 5km, 15km and 21.1km. Having set six of the eight fastest times in the SA womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all-time list over the classic 42.2km standard marathon distance, the retired athlete and Stellenbosch resident took time out to share some wisdom with those who will tackle the second Cape Town race, to be held on 20 September 2015.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

health: preparing for a marathon

Advice contributed by Elana Meyer, Andrea du Plessis and Dawid Visser | Photos: Supplied

TRAINING TIPS ELANA MEYER

“Preparing for a marathon, the focus should be on strength, endurance and pace runs,” Meyer says. “You need to be strong if you want to run a good marathon. By incorporating strength conditioning it will help you stay injury free and handle the distance a lot better. Also incorporate hill repeats. It will make you tough.” Long distance runs are key, according to Meyer, but it is not necessary to prepare purely on a tar surface. Slower distance efforts need to be included in the training regimen of every aspiring marathon runner, because time spent on one’s legs is a vital part of preparation. Speed work, however, also plays a part as it will make racing more comfortable.

“Incorporate time trials, park runs or longer intervals into your programme. It will help with running economy and you will feel a lot more comfortable at marathon race pace.”

Meyer offers some key tips to potential Sanlam Cape Town Marathon participants: ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡

≡≡

Make sure you have training buddies when you sign up for the marathon. The journey will be much more enjoyable. If you can, do most of your runs off road. Follow a 12- to 16-week programme. There are training programmes on the race website (www.sanlamcapetownmarathon.com), or sign up with one of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon coaches for on-line coaching. Have fun and enjoy the journey

By following these tips, Meyer feels anyone can do it, provided they have the right mindset and approach. “Ideally you need to gradually build up from 10km to 21km to the marathon, but there are many people that pick a marathon as a challenge and just go for it. It depends on the individual and the personality,” Meyer says.

Preparing for the

Sanlam Cape Town Marathon Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

preparing for the Sanlam cape town marathon

DIET

ANDREA DU PLESSIS Training for the gruelling 42km challenge is important, but other areas of preparation are just as crucial, according to Andrea du Plessis. A nutritional specialist at Vital Health Foods, the race’s official development partner, Du Plessis says dietary intake can affect an athlete’s training and racing ability.

“The biggest impact nutrition can make on your training programme is to help your muscles recover rapidly. This ensures getting the best value out of regular training sessions,” Du Plessis says. Nutrients that are required for recovery nutrition include: ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡

water carbohydrates protein (including the branched chain amino acids) electrolytes vitamins minerals antioxidants

Du Plessis urges runners to look out for two specific ingredients when selecting their training recovery nutrition formula: ≡≡ ≡≡

Whey protein is a source of the essential and branched chain amino acids required for muscle recovery. Glutamine is an important nutrient for individuals that participate in high intensity endurance training and events. It is vital for recovery after training and important for the immune system, as it is used by the immune cells located in the digestive system.

Staying hydrated is important too, before, during and after exercise. Du Plessis provides key points to avoid dehydration, which accelerates the onset of fatigue: ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡

≡≡

Make sure to drink at least six to eight glasses of water per day to stay well hydrated. When exercising under warm conditions, make sure to increase your fluid intake with at least 500ml to 1 000ml on that day. Sports drinks taken before, during and after exercise may help keep you hydrated for training sessions that last longer than 30 minutes. During training, fluid intake of about 500ml per hour should be sufficient, depending on perspiration rate, which differs between individuals, and the temperature on the day.

While taking enough fluids is a wise approach, Du Plessis warns against excessive fluid intake: “This may result in over-hydration and hyponatremia, which may impair sports performance and can be as dangerous as dehydration.” When training in hot conditions, Du Plessis says it is important to replace natural salts such as sodium and potassium.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

health: preparing for a marathon

Advice contributed by Elana Meyer, Andrea du Plessis and Dawid Visser | Photos: Supplied

Sodium is widely available in our diets and does not need to be supplemented, so potassium is more important as a focus nutrient. Rich sources of potassium include: ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡

guavas dried guava roll dried apricots tomato juice celery potatoes bananas raisins

Du Plessis also recommends an intake of healthy food sources rich in natural salts and electrolytes: ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡

fresh vegetables fresh fruits dried fruits.

Additionally, starchy and sweet foods provide fuel for your body in the form of carbohydrates. This is important because it transforms to glucose, which is required for muscle power during exercise. Healthy options are: ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡ ≡≡

whole-grain cereals whole-wheat bread brown rice pasta potatoes sweet potatoes corn peas

Finally, for immune support, Du Plessis suggests high Vitamin C intake (1 500mg supplemented per day) as well as Zinc, in order to stay healthy.

FOOTWEAR DAWID VISSER Another important aspect to consider when preparing for a long distance race is shoes and apparel. Dawid Visser, promotions and training specialist at Asics South Africa, says there are four key areas to consider when selecting training and racing kit: ≡≡

It’s important to get the correct type of shoes suitable for your running style. You can go to your local specialist sports shop to get a gait assessment. Different types of shoes with specific features help support your running style and minimise injuries. ≡≡ The correct size of footwear is crucial. The wrong size can cause severe discomfort, blue toenails and even blistering. ≡≡ Running clothing needs to suit ≡≡ our environment and training conditions. Use vests or tech tees and shorts for warm weather, and long-sleeve tops or jackets and tights for winter training. ≡≡ Good quality comfortable socks can make your running experience much more enjoyable. Visser warns against starting a race with a new

pair of shoes. “You need to make the shoes mold to your feet to ensure proper fitting when you get to race day. This also eliminates the chances of excessive blistering,” he says. Backed with the wisdom of these experts, the organisers and sponsors of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon are expecting a record field this year for Africa’s only IAAF Silver Label race.

Coetzer says: “Sanlam wishes all participants, including the Sanlam Wealthsmiths that will run the marathon again this year, well in their preparations for the race. We hope that this will inspire many more to follow in their footsteps.”

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

The ultimate online sports magazine

Mind Games Tennis Hockey Triathlon Squash Touch Rugby Netball Canoeing Mountain Biking Soccer Cricket Fishing

INSIDE SPORTS NEWS

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Sports News: Badminton

Contributed by: Badminton SA – Andre van der Merwe | Photos: Supplied

USSA Badminton Tournament 2015 Contributed by: Badminton SA – Andre van der Merwe

The USSA National Badminton Tournament took place at the University of Pretoria (Tuks) from 29 June 2015 till 2 July 2015. At this tournament, all the Universities in South Africa play against each other to test and achieve badminton success. There were twelve Universities playing against each other in 2015. The teams comprise both men and women players who have to be full-time students. The structure they play is made up of five matches per tie, being womens singles, mens

singles, womens doubles, mens doubles and mixed doubles. The team to take three matches or more wins the tie. The team with the most tie wins, wins the tournament. The Universities played ties (of five matches) over the period against each other. On the final day, three Universities were in contention namely; University of Stellenbosch (Maties), North West University – Potchefstroom (Pukke) and University of Pretoria (Tuks).

After a very narrow 3-2 loss to Maties, Tuks were out of contention and the final was between Maties and Pukke. Pukke put up a good fight, but Oscar Fhalstorm form Maties proved to be player of the tournament when he won both of his matches and secured Maties a 3-2 win against Pukke.

Maties were crowned the Champions of the USSA Badminton Tournament in 2015.

The Top Five List 1. University of Stellenbosch (Maties) 2. North West University – Potchefstroom (Pukke) 3. University of Pretoria (Tuks) 4. University of Cape Town (UCT) 5. University of Witwatersrand (Wits)

SPORTS NEWS

Maties Photo left to right: Mr vd Walt, Oscar Fhalstorm, Pieter Jacobs, Petri Wiese, Anri Schonees & Karien Heunis

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Colin Webster 2015 Draughts Champion Mphumzi Mali wins R50 000

SPORTS NEWS

2015 Draughts Champion Mphumzi Mali wins R50 000 Contributed by: Colin Webster, Mind Sports South Africa | Photo: Supplied

Mind Sports SOuth Africa

This is the richest draughts championship in South Africa with total prize monies of R175,000.00. The winner would walk away with a staggering R50,000.00. The determined contestants battled it out with a great degree of sportsmanship. Lubabalo Kondlo, the reigning South African champion, was there as well to assist with the refereeing. As the rounds progressed, it became clear just who the front-runners were. Mphumzi Mali, Vuyani Mazibuko, Mvumeli Vengani, and Xolisa Promi pulled away from the pack to show their dominance. When the dust settled, the top four were:

On 11 July 2015 in the Centenary Hall in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, the top 126 players from the gruelling seven week Sedgwick›s Old Brown Sherry Draughts League assembled to find out just who is the best player in the Eastern Cape. The air was electric! There was much to play for.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Pos

Name

Winnings

Mphumzi Mali

R50,000.00

Vuyani Mazibuko

R20,000.00

Mvumeli Vengani

R10,000.00

Xolisa Promi

R10,000.00

1 2

In addition to his winnings, Mphumzi has also earned his Provincial Colours from Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA). It will indeed be interesting to see who the winner is in the 2016 edition.

Sports News: Sailing

Contributed by: SA Sailing (Karien Jonckheere) | Photo: ©elenagiolai

SPORTS NEWS

First SA sailor books spot for Rio Olympics Contributed by: SA Sailing (Karien Jonckheere) | Photo: ©elenagiolai

SOUTH AFRICAN

SAILING South African Sailing

Johannesburg sailor Stefano Marcia has all but secured his spot on Team SA for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio. Sailing in the Laser Class at the World Championships currently taking place in Kingston, Canada, Marcia safely negotiated his way to 39th spot – and into the gold fleet for the final races, meaning he has already met the qualification standards for the Rio Games - – and into the gold fleet for the final races, meaning he has met the qualification standards for the Rio Games.

While final selection is ultimately in the hands of SASOC, Marcia has done all he can to secure selection for next year’s games. “I’ve done it! Rio Olympics it is for me!” was Marcia’s elated response on his Facebook page. “Thank you to my sponsor Amtec Racing and Mike Hayton who believed in my dream as much as I do. I sailed the best I possibly could have today and moved up from 60th the 39th. These were the hardest three races of my life today. “It was a constant battle working my way from 106 to my current position 39th. Today was all about making it or breaking it and the wise words from my coach today were: ‘Relax and breath’. No better feeling in the world when things come together.” That they certainly did, and while competition continues in Canada, Marcia can relax just a

little, knowing that qualification is in the bag. SA Sailing Chairman Peter Hall was delighted with Marcia’s result and the country’s first 2016 Rio Yachting Olympic qualification. “A huge congratulations to Stefano and a big thanks to Mike Hayton and Amtec Racing for backing him,” he said.

“We look forward to the 470 team reaching the same success at their qualifiers in October,” he added of the team of Roger Hudson and Asenathi Jim who are also chasing Olympic qualification, having been the only team to represent South Africa at the London Games in 2012.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

full stop communications Madibaz cyclists take silver at Student Champs

Madibaz cyclists take silver at Student Champs Contributed by: Full Stop Communications

A determined Bestmed-Shukuma Madibaz cycling team held many of the larger squads at bay to take the silver medal in the team classification at the University Sport South Africa competition in Stellenbosch last week. The Western Cape institutions dominated the National Student Championship, with hosts Maties claiming the overall victory and the University of Cape Town rounding out the podium. Madibaz team captain Marinus Prinsloo and teammate Christian van Aardt did NMMU proud with their selection to the National Squad for the World Student Games. Despite being the 2014 titleholders, the NMMU riders were at a numerical disadvantage from the start of the three-day road tour. “We went into the tour as defending champions and never would have thought that we would get the results we did with only four riders compared to the other universities who had up to seven,” said Prinsloo, whose young team also included Matthew Hayter, Van Aardt and Shane Kemp.

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

“Our goal was to try and podium but we knew it would be a tall order as we were racing teams double our size and with much more racing experience,” he said. Prinsloo said both Maties and UCT had fielded full squads comprising a number of riders who also cycled for professional teams.

The Bestmed-Shukuma Madibaz cycling team took the runner-up spot in the team classification at this year’s University Sport South Africa championship hosted by Maties in Stellenbosch from June 29 to July 1.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Sports News: cycling

Words: Full Stop Communications | Photos: Provided

The tour kicked off with a 70km road stage on the Lady Loch circuit in Wellington. The Madibaz were looking good until the third lap, when Van Aardt crashed heavily as he crossed the line at the first sprint prime. “It was at this point that I once again realised why I love Student Champs so much, as the entire bunch then sat up and waited for Christiaan to return,” said Prinsloo. “This showed true sportsmanship.”

The NMMU team recovered well to go into the afternoon’s individual time-trial in first place in the team classification. “The guys showed guts as the entire team rode brilliant times despite our smaller team,” he said. Unfortunately, the Madibaz slipped into second after stage two, as the 120km queen stage loomed ahead the following day. “This was a very intense race with multiple breakaway attempts and flying attacks from the likes of Maties who were in the first team position but Varsity College had the yellow jersey.” Hayter showed pure class riding in the break with Maties’ eventual stage winner HansWerner Heuer. Van Aardt was a strong contender for all the hotspots and placed third in the final sprint to the line. “Unfortunately Shane did not finish the stage but the contribution he made was

immeasurable and he will play a big role in the future of the team,” said Prinsloo. He said day three proved to be even tougher on the NMMU camp with the riders feeling physically drained from the two previous days of hard racing. “Despite being tired, the spirits were high and the guys wanted to race,” said Prinsloo. The morning began with the fourth stage, a criterium race through the streets of Stellenbosch, which was followed by a final hill climb in the afternoon. “The pressure was on with the hill climb up to the hydro station as we wanted to go home with the silver medal,” he said. “I was so proud to hear that we took back over 40 seconds in the final stage.” Prinsloo finished fifth on GC, with Van Aardt in sixth and Hayter 17th overall.

SPORTS NEWS

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Varsity Sports Varsity Football season III kicks off

Varsity Football season III kicks off SPORTS NEWS

New teams, more action Varsity Football season III launched in Johannesburg today, with the top eight university sides in the country set to battle it out over 10 weeks of explosive action. UPTuks, who have won two titles on the bounce, will have a chance to defend their position when the tournament kicks off on 20 July. The tournament will feature three new teams – WSU (Walter Sisulu University), VUT (Vaal University of Technology) and NWU-Pukke (North West University - Potchefstroom) – while Wits and TUT make a return after missing out last season, joining stalwarts UP-Tuks, NMMU and UWC in the battle for the R97 000 prize. Each university will play at least three home games, with 17 of the total 31 matches broadcast live on SuperSport 204 and 210, every Monday at 5pm and Thursday at 6:30pm, with the finals taking centre stage on 24 September.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Sports News: Football

Words: Varsity Sports | Photos: Provided

At the end of last season, South Africa’s national coach, Shakes Mashaba, credited Varsity Football with offering up-and-coming players a platform, saying, “I want to congratulate the organisers for a job well done. I will call some of the players to come and rub shoulders with the Bafana Bafana coach and the players. This talent needs to be nurtured.” Current University of Pretoria striker Thabo Mnyamane, the star of the 2013 tournament, rewarded Mashaba’s faith by scoring on debut in Bafana Bafana’s 3-1 win against Swaziland in an international friendly earlier this year.

For more content and updates on Varsity Football 2015:

Duitser Bosman, CEO of Varsity Sports, says, “This is exactly the kind of progress we are looking for in terms of sustainable partnerships for Varsity Sports. We want our players to get exposure and get noticed by the coaches at the top. It has worked fantastically well with Varsity Cup and we are starting to see the same effects for our other sports. “Football is the biggest sport in the world, and the business of football is booming on the African continent. Competitive sport at university level is the first step for many future stars towards making their dreams of gracing the elite leagues across the world a reality.” Adds Xhanti-Lomzi Nesi, Varsity Football Manager at Varsity Sports, “This is the third year that Varsity Sports will host the eight best teams as

qualified through the USSA Football tournament. Together with the use and support of some of the best match commissioners and referees from SAFA, we are ready and set for a great spectacle of football.” Tickets to the matches are free of charge, if booked via the Varsity Sports app. Simply download the app from iTunes or Google Play Store. Tickets are R10 at the gates or via the website below. FNB, Samsung, Cell C, Jet Mart and Debonairs Pizza will be the key sponsors in making this year’s Varsity Football season one to remember, and will, as usual, offer plenty of action to fans off the field too. The Debonairs Pizza Flavour Freestyle, the FNB Scrabble challenge and Kick for Cash will also give fans the chance to win some fantastic prizes.

Game On Magazine, August: Issue 19, 2015

Varsity Sports Varsity Football season III kicks off

Varsity Sports Football 2015 Fixtures DATE

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