PRIDE OF THE NATION SPORT IOLVolume 6 | August - September 2022 CELEBRATION OF WOMEN IN SPORT COVER STORY: BANYANA BANYANA
The Cape Town International Convention Centre on Monday announced the launch of the AllSport Expo in September 2022 This is a sport and wellness consumer exhibition for outdoor, indoor, and water sport, with a focus on health, nutrition, medical and wellness products. The dates of the show are from September 9 to 11.
Taubie Motlhabane, CEO of the CTICC [City of Cape Town], said: “The AllSport Expo is one of CTICC’s pride and joys in our portfolio of own events It is the only exhibition of its type in the Western Cape We have wanted to introduce an event of this nature for a while now.
International Convention Centre
“We hope to offer retailers and sports and wellness practitioners an opportunity to demonstrate their products range and services to the South African public, in an experiential way. We are excited to announce that SABC Sport is our broadcast partner for the event, which means that the expo will get wonderful coverage across their wide range of platforms.
AllSport Expo set for Cape Town
Following the pandemic, there is a drive towards health and wellness, and this expo brings diverse offerings under one roof, and is set to attract thousands of sport enthusiasts from beginners, amateurs, to professional athletes and coaches.”
Visitors to the AllSpo rt Expo are in for a unique experience, where a wide range of sport retailers, as well as health and wellness practitioners will showcase the latest products, including sport equipment, active wear, and cutting edge technology all under one roof.
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THE FUTURE IS FEGEN MMA African lightweight champion, Kiara Fegen, is ready to take the world by storm.
5 14 6 16 8 24221810 20 12 CONTENTS IOL COVER STORY Cover: ActingIOLActingDesignhttps://besthqwallpapers.com/&Production:MatthysMoss|matthys.moss@inl.co.zaIOLSportDigimagEditor:ZaahierAdams|zaahier.adams@inl.co.zaSportLiveEditor:JohnGoliath|john.goliath@inl.co.zaExecutiveIOLSportEditor:ThulaniMbatha|thulani.mbatha@inl.co.za SPORT MAG VOL.5 | P3 | AUGUST ‘22 COVER STORY: BANYANA BANYANA
MAMA AFRICA Coach Desiree Ellis is the heartbeat of the Banyana Banyana football team.
BANYANA BANYANA South Africa are still celebrating their maiden Wafcon triumph. FOR LOVE & COUNTRY
PRIDE OF THE NATION! IOL
GOLDEN GIRLS Tatjana Schoenmaker, Lara van Niekerk and Kaylene Corbett all lit up the swimming pool at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Thembi Kgatlana’s withdrawal due to injury was the inspiration behind Jermaine Seoposenwe’s brilliant performances at Wafcon.
EDITOR’S NOTE
BOXWISE WBA super welterweight and IBO champion Hannah Rankin has launched a programme in South Africa using boxing to empower young girls.
SHOW THE WOMEN THE MONEY
Banyana Banyana’s Wafcon victory in Morocco provides hope that real change can materialise in women’s sport.
The time has come for Banyana Banyana to be remunerated fairly, and on parity with their male counterparts.
The most decorated female athlete in history
KE NAKO HAPE It could possibly be time again to open the country’s doors for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup.
TARGET LOCKED
The Springbok Women’s team have a clear goal ahead of the Rugby Women’s World Cup in New Zealand.
Allyson Felix has called time on her glorious career.
RUNNING FOR CHANGE
WONDER WOMAN Proteas Women’s all-rounder Marizanne Kapp is an all-action package.
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Editor’s Note SPORT MAG VOL.5 | P5 | AUGUST ‘22
Banyana provides hope that real change can materialise
But we know that there is still so much more to do… Enjoy! Zaahier Adams
And while it is tempting to say ‘that’s a fight for another day and let’s just celebrate Banyana’s achievements’, I say, we have to do both simultaneously or real change will never materialise.
So, we salute Banyana and every other sportswoman that is featured in this month’s magazine.
WHEN Bafana Bafana – the South African Men’s football team – won the 1996 Afri can Nations Cup on home soil at the FNB Stadium it was a victory for the fledgling Rainbow Nation. It showed that when South Africans of all races came together, and worked towards one common goal, they could produce magnificent achievements. Over the intervening years South Africans have worked tirelessly to cross racial barriers and in large have made significant progress in transforming the minds and souls of our people.Unfortunately this has not been trans ferred to gender equality in Mzansi. South African women continue to face an uphill battle to be heard, seen and most importantly not hurt.
For every single one has a mother, sister, aunty, daughter, niece or friend that has beenAndaffected.itisfor this reason, that we here at IOL Sport, believe Banyana Banyana’s triumph at Wafcon last month is an even greaterDesireeachievement.Ellis,awoman who has survived the ganglands of Hanover Park in Cape Town, to become the most decorated wom en’s coach in Africa and her Banyana team are the pride of the nation. Their success goes far beyond the soccer field. They are an inspiration to every young girl in South Africa facing any form of hard ship. They have provided the belief that there is light at the end of the tunnel. That there is hope. The struggle does continue, though, par ticularly in the bid to get more women in positions of leadership in the boardroom, which will fundamentally transform archaic male-centric principles.
In 2021, Statistics South Africa released a report, Crimes Against Women in South Africa, indicating that one in five women (21%) had experienced physical violence by a Genderpartner.Based Violence is simply unaccept able. Atrocious in fact. It is every South African man’s responsibil ity to stand up against GBV.
Photos: AFP | BackpagePix By: Zaahier Adams SOUTH Africa is accustomed to producing sporting warriors. Men and women who defy the odds, over come obstacles and climb the highest mountains to achieve their glory. Siya Kolisi, Kgothatso “KG” Montjane, Thembi Kgatlana, Caster Semenya and Ernst van Dyk are the headlinePleaseacts.now add Marizanne Kapp to the list. The Proteas’ all-rounder is shattering the ceiling for women’s cricket in this country – and the world – almost every time she steps on the turf these days. Kapp is a global superstar. A woman that young girls all around the world aspire to be. She is an all-action package that takes the new ball before returning with willow in hand to smash it all parts. Basically, the Proteas’ Wonder Woman.Itisa destiny she would never have imagined for herself growing up. A naturally-talented athlete, Kapp excelled in track and field at DF Malherbe High School in Gqeberha. She played cricket throughout, but it was “just for fun” and she was “instructed to get a real job” after school.But Kapp persevered. And today we’re thankful she did. Her story, though, is much more than being part of the first group of professional women cricketers in SouthAlthoughAfrica. still only 32, she has been playing international cricket for 13 years already – the last two with a chronic heart condition. It is so severe that she was forced to miss a T20 World Cup semi-final in Sydney, and retire mid-innings during an Australian Big Bash encounter.During this period she has also contracted Covid-19 on four occa sions. The first time was the worst. She could hardly walk. And it pre vented her from having a medical procedure on her heart. Yet at the same time Kapp has enjoyed the most prolific period of her career. Since January 2019, she averages 49.50 in ODIs, compared to an overall average of 29.60, and picked up her maiden five-for during an excellent World Cup campaign in New Zealand earlier this year. Add in her Player of the Match performances in the Big Bash final and The Hundred final at Lord’s last year, and she is simply on a different planet.Kapp is fully aware that her cricket journey is fast drawing to a close. She still wants to be a mother and grow her family with wife Dane vanButNiekerk.she’s not done just yet. There is still a T20 World Cup to be won on home soil next year. And she showed in the recent Test in Taunton with a record 150 and 49 not out, that she still has the stamina for the long game as well. Her century can sit proudly alongside any great Test innings played by a Proteas Men’s counterpart. But if you thought Marizanne Kapp’s motivation was for a chair at a men’s dining table, then you would be grossly mistaken. She is head of her own table. And that’s to be applauded.
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WONDER WOMAN
Proteas Women’s all-rounder Marizanne Kapp is all-action package
CRICKET SPORT MAG VOL.5 | P7 | AUGUST ‘22 RIGHT: Marizanne Kapp and her wife and former Proteas captain Dane van Niekerk at 2019 CSA Awards. ABOVE: Kapp had an excellent ICC World Cup campaign earlier this year in New Zealand.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Silver medallist South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker (L) congratulates South Africa’s Lara van Niekerk on winning the women’s 100m breaststroke swimming final at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre.
finished fourth in 30.41 and Corbett sixth in 31.10.
SWIMMING sensation Tatjana Schoenmaker further solidified her legacy as one of the best swimmers South Africa has produced by retain ing her 200m breaststroke title at the 2022 Commonwealth games.
“It felt amazing, the crowd was going wild, so I knew it was going to be close. But I was just happy that I could swim the second fastest time I’ve ever done and to win a medal is a bonus so I’m super-happy,” said the beaming 19-year-old Van Niekerk. Olympic champion Schoenmaker was thrilled for her teammate to claim the first medal of the Games for the “It’scountry.obviously amazing,” said a thrilled Schoenmaker. “Four years ago Kaylene was standing in the crowd and she’s always crying for me so for me it was the happiest moment. I really didn’t care what my result was – I was so happy for her to win her first international medal and then the blessing is to share that podium.
The 200m world record-holder was in top form edging out Jenna Strauch from Australia and fellow South Afri can swimmer Kaylene Corbett with the time of 2:21.92 to secure her third Commonwealth Gold medal. The 25-year-old produced a masterclass in the pool following on from her world record-breaking performance at the Tokyo Olympics last year. Schoenmaker went into the games as one of South Africa’s top medal prospects and didn’t disappoint.
“We’re always supporting women, so it’s great to have a woman grab the first one. We can just be so proud of them. Being the senior now in the group it’s nice to see the juniors come up and take the win. “We’re so proud to wear the green and gold but being able to sing that anthem together, we just felt united with our country in that moment,” she added. RIGHT: Gold medallist Tatjana Schoenmaker (L) and bronze medallist Kaylene Corbett celebrate after the 200m breaststroke swimming final at the Commonwealth Games.
FAR RIGHT: South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker competes to win and take the gold medal in the women’s 200m breaststroke swimming final at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, central England.
GOLDEN GIRLS
Photos: AFP By: IOL reporter
Tatjana Schoenmaker, Lara van Niekerk and Kaylene Corbett all lit up the swimming pool at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The South African squad had, for the first time in history, more female than male representatives and is the most transformed squad in the coun try’s history at a multi-code Games. Teen swimming sensation Lara van Niekerk also powered to gold in Birmingham, claiming the 50m breaststrokeSchoenmakertitle.
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Felix and her 4 x 400m mixed relay teammates were left on the bot tom step of the podium in Eugene, Oregon after being caught down the home stretch by the Dominican Republic and the Netherlands.
Asked what wisdom she had to offer to the next generation of athletes, Felix said: “Embrace the journey.”“When you love something this much and you have difficult moments, it can break your heart,” she told “Everyreporters.defeat,every feeling of failure, its an opportunity to get better. And I wish that I really would have known that earlier.”
By: Amy Tennery
“When you see me run, know that I’m not running for medals,” added“I’mFelix.running for change. I’m running for greater equity for each of us. I’m running for women.
“It’s really cool to have it at home,” said Felix, who ran the sec ond“Itleg.had always been something I was a little envious of when you have an athlete from the home crowd and you hear that roar.”
A final street race in Los Angeles is planned for August to close out her “Tocareer.hear from my fellow athletes and younger athletes – its been an emotional day and time period of just messages and I think its just something I never expected,” said Felix.“I’m so excited to know this sport is in such great hands.”
RUNNING
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ALLYSON Felix heard the roar of a World Championships home crowd for the first and last time at the IAAF World Championships in Eugene, and while a bronze medal was not the way she wanted to end her track career she said it was more important to “embrace the journey.”
Felix won the first of her 11 Olympic medals as an 18-year-old at the 2004 Athens Games when she picked up a 200m silver. She bookended her Olympic career by winning 400m bronze and 4 x 400m relay gold at Tokyo last year, becoming the most decorated woman in the history of the sport.
FOR CHANGE
There were many empty seats at Hayward Field but the fans let 36-year-old Felix know they were behind her every step of the way when she took the baton one last time.
“More than anything, I’m running toward a future where no woman or girl is ever told to know her place.”
LEFT: Allyson Felix celebrates winning gold in the Women’s 4 x 400m Relay Final with Athing Mu, Dalilah Muhammad and Sydney McLaughlin of Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.
Photos: EPA
Felix, 36, returned to the track two years ago after life-threatening complications arising from the birth of her daughter Camryn, who spent her first month in intensive care.
The most decorated female athlete in history Allyson Felix has called time on her glorious career.
ATHLETICS SPORT MAG VOL.5 | P11 | AUGUST ‘22 Allyson Felix in action in the 4x400m Mixed Relay at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA.
Photos: BackpagePix By: Wynona Louw FOR Springbok women’s coach Stanley Raubenheimer, his team's recent results are a step in the right direction as they prepare for the WorldTheCup.women'’ showpiece will take place in New Zealand in October. The South Africans completed a 2-0 series clean sweep over Spain, and those two victories took them to five wins in their six matches for the year – all against higher-ranked opposition.Priorto their positive results against the Spanish, they also secured two consecutive wins over Japan, losing just one in Kamaishi lastMovingmonth.
ABOVE: The Springbok women blew Spain away at Ellis Park and Potchefstroom.
“We needed to get a team ready and competitive to play at the biggest stage, the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and I am pleased with where we are, our last in that whole“Therejourney.hasbeen a lot of work and planning done to get everything in place for the World Cup. We used almost 60 players over the four years and managed to end up with a squad at this camp that will be pretty close to the one going to New Zealand. We wanted a settled squad to travel there, and I think we managed to get pretty close to that. We finished the Spain camp with 34 players, with 32 allowed to go to the World Cup.”
The Springbok Women’s team have a clear goal ahead of the Rugby Women’s World Cup in New Zealand.
up one position on the world rankings is of course a pleasing aspect for Raubenheimer, but it’s not the most important by-product from their run of results.
“It is great to move in the right direction when it comes to world ranking, but we did not start this journey four years ago with that in mind,” Raubenheimer said after their second win over Spain.
At the Fanie du Toit Stadium in Potchefstroom, the Boks scored 23 unanswered points in the second half to beat Spain 37-14 after trailing 14-10 at the break. The victory in North West marked their second win over Spain in five attempts, having lost the previous three in a row. While their ability to fight back was a standout feature from the game, Raubenheimer would have liked to see more patience from his group in their first-ever Test played in Potch.“Wewere just too eager and pushing too hard in that first half. Once we calmed things down and dictated the pace of the game, the tries came,” said Raubenheimer. In the first Test against Spain, the Boks soared to a 44-5 victory at Ellis Park to claim a first home victory against their European counterparts.
TARGET LOCKED
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Jermaine Seoposenwe wore the No 12 at this year’s Wafcon in Morocco, and the dreadlocked striker drove Banyana Banyana to the Promised Land in the absence of her “really, really, really good friend Kgatlana”.Seoposenwe had previously also starred in the 2018 Wafcon in Ghana when Banyana finished as runners-up and qualified for their maiden World Cup in France. The 28-year-old delivered the lone strike in the recent quarter-final by keeping her composure to beat goalkeeper Salima Jobrani in a oneon-one situation. It was a perfect start for the favourites, who earlier registered three wins on the trot in the group stage against multiple champions Nigeria, debutants Burundi and neighboursSeoposenweBotswana.tormented the Tunisian defence throughout, and ultimately won the Player of the Match award. But such is Seoposen we’s character that she claimed it was the injured Kgatlana who was the driving force behind her perfor mance.“Iam very sad that Thembi is not here. She is one of my really really really good friends and room mate and it was really heartbreaking to lose her. I dedicate this award to her. She is unable to play with us now due to injury and now my teammates and I must step up for her,” Seoposenwe, who recently left Portuguese club SC Braga, told CAF Online.Seoposenwe and the rest of the Banyana team rose to the occasion in Kgatlana’s absence, going on to win their maiden Wafcon title with a 2-1 triumph over the hosts in the final.“We are resilient. Everybody talks about us playing beautiful football, but you saw character as well. You saw players showing up, young players. Lots of people asked … ‘Why did Des choose this team? They’re so young … ” But they brought the energy. The experi enced players stepped up to another level, and everybody played their part,” she said.
COVER STORY
Photos: BackpagePix By: Mihlali Baleka PORTIA Modise earned legendary status with the No. 12 jersey for Banyana Banyana, not only on the continent but on the globe, becom ing the first African player to score 100 international goals. An almost replica of Modise emerged in Thembi Kgatlana over the years, with the latter also full of speed and trickery. And so, when Banyana lost Kgatlana to injury ahead of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final clash against Tunisia, there were many a Banyana fan left wondering where the goals would comeAfterfrom?all, this was no ordinary match given that a win would guarantee Banyana passage to the Wafcon semi-finals and 2023 World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.
ABOVE: Seoposenwe celebrates with her Banyana teammates after scoring the winner against Tunisia in the Wafcon quarter-final in Rabat.
FOR LOVE & COUNTRY
Jermaine Seoposenwe says she drew inspiration from the injured Thembi Kgatlana to drive Banyana Banyana to Wafcon glory.
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“This was our goal, this was our dream, we wanted to win it for South Africa. I am so proud of my team. I am so proud of everybody involved in this team.”
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JERMAINE
SEOPOSENWE celebrates with the winner’s trophy and her medal in Rabat. Seoposenwe and Linda Motlhalo were key playmakers in driving Banyana Banyana to the Wafcon title.
Photos: BackpagePix
By: Herman Gibbs BANYANA Banyana coach Desiree Ellis’s legend will be indeli bly engraved in the annals of South African football folklore after she led her team to their maiden Women’s African Nations championship title in Rabat, Morocco, at the weekend. This was the icing on the cake after the 59-year-old had earlier been crowned the continent’s Women’s Coach of the Year for the third suc cessive year at the Confederation of African Football (Caf) Awards gala at the Mohamed VI Technical Centre just days before the final. Ellis saw off the challenges of Bruce Mwape (Zambia), Jerry Tsha balala (Mamelodi Sundowns) and Reynald Pedros (Morocco). A former long-serving Banyana Banyana captain, Ellis was initially appointed in an interim capacity in 2016, taking over the reins from the Netherlands’ Vera Pauw. Two years on, she was appointed head coach of the South African national women’s team on a full-time basis. She’s not once looked back, and Banyana has since scaled new heights in becoming a genuine force on the African continent. Under the Salt River-born coach’s guidance, Banyana reached the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) final for the first time in a decade in 2018, with only a penalty shoot-out denying them vic tory against Nigeria’s Super Falcons. It was Banyana’s fourth loss in the African showpiece, following previous defeats in 1995, 2000 and 2008. Ellis was part of the teams that suffered heartbreak in the first two finals. After guiding Banyana to the 2018 final in Ghana, Ellis won the Africa Women’s Coach of the Year for the first time. An honour that was bestowed again on her the following year after leading Banyana Banyana to a first-ever Fifa World Cup berth at France 2019. By reaching the semi-finals in Morocco, Ellis and her team will now also make back-to-back Fifa Women’s World Cup appearances in Australia and New Zealand next year. Ellis has become the heartbeat of South African women’s football. Her coaching is the inspiration that drives the national team. But despite the plaudits streaming in, she remains as humble as ever by paying tribute to her “Itteam.means a lot to the whole of South Africa, to the coaches and players that have come before. This is for everyone that is connected to women’s football. Most importantly, the players were absolutely brilliant,” said“WeEllis.always say when the team does well, the individual stands out. This is a team award because as a coach you work with a team, so if the team does well, the individual stands out.”
Coach Desiree Ellis is the heartbeat of the Banyana Banyana football team.
MAMA AFRICA
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LEFT: Ellis receives the Coach of the Year (Women) award for the third successive year at the 2022 CAF Awards in Morocco.
SOCCER SPORT MAG VOL.5 | P17 | AUGUST ‘22 RIGHT: Ellis is a role-model for everyone in her community and the entire country at large.
The time has come for Banyana Banyana to be remunerated fairly, and on parity with their male counterparts.
“Coach Desiree Ellis always emphasises the importance of team work. This is the best camp we had where we wanted to win for one another. We got this far because we worked together as a team,” said Jane, who shared the captain’s armband with veteran defender Janine van Wyk and goalkeeper Andile Dlamini throughout the tournament.
Photos: BackpagePix By: Eshlin Vedan BANYANA Banyana captain Refiloe Jane has indicated that putting indi vidualism aside and focusing on team work was the key to her side winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon).TheSouth African women’s national team claimed their first-ever continental crown following a 2-1 win over Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
“Having different leaders in the team meant a lot. It’s not a one-man show. And I think you saw, too, when we went to lift the trophy, there were three of us as captains. So it’s a collec tive effort, not a one-man show.
“The feeling was a relief after we had tried to win the tournament all these years. It was emotional. I was excited and overwhelmed. I could not believe that we got to where we are today,” added Jane.
RIGHT: The three Banyana Banyana captains Andile Dlamini (left), Refiloe Jane (centre) and Janine van Wyk (right) lift the Wafcon trophy together.
LEFT: Refiloe Jane of South Africa during the Banyana Banyana V&A Waterfront ticket handout.
“Being the leader is from a combi nation of hard work, sacrifice, and we don't disregard the hard work other people have put forward,” Jane said.
SHOW THE WOMEN THE MONEY
The AC Milan star was instrumen tal as the engine of the Banyana team, but she now hopes winning Wafcon will place greater emphasis on equal pay for the women’s national team.
Banyana have not only won the continental showpiece now, but they have also qualified for successive Fifa Women’s World Cups – in 2019 and again next year in New Zealand and Australia. Bafana Bafana – the men’s team – last qualified for a Fifa World Cup back in 2002, with participation only guaranteed in 2010 due to South Africa being the hosts. But yet the women’s side con tinues to be paid less than Bafana Bafana.“All these years we’ve been push ing and fighting for change, and you can see the strides women's football has been taking,” Jane said. “And also the successes for the clubs and for the national team. So we kept on doing our job and hoping we can get the recognition we deserve. And also hoping with this win that things are going to change back home with regards to women's football.”
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SOCCER
South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan embraces Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis after their Wafcon triumph.
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It could possibly be time again to open the country’s doors for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup Photos: BackpagePix | African News Agency (ANA)
Fifa eventually opted for a joint venture between Australia and New Zealand, edging out Colombia in the final bidding process.
The Australia/New Zealand bid received a score of 4.1 out of five, with it appearing to present the most commercially favourable prop osition, according to Fifa.
The Antipodean countries won the vote 22-13 to earn the right to host what will be the first Women’s World Cup to feature 32 teams. It will also be the first time a major senior football tournament will be held Down Under.
BANYANA Banyana have become a glowing advertisement for South African women’s football and after the team finally con quered Africa in Rabat, the chances of hosting the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup are glowing red hot. Before the start of the Wafcon, the first target was Fifa World Cup qualification and that was achieved after their quarter-final win over Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles. Next, the focus shifted to winning Wafcon, which they brilliantly did with a 2-1 win over hosts Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. Now the talk has changed to bidding for the 2027 Fifa World Cup. The president of the SA Football Association (Safa) Danny Jordaan has been leading the charge of the 2027 women’s global showpiece coming to the southernmost tip of the African “Banyanacontinent.Banyana are showing that South African football has established itself and their exploits in the tournament will play a huge role in our bid to have the 2026 World Cup hosting rights,” said Jor daan, the man who pioneered SA’s successful 2010 Men’s Fifa World Cup“Ifbid.ateam does well, it is easier to convince people that you’re a footballing nation and you can accommodate the world.”
Safa have previously submitted a bid to Fifa to host the 2023 Wom en’s World Cup. They competed against eight other nations, includ ing Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
Banyana have only made one previous appearance at the Fifa Women’s World Cup, in France three years ago.
By: Herman Gibbs
SOCCER SPORT MAG VOL.5 | P21 | AUGUST ‘22 Nelson Mandela celebrates with Danny Jordaan after South Africa’s successful 2010 Men’s Fifa World Cup bid.
“I am really proud to be an ambassador for BoxWise, and when we had the opportunity to bring it to South Africa I was really happy to do that,” said Rankin.
“I am blessed to have two careers or paths, one with boxing and one with music, but with both of these, you don’t need to speak the lan guage, it doesn’t matter where you come from, all that matters is your hunger to learn. If you walk into any boxing gym in the world, if you are willing to put the work in, you can go really far, and that is how it con nects worldwide. Boxing or music … And these girls and ladies are testa ment to that,” added Rankin.
HANNAH Rankin epitomises the wordNot“champion”.onlyhasshe honed her skills and refined her talents as a boxer and a musician, but she also uses her time, heart and knowledge to help those in Rankinneed.—who recently beat Alejandra Ayala to retain her World Boxing Association and International Boxing Organisation super welter weight titles — visited South Africa once again to launch the BoxWise programme.BoxWise is a non-profit social enterprise that uses boxing to help people at risk or from disadvantaged backgrounds with the aim of build ing their confidence, instilling dis cipline, adaptability and improving their health before assisting them with education and employment opportunities.TheLondon-based brand brought Rankin on board as an ambassador and she could not contain her excite ment at the thought of bringing the project to SA — a country she fell in love with after her first visit last year when she beat Kholosa Ndobayini on the Fight Africa (in partnership with Jackie Brice) Promotions card at PollsmoorBoxWisePrison.—working with the Professional Fighting Championship gym in Bothasig — ran a five-day pilot project with organisations in Cape Town that are home to girls and women who were neglected, abused or at risk.
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WBA super welterweight as well as IBO champion Hannah Rankin has launched a programme in South Africa using boxing to empower young girls.
AFP
“This project has got a personal space in my heart. Listening to their stories and welcoming them into the BoxWise family has been a real privilege.”Rankin added that despite the physical and cultural distance between her and the girls, who live miles away from each other, she connected with them immediately.
The project included partici pants from Rainbow House, Home to Home, Micah House, St Anne’s Home and Wolraad Woltemade Pri maryRankinSchool.said that there was noth ing more rewarding than having the opportunity to empower young girls and women, who warmed up to the Scottish boxer and her BoxWise team as they used boxing to help inspire, uplift and improve their lives.
“I have a voice that people listen to, especially as a champion. I want my legacy to be one that sees me do as much as I can for people, through boxing and through all my other ventures,” said Rankin who is also a professional bassoonist.
By: Julian Kiewietz
Photos: | www.photosport.nz
TOP: Rankin teaches young girls from Cape Town the fundamentals of boxing.
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LEFT: Rankin bobbed and weaved her way to an intelligent victory over Kholosa Ndobayini at Pollsmoor Correctional Facility in Cape Town.
Photos: Supplied By: Julian Kiewietz
TOP: Fegen with her South African national coaches after being crowned the MMASA Ladies’ Lightweight champion last month.
“I think that every woman should at least get to blue-belt level in jiujitsu or at least two years of MMA training, just to defend them selves. For me, I used to be extremely shy and self-conscious, but now I have more confidence, I’m a lot more friendly and I know that if it comes down to it, I would 100% put up a fight,” adds Fegen, touching on the SA climate which is riddled with gender-based violence.
“I have been focused on my jiujitsu career for the past five years now, so I am expanding to the MMA side to learn more and do more com petitions,” adds the Alberton-born athlete, who beat Wilmarie Alberts via a rear-naked choke in their light weight MMA bout at the Megalodon Fighting Championship in Johannes burg“Thatrecently.does not mean I am going to push my jujitsu career aside,” says Fegen who initially got into combat sport for self defence purposes before the bug instantly bit. Fegen is a strong advocate for combat sports and believes it can be beneficial to all girls and women.
“I would love to take this (com bat sports) as far as I can,” says the 20-year-old Fegen.
SOMETHING special is brewing in South African women’s mixed martialAsidearts.from EFC matchmaker Graeme Cartmell slowly but surely adding more women to the Extreme Fighting Championship roster, it is the amateur scene that gets the purists excited about the future of women’s MMA.
Fegen is primed to take the world by storm if she continues on her cur rent trajectory. With her laser-sharp focus, grit to withstand the toughest situations, a smile and attitude that is very marketable, Fegen is ready for the next level.
THE FUTURE IS FEGEN
At the IMMAF (International Mixed Martial Arts Federation) Africa Mixed Martial Arts Championship earlier this year, more than a hand ful of women did well to represent Mzansi.One of those talented prospects is the new African lightweight cham pion, Kiara Fegen. Fegen beat her teammate Lond iwe Hadebe in the final of the women’s lightweight division to earn gold. And when she asked that we get the Ultimate Fighting Champi onship cage branding in the shot, it was clear that this young talent has her eyes on the big stage.
MMASPORT MAG VOL.5 | P24 | AUGUST ‘22 MMA African lightweight champion, Kiara Fegen, is ready to take the world by storm.
BEHIND
RIGHT: Fegen is a strong advocate for combat sports and believes it can be beneficial to all girls and women. Kiara Fegen’s marketable persona stands a ruthless and highly-talented grappler who can pounce on any opening.
MMA SPORT MAG VOL.5 | P25 | AUGUST ‘22
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BIKINI wars, no-sex beds and an offensive joker who had no one laughing, the week leading up to yesterday’s Olympic Games opening in Tokyo, Japan, played out like madeAlready under the cosh after yearlong delay due to the global corona virus pandemic, Tokyo 2020 (plus 1), opened sans the usual pomp and cere mony reserved for the world’s grandest show of athletic prowess and human endurance, with only fraction of par ticipating athletes in an almost empty The director of the Games opening and closing ceremonies was given the boot on Wednesday, just two days before kick-off of the grand event, over a past Holocaust joke. Kentaro Kobayashi was lambasted by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, US-based Jewish rights NGO, over his use of the phrase “Let’s play Holo caust” in 1998 comedy show. Days earlier, Keigo Oyamada, one of the composers for the Games’ open ing ceremony, resigned after public criticism over his past bullying chil As Kobayashi battled to get his foot out of his mouth, the Norwegian women’s beach volleyball team added their spike to the fight against sexism by refusing to wear bikini bottoms during matches. They refused to come up short(s) against their male counter parts and declared that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. This could be seen as the first coverup in beleaguered Games that is hedging its bets on TV and streaming coverage, albeit from empty stadiums, to beat the massive daily audience of 27.5 million global viewers, set by the 2016 Rio Olympics. To help readers schedule viewing times to catch all the actual stadium drama, we have compiled a list of the Top 10 women to watch in Tokyo, starting with Africa’s queen of the breaststroke, Tatjana Schoenmaker The pressure’s on for the Tuks swimmer looking to become the first in 21 years in an Olympic pool. Right now, Schoenmaker holds the record as the world’s fastest woman in the 200m breaststroke, after she set new African record, winning in 2:20.17 at the South African National Aquatic Champs in Gqeberha. A new African and South African record of 30.32 in bears her name. 100m breaststroke heat tomorrow and medal favourite – next Wednesday. Japanese tennis superstar Osaka ranked Number in the world, came into the public eye after the upset defeat she inflicted on the 23-time the 2018 US Open final. Osaka made headlines when she pulled out of the French Open in May citing mental health concerns as well as sitting out the Wimbledon this year for the same reason. It’s advantage-Osaka as she plays on home turf in Tokyo. The US women’s soccer team is aiming to become the first women’s team ever to clinch the World Cup and Olympic gold back-to-back after failing to do so following its World Cup wins in 1999 and 2015. Key to the team’s aspirations is winger Megan Rapinoe one of the world’s most talented female soccer players. She won the Best Player Award in the 2019 Women’s World Cup and the Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball) in the same year. At 36, Rapinoe may be making the world gymnastics scene, rising to prominence when she was just 16. Claimed by many to be the greatest female gymnast of all time, Biles has had four gymnastic skills named after her. She won five gold medals in Rio and is defending the individual allaround champion's title. Basketballer Sue Bird 40, is a the most Bird has her sights set on becoming the player to win five consecutive golds. Somebody give Bird her own basket for all the 29-year-old daughter of rock legend ing out her own impressive legacy in the sport of horse riding. The equestrian champ has been riding since age 5 and ings. Springsteen comes into this year's competition in top form, having just won the CSI4* Hubside Jumping Grimaud 2021, which is miere pre-Olympic international Making Olympic history this year is 43-year-old weightlifter gender person to take part in modern Games. Among the top-ranked lifters in the women’s +87kg category, Hub a medal, especially after her impres sive performance at the 2019 Samoan Pacific Games. be barred from competing because of the perceived advantage she has over other women because she was born man, the International Olympic Committee issued new guidelines that allow transgender athlete to compete as a woman provided her testosterone levels are below a certain mark. Shelly-Ann FraserPryce of Jamaica comes into the Olympics in peak form, clocking the second fastest time in history – 10.63 seconds. two-time gold medallist, Fraser-Pryce, 34, is one of three women to successfully defend her Olympic 100m title. She now hopes to live up alive” in what may be her last stab at the biggest Games in town. Surfing will make its Olympic debut this year and seven-time world cham pion Stephanie Gilmore tralia will be riding high in Tokyo. The 33-year-old hopes to bring her country’s surfing success to the Olympic stage, but she is likely to face stiff competition from the USA’s Carissa Moore, who has been Gilmore’s long-term rival. Their fierce competitive spirits will surely create a splash of epic proportions. Rounding off the list is 24-yearKatie Ledecky the youngest member of the 2012 US Olympic swimming team and brought home the gold. Since then she has added four more gold medals to her Olympic kitty, which means she’d have to win three more in Tokyo to tie with Jenny Thompson for the honour of being the top medallist among Amer ican women swimmers. reporting by IANS
InsIdeR satuRday 24 July 2021
All aboard –your private jet awaits How your unit trusts performed to the end of June Audi Rs3 street fighter is ready A violent history of meting out ‘justice’ opinion from mAtch-fixing to porn scAndAl how you Are tAxed on your investments lifestyle personal finance Making Olympic history this year is partLaurelweightlifterHubbard,ofNewZealand,thefirsttransgenderpersontotakeinamodernGames.
queen of the breaststroke, Tuks swimmer Tatjana choenmaker, will start her Olympic campaign tomorrow. nelandri narianan nelandri.narianan@inl.co.za olympic stars you’ve got to
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