Grahamstown can truly be proud of some excellent sporting performances this year. Grocott's Mail's sports editor Stephen Penney pays tribute in pictures to some of the city's top athletes and takes a look at some of their highlights in 2012.
Grahamstown can truly be proud of some excellent sporting performances this year. Grocott's Mail's sports editor Stephen Penney pays tribute in pictures to some of the city's top athletes and takes a look at some of their highlights in 2012.
Lance Ho, a member of the Rhodes University Archery Club, received his Protea colours for archery coaching. He was the South African coach for the archery team that took part in the London Paralympics in July. Ho also took part in the national archery champs hosted in Grahamstown earlier this year, where he finished third in the club and provincial teams and second in the mixed-team event. He also finished seventh overall in the compound men's division. Ho was named the Rhodes University Sportsman of the Year.
Natalie Ross represented Triathlon South Africa (TSA) at the Barfoot and Thompson world triathlon championships in Auckland, New Zealand. As a member of the Rhodes Athletics Club, Ross won a number of Eastern Province Athletics road races, beating EP's top women in a number of the races. Ross won, among others, the Afri-Save 10km, Despatch SuperSpar 10km, Iron Girls South Africa 10km. Ross was also selected to represent TSA at the world duathlon championships but decided to concentrate on the triathlon.
Jenienne Curr, a matric pupil at the Diocesan School for Girls, won silver in the junior women's single sculls final at the Junior World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. This is the first ever rowing world championship medal to be won by a South African junior woman and also the first rowing world championship medal to be won by any South African woman in an Olympic event.
Nomphelo Stuurman represented South Africa at an international korfball tournament in Pretoria. Stuurman is also a national basketball player, who has been representing South Africa since she was an under-17. Korfball is a combination of basketball and netball and features mixed men's and women's teams.
Nicholas Zimmerman, of Graeme College, played for the U14A cricket side (and a few matches for the U15A side) this year and scored a number of centuries. He is also in the line-up to play for the Graeme first team during the Grahamstown Schools' cricket festival early next month. While still playing U14 this year he scored 110 against Alexander Road and took five wickets for 28 runs. Against Westering High School he scored 164 and 161 runs against Woodridge. Watch out for this future cricket star.
Mzoxolo 'Black Tiger' Ndwayana is the Eastern Cape welterweight boxing champion, who has defended his title on numerous occasions this year. After his last bout he zoomed up the rankings and is now second on South Africa's welterweight rankings. He may be at the top of his game in the province, but Ndwayana is not too busy to factor others into his programme. He is often seen at local boxing tournaments, helping the youngsters and showing them the ropes.
