Category: Sport

Thirsty work

It’s no secret that Hashim Amla is a Muslim.

He has always refused to wear sponsors apparel if alcohol is involved, as the picture on the left depicts. (Note Jacques Kallis with the Castle brewery logo on his shirt.) Good for him, I’ve always admired a man of principles.

But this month is Ramadan!

Hashin Amla is according to Muslim tradition exempt from having to fast because he’s ‘traveling.’ Fair enough. But did you know that he spent his entire time collecting that mammoth 311 runs this past weekend, which took a whopping 790 minutes without publicly ingesting anything! Continue reading “Thirsty work”

Tour de force anglaise

While cherished cynics pooh-pooh the eighty-seven hour ride around the magnificent French campagne, there are those of us who will be pleased that three English riders have proved better than the rest. And although outspoken Daley Thompson believes that athletics are the superior discipline (his own claim to fame relies on his failure to be good enough at any one of his ten to be a world-beater like Steve Redgrave), I defy anyone to doubt the skill and dedication displayed by the Sky team in sealing first and second places overall for Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome and two three* explosive stage wins for Mark Cavendish.

As a footnote, the spectacle was a welcome counterpoint to English fortunes at the Oval and Royal Lytham, where Soutie’s mates won all the laurels.

* mea maxima culpa, thanks, Soutie!

A paean for London 2012

They know the price of everything
(Don’t they just, don’t they just!)
They carp about the air we breathe
(Don’t they just, don’t they just!)
Our celebration of the rings
Our vict’ries and our winners’ wreaths
D’you wonder why we make them seethe?
They envy what we all achieve!
(Don’t they just, don’t they just!) Continue reading “A paean for London 2012”

Siyanqoba (we conquer)

Here’s the long haul SA Airways Airbus 340-300 which will be whisking our Olympic hopefuls off to London this evening.

I have no idea who the athletes in the picture are (can’t find any reference to them on the pages that I’ve read this morning) but good luck to them. Here’s hoping they don’t get lost between Heathrow and the Olympic village!

Continue reading “Siyanqoba (we conquer)”