Tag: 2012

Gold

Cameron van der Burgh

Forgive my indulgence, it is after all South Africa’s first gold medal since Athens, (we achieved a solitary silver in Beijing) it’s been a long wait.

Continue reading “Gold”

Banyana Banyana

My Olympic viewing started yesterday evening, the ladies football has started, and if I’m honest it was certainly watchable.

Banyana Banyana (The Girls, the men’s side is nicknamed Bafana Bafana, The Boys) are currently ranked a lowly 61st in the world rankings while Sweden, their opponents last night are ranked a mighty 4th. After going 3-0 down early on our girls held the Swedes for the next hour or so. (final result 4-1)

South Africa’s goal was a Beckhamesque lob over the Swedish keeper from almost the centre circle, exquisite.

The first London Laughable Moment arrived earlier than even I expected Continue reading “Banyana Banyana”

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”

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)”

The green and gold

After much debate and heartache, Oscar’s off to the big London show
the question we ask ourselves now, how fast and far can he really go?

He’s running the four hundred and the four by four
Fate dealt a cruel cruel blow, not set back by that score
With a buffalo’s grit, the heart of ten lions
we’ll see him compete with fellow Olympians

There is of course, more to The Games, than just winning
respect, treatment as a fellow human being
I’m sure he’ll reminisce as he grows old
of that day, he pulled on the green and gold

Boks vs England – June 2012

My Programme

Perhaps the worst game of rugby that I have ever attended!

Our hopes were raised for a couple of spectacular events, our Baby Boks started proceedings at Newlands (Cape Town) on Friday night, they beat the Baby Blacks 22-16 to claim the IRB Junior World Cup in an absolutely awesome game of rugby. This after progressing through a difficult group (England, Ireland, Italy) and a tough semi (Argentina.)

Saturday started well enough, (members may recall that I was an invited ‘VIP’ courtesy of Castle Lager, the title sponsor)  a gathering at a local sports club, transport to the brewery and a super lunch.

It went quickly downhill from there.

Our tickets were awful, (on the goal line, front row ABOVE the boxes.) If I’d known I would have kept my original ones and binned these.

The VIP area was a well structured tent, adequate, plenty of beer and grub (burgers, beef or chicken!) with inadequate seating and no service or refuse bins!

As I’ve said, the match was awful, our viewing position didn’t help but not a good game, the English were understrength (not their fault) and we should have torn them apart, Continue reading “Boks vs England – June 2012”