What a year of Benoni sport (July to December 2014)
Local sportspeople continued to fly the flag for Benoni in their various sporting codes in 2014. There were also fantastic sporting events held in Benoni during the past year.
July
The 10th annual Eastern Junior Club Cricket Association (EJCCA) u-13, u-14, u-16, u-17 and u-19 Carnival City Festival took place at Willowmoore Park and Actonville Spurs Cricket Club from July 2 to July 6.
Benoni Northerns Indians Ball Club’s Rowan Ebersohn put pen to paper on a seven-year professional playing contract with his boyhood dream team, the Minnesota Twins, in the USA. He revealed that he had turned down offers from the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds.
The Eastern Gauteng Hockey Union announced that they were set to commence with the construction of the first artificial surface hockey pitch in the region at Benoni Northerns Sports Club.
August
Northmead resident Fabio Sá Miranda took part at the International Baseball Federation’s (IBAF) 2014 u-15 Baseball World Cup in Mexico.
Benoni’s men’s national hockey player Jethro Eustice took part at the XX Commonwealth Games, in Glasgow, Scotland.
Former Kids Haven resident and wrestler Mpho Madi became the first South African female wrestler to win a medal at the XX Commonwealth Games. She won a women’s 53kg wrestling bronze medal at the Games. Madi’s teammate and Rynfield resident Armando Hietbrink also brought home a bronze medal after placing third in the men’s 86kg freestyle category. Another Kids Haven resident Bokang Masunyane also competed at the Games but missed out on a medal.
Wakeskater Matti Buys achieved a third place in the open men’s wakeskate finals at the Cable Wakeboard World Championships, in Norway, on Saturday, August 16.
September
Old Bens Football Club’s first XI, coached by Raymond Cloete and skippered by Dale Skinner, regained promotion to the ELFA Seniors Super League Division One after going unbeaten in Division Two. The promotion means that the famous Benoni Derby will be played between Bens and Benoni Northerns in 2015.
Gareth Sawyer picked up his second professional fight win, via TKO, over Jason Culverwell at EFC 33 at the Durban International Convention Centre.
Open water swimmer Savannah Barman and her coach Wade Marshall were part of a contingent of South African swimmers and coaches who took part at the 2014 Fina World Junior Open Water Championships, at Lake Balaton, in Hungary.
The Benoni Tigers Action Cricket team set a new Guinness World Record for the longest marathon, playing indoor cricket at the Benoni Arena from Saturday, September 20, to Sunday, September 21. The 16-member team played for 26 hours and four minutes.
October
Willowmoore Park hosted the Pepsi ICC Africa T20 Division Two qualifying tournament from September 20 to September 24. It was Ghana who would emerge victorious and earn their promotion to Division One.
Sixteen-year-old trail runner and Rynfield resident Taygen Pringle became the youngest ever finisher of the grueling 42km Otter African Trail Run, held along the Garden Route.
The Easterns Premier Cricket League got underway on October 5.
Former Kids Haven resident and Commonwealth Games wrestling bronze medallist Mpho Madi was nominated for a South African Sports Award in the Sportswoman of the Year category.
November
Morehill resident Michael Docherty flew the flag for South Africa at the debut Monster Energy Supercross Africa event at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on November 1. He claimed a podium third position on his Kawasaki 450.
Baseball player Rowan Ebersohn is acknowledged as Benoni Northerns Sports Club’s Senior Sportsperson of the Year.
Over 2 500 runners and walkers took part at the 2014 Rowlin National Brokers Night Race on Wednesday, November 5. Nedbank Running Club’s Tumelo Mahlangu won the main 15km event.
Fourteen-year-old Delon Thompson was crowned the 2014 Gauteng Regional Karting Champion, in the Junior Rok category.
December
Benoni Northerns Cricket Club’s Premier XI defeated arch rivals Kempton Park Cricket Club by an astounding 10 wickets, away from home. It was also the team’s third successive win on enemy turf. Actonville Spurs Cricket Club continued the Benoni dominance over Kempton, a week later.
