Marathon sporting fest beckons as Ussa comes to Wits
JOBURG – Textbooks will be traded for sporting gear as students turn into brawlers for a week of action-packed excitement during the University Sports South Africa 2017 winter event from 3 to 7 July.
Following an impressive tournament last year, Wits University will get their 2017 University Sports South Africa (Ussa) campaign underway when the flagship winter varsity sporting event kicks off on 3 July.
Ussa is the controlling body of all sports played at tertiary institutions in South Africa.
Wits will play host to rugby, hockey, chess and gymnastics in what is expected to be a week of exhilarating sporting action at the Wits Main Campus in Braamfontein. In a hotly contested men’s basketball A section final at Wits University last year, the Wits men’s basketball side, the Horny Bucks, saw off 10-time Ussa basketball champions Vaal University of Technology (Vut), beating them 68–58 to claim a maiden title.
In another mouth-watering basketball encounter, the Lady Bucks succumbed to a narrow defeat to a determined Vut Ladies outfit in the final. This year, Wits basketball sports officer Ntshembo Vukeya said the Lady Bucks would be in search for a change in fortune.
“Looking at the log standing from the qualifiers, I have great confidence that our ladies will be the 2017 Ussa champions,” said Vukeya. “Coming into this tournament, you will always have challenges [such as] playing away from home and facing some of the best university clubs in the country. But I’m confident both teams will make the finals.”
Meanwhile, Wits Rugby will contest the men’s rugby A section for the first time since 2014, following an emphatic 2016 campaign at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) where they won the men’s rugby B section final by handing the University of the Western Cape (UWC) a 77–0 thumping.
Wits will open their account against the University of Pretoria (UP Tuks) on day one. “In the wake of Ussa 2017, Wits University entered Varsity Cup 2017 as the rookies and did not only want to [make up] the numbers, but really compete against the top dogs,” said Wits rugby sports officer Amigo Ngcakana.
Football sports officer at Wits, Montsho Matlala, conceded that Wits faced a difficult task ahead in the men’s football A section but remained optimistic. The team will come up against Eastern Cape champions WSU first, before taking on Ussa 2016 finalists and Varsity Football 2016 semi-finalists, Central University of Technology on day two. Day three will see Wits book a date with reigning Varsity Football champions, Tshwane University of Technology.
“It is definitely the group of death but we’ve obviously done our research and are preparing well for this tournament,” said Matlala. “We have set a mandate to win the tournament and have told the players that we do not want any excuses.”
The Wits Ladies football side, on the other hand, will relish the home assignment after drafting in the services of former Banyana Banyana player Nthabeleng Modiko as head coach in March. “Nthabeleng is doing an amazing job with the ladies as they are currently first in their regional league,” said Matlala.
“Wits Ladies are pitted alongside UP Tuks, North-West University and the University of Cape Town, all of whom are in the women’s Varsity Football 2017 competition.” Wits netball sports officer Tebogo Rabothata said netball preparations were also in full swing.
“The netball Ussa team preparations are underway and began [in the first week of June],” she said. “In the weeks leading up to Ussa, our training has intensified with our focus shifting from how we fare against other teams to individual strength and conditioning. The team will have a few more gym sessions as well as team training sessions ahead of the tournament.”
Details: Results will be tweeted @WitsSport for all the days’ round of fixtures during the tournament.
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