The top sports stories of 2016

2016 was a good year for sport and saw some major highs in the world of sport in Germiston.

Here are the top 10 sport stories of the year, and there is something for everyone.

1. Blood, sweat and hard-hitting action: https://bit.ly/1pMr0nq

It was a night of upsets as not one but two champion boxers lost their title fights. The championship bouts were part of Supercharged, an explosive box and dine evening that featured four action-packed bouts hosted by Emperors Palace, in association with Golden Gloves in March. During the event Germiston boxer Grant Fourie took on Warren Joubert for the SA/WBA Interim Pan Africa and Junior welterweight championship belts.

2. Unsavoury incident costs Luso league match: https://bit.ly/2cMwPyq

Bad sportsmanship and drama marred the Germiston Derby, in September. It was Germiston City FC’s last match of the Eastern Local Football Association’s (ELFA) Super League, against Luso Africa FC, and it was called off 20 minutes before the end of the second half, when a member of the crowd hit a linesman. This meant that Germiston won the match, played at Hattingh Park, 1-0. It was the second time the teams faced off in a Germiston Derby this season, with Luso winning their first gruelling encounter 3-2.

3. Nigel rows to success: https://bit.ly/2cQ6S1c

Lambton’s talented Nigel Bakker (51) put South Africa and Germiston on the map at the 2016 World Rowing Masters Regatta, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from September 8 to 11. Bakker scooped three gold medals from the five races in which he took part. “Rowing categories and races are divided by age, category A is from 27 to 34, B from 35 to 41, C from 42 to 49, D from 50 to 55 and so on, as it is worked out in five year intervals. I raced in the C and D singles, C and D doubles and in the mixed doubles categories and won the C and D singles and D doubles,” he said.

4. Germiston bowl over the competition: https://bit.ly/2e5WDEA

The Germiston City Cricket Club began their Easterns Cricket League campaign in October with an impressive win over the Benoni-based Wattville Cricket Club. The two teams took to the pitch at Germiston City Sports Grounds for their Fourth League match, on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Germiston, who were in high spirits, won the game comfortably by 93 runs, with one wicket in hand.

5. Local warrior to make history: https://bit.ly/2dU4Uha

“This feels like part of me and my destiny. If I can pull this off I will be opening up a platform where amputees can compete as equals.” These are the words of Hannes Brits, a local hero from Denlee, who regularly takes part in obstacle course races (OCR) despite having had his left leg amputated. Aided by crutches and a will that’s bigger than the African sky, Brits only started competing in obstacle course races after he had his leg amputated in November 2010. Two of his friends encouraged him in 2015 to join them on a Warrior Race and from then on Brits became hooked on achieving the impossible.

6. Nadia holds SA’s flag high: https://bit.ly/2gZW3IV

In October the GCN met Nadia Calore (15) who executes her kata with clear precision and dedication which leads her to victory. The young junior black belt, who is a member of the Nippon Tigers Shotokan Karate Club in Castleview, recently returned from Mumbai, India, where she competed as a member of the SA team in the 18th FSKA World Cup Shotokan Karate Championship hosted by the World Funakoshi Shotokan Karate Organisation. Calore took part in three events, the u-23 (senior) team kata, the u-15 individual kata and the junior team kata.

7. Tebbutt’s takes on the best of SA: https://bit.ly/2huZKqy

Tebbutt’s Mixed Martial Arts Academy had a busy and successful October. On October 1 and 2, 10 of the academy’s members travelled to Cape Town, to take part in the annual NMA/ISKA National Championships. The competing members walked away from the event with 30 medals. “I am very proud of the academy, we always stand out at competitions,” kancho Alex Tebbutt said. The club had little time to catch their breath, as they hosted their own tournament a week later.

8. Medal drought smashed by youngsters: https://bit.ly/2eACFoU

History was made at the recent Gauteng Schools Rowing Championships, held at Roodeplaat Dam in November. Lwazi Zwane and Tshepo Mohale broke Germiston High School’s 33-year medal drought at the championships by coming in as the first double in the JM u-15 2x (Doubles) section. They were the highlight of the regatta, claiming gold by a boat-length ahead of St Alban’s College and St John’s College. The boys, both in Grade Eight, only started rowing in January this year.

9. Bears tackle tough opponents and bad weather: https://bit.ly/2hEpZOG

In November, gloomy weather played a big role in the Bears Rugby League Club’s weekend fixture. The team faced the Broncos Rugby League Club, for the first time, in a match played at the Bears’ second home ground of Bosman Stadium in Brakpan. It was a physical confrontation from the start to finish with big hits and perfectly timed tackles, and the home side walking away the winners.

10. Vosloo checks into new challenge: https://bit.ly/2hEpS5Z

Blind author and chess-whiz Cicel Vosloo from Symhurst needs the community’s help. He, along with Melvyn Lucas, William Isaacs, Bruno de Meyer, Frederick Liebenberg and manager Floris Brown, has been chosen to represent South Africa at the 15th IBCA World Chess Olympiad for the Blind. The event will take place in Macedonia from June 18 to 29, next year.