KZN misses out on polo medal
Gauteng dominate SA Canoe Polo Championships at Emmarentia Dam.
THE Gauteng Barbarians produced an upset win over the Gauteng men’s team at the end of the South African Canoe Polo Championships, winning the final of the senior men’s division at Emmarentia Dam recently. Teams from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape entered an assortment of men’s and mixed teams in two categories, U21 and Senior. Traditional rivals, Gauteng and KZN, were given more than a run for their money by the teams from the Western Cape.
The competition was fierce as teams vied for a place in the play-off games, with spectators being treated to some hard-fought matches on both days, culminating in an all-Gauteng final in the Senior category and a north-south derby in the U21 age group final.
In the U21 category, the Gauteng Scouts proved their mettle, playing for the first time in a competition of this nature and enjoying games of a high standard against their rival teams. The true competition in this category was between Gauteng U21 and the Aurecon Western Cape U21 teams. The final was a hotly-contested game that had parents and spectators cheering loudly.
After 20 minutes there was still no score, so the game went to ‘golden goal’. The Western Cape team just pipped the Gauteng team to the post.
In the senior division there were surprises in store. KZN’s mixed team played Western Cape, who beat them in the play-off for third and fourth places.
For more information visit www.canoesa.org.za.
