Tuks wins four USSA tournaments within six hours
Several sports codes from the University of Pretoria achieved success last week during the respective Universities Sport South Africa (USSA) tournaments and brought home gold medals.
Friday 5 July 2024 will, for years to come, be remembered as one of those special days in the history of TuksSport.
On this day, within a mere six hours, the university’s sports gladiators clinched four USSA titles.
Tuks’ men’s and women’s hockey teams, the netball team and the men’s indoor volleyball team were all victorious.
The previous day (Thursday 4 July) all this mentioned success was preceded by Tuks student Helena Hudson’s coronation as USSA women’s squash champion. Hudson was in excellent form on the squash court. She won seven games, dropping only one set.
Among all this success, the victory of the Netball team probably stands out the most. They proved there is truth in the sports saying about a particular fat lady who needs to sing before any result is final. In both the semifinal and the final, there was a moment when it seemed as if all was lost. But giving up was not an option for the Tuks girls.
To say Friday’s final against UJ was a humdinger is no exaggeration. At the end of the third quarter, Tuks led 34–27. It seemed a foregone conclusion that Tuks would win, but like “slow poison”, UJ fought themselves back into contention to win.
Photo: Reg Caldecott
With 80 seconds left to play, the score was 39-all. Kamogelo Maseko scored with 60 seconds left to give Tuks a one-goal lead. UJ equalised. Then, with about ten seconds left, Marichelle Visagie scored the winning goal for Tuks.
The netball team’s semifinal clash against Kovsies was also intense. Tuks only got to score the winning goal in extra time.
In the men’s hockey competition, Tuks continued their domination at the university level by beating Maties 6–4 in the final. It is the third time in four years that are crowned USSA champions.
In the women’s hockey final, Tuks was victorious, beating Northwest 2–1.
“A tough one,” is how Inky Zondi, the Tuks women’s coach summarised the final.
However, he believes the result proves that hard work and dedication do pay off.
Photo: Reg Caldecott
“Especially considering that we are a young team. Eleven of our players are first-year students, but they stepped out when it mattered. The way they defended was brilliant. I am also excited how the goals were scored as it was something we practised during training,” a pleased Zondi remarked.
Lilly-Anne Theron (Tuks) got the award as goalkeeper of the tournament, while Tuks’ captain, Tegan Fourie, was the player of the tournament.
Fourie’s award is no surprise as every time she runs on the Astroturf, she has a mindset of team first.
“The team relies on me to stay composed. Distribution is a big part of my game. I am always looking to set up an attacking platform for the team. Being one of the older players, I bring experience and guidance,” said Fourie, who has captained the side for the last three years.
The Tuks men’s indoor volleyball team exchanged last year’s bronze medal for gold this year. They beat the University of KwaZulu Natal in the final.
– Tuks’ rugby team finished third by beating Wits 22-3 yesterday. In their first encounter, they have beaten Ikeys 35-15. Their only loss was against Kovsies (Varsity Cup Champions). The score was 33-28. Maties is the USSA champion, beating Kovsies 32-19 in the final.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
