Our sporting wish list for 2024: Bafana to kick off another big year

There were many sporting highlights to cheer in 2023, the biggest being the Springboks’ winning of the World Cup for a fourth time and going back-to-back.

Other highs included the performance of Banyana Banyana at the World Cup, Gerda Steyn and Tete Dijana smashing the Comrades records, while the Stormers reached a second straight URC final.

The launch of the SA20 cricket competition at the start of the year was special and will hopefully be even bigger this year. The second edition starts on January 10.

Paris Olympics

The netball team disappointed, as did the Proteas at the ODI World Cup, just when it looked like they were about to do something special.

Now, as we enter 2024, we can only hope for more and greater successes on the sporting front. Here are some of my wishes for the year ahead.

The big one this year is the Paris Olympics (followed by the Paralympics), starting in late July, and hopefully some of our athletes will deliver medals, of any colour. Sprinter Akani Simbine is probably our best shot at a medal after coming so close on so many occasions in global events in the past, but could we see a new hero emerging?

Bafana Bafana

It would be great to see Bafana Bafana going deep at the Africa Cup of Nations, starting as soon as 13 January in Ivory Coast. Reaching the last-16 should be a minimum requirement.

Come on Bafana, it is high time you did South Africa proud again!

And also later this month, MMA fighter Dricus du Plessis gets a shot at the biggest prize in the sport when he takes on Sean Strickland of the USA for the UFC middleweight title in a fight set for Toronto on Saturday January 20.

Cricket and rugby

On the cricketing front, my wish is for the bosses at CSA and the game’s leaders to find a way for the Proteas to play more Test cricket. It simply has to happen. And, for the Proteas to do well, and maybe even win, the next T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies in June.

And the women are also in action at their next T20 World Cup, in Bangladesh, in September and October, and who knows, maybe they’ll go a step further than they did at home early last year.

In rugby, let’s hope for another strong showing in the URC and maybe even the Champions and Challenge Cups, while the Springboks have a big year ahead, with the two Tests against Ireland in July the highlight.

And, who’ll be the new additions in the coaching team, headed by Rassie Erasmus, now that Jacques Nienaber has left?

Finally, is it asking too much for a South African to win a golf Major this year?

Enjoy what promises to be a another fabulous year in sport … and here’s hoping for plenty of South African success!