Category Archives: Sports News

Sport24.co.za | Deathbed to Olympic glory for Canadian snowboarder

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Pyeongchang – Eleven months ago Mark McMorris was fighting for his life after breaking 17 bones and suffering a collapsed lung and ruptured spleen in a snowboarding accident.

On Sunday he won Olympic bronze.

The 24-year-old staked an early claim for the most inspirational story at the Pyeongchang Winter Games in the snowboard slopestyle, sealing third behind compatriot Max Parrot, in silver, and Amercian teenage gold medallist Red Gerard.

McMorris’s remarkable feat after cheating death did not go unnoticed by US ski “queen” Lindsey Vonn, who tweeted a split photo, one half of the Canadian in a hospital bed with numerous tubes attached to him and the other showing him smiling and a superimposed bronze medal.

“This is amazing!” Vonn tweeted to her 987 000 followers.

Talking after winning bronze, McMorris reflected on his journey from near-death to worldwide headline maker.    

“I don’t want to think too much about the past today, but I appreciate the fact I’m here on my snowboard,” he said.

“Whatever the outcome was today, just me being pumped on being able to ride a snowboard.

“I think a lot of time I need to pinch myself because now I feel so good and comfortable on my board, but eight months ago I probably didn’t think I was going to be able to snowboard at this level ever again. 

“It’s all good from my standpoint. I’m just lucky to be here.”

McMorris’s heroics were recognised by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who tweeted: “What a journey back to the podium for Mark McMorris.

“Mark – your tenacity & courage inspire so many of us.“

McMorris’s career had been very much on the upwards trajectory. He won bronze at Sochi 2014 and boasted numerous Winter X Games golds.

But in March 2017, McMorris, raised on the flatlands of the Canadian province Saskatchewan, sustained multiple injuries in a snowboarding accident when he hit a tree 

His multiple fractures included to his jaw, left arm, pelvis and ribs and he was placed in a medically induce coma.

McMorris survived and in his comeback to competition, a big air World Cup in Beijing in November 2017, he triumphed.

After all that, he said Sunday that bronze felt like winning gold.

“Very much so, it is really cool that I can snowboard again,” he said.

“It’s not easy. The last two years I haven’t snowboarded that much. I broke my femur and had to take six, seven months off. Then I broke it all and had to take seven months off again.”

McMorris, who could have another chapter in his story when he goes in the big air competition in Pyeongchang, added: “I’ve been really stuck in the contest scene for a while, or on a death bed, so I’m pretty stoked. 

“It does feel like a win.”

Sport24.co.za | Topless Tongan’s secret weapon against freezing cold: coconut oil

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Pyeongchang – The Tongan flag-bearer’s secret has been revealed: it was coconut oil that kept him warm when he paraded half-naked at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

Pita Taufatofua braved bitter cold to go topless at the ceremony, where real-feel temperatures were down at minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 Fahrenheit).

But while many wondered how he could march in only a traditional skirt and sandals without getting frostbite, the answer lies in the oil he had liberally applied to his torso.

“Pita secretly brought his tiny bottle of coconut oil in his pocket,” Louise Waterhouse, Tonga’s Honorary Consul in Sydney, told the Matangi Tonga Online website.

“And just before Tonga’s marching time, when the march organisers saw what Pita was doing, they were then so helpful and even gave him a little side room to keep warm immediately before the entrance to the stadium!”

Coconut oil is, apparently, a traditional Tongan remedy to ward off cold.

Taufatofua was also heavily greased up when he appeared similarly undressed at the Rio 2016 Olympics opening ceremony, causing a major stir online — and he again became a global sensation with his latest antics.

While other athletes either skipped Friday’s sub-zero ceremony, or made sure they wrapped up warm – Team USA had battery-powered, heated jackets – Taufatofua just needed his coconut oil.

“Pita’s honorary coach Thomas Jacob had his jacket in his back pack – ready to put on in the stand,” said Waterhouse, who is supporting Team Tonga in Pyeongchang.

“But Pita said to me afterwards at the athletes village: ‘I wasn’t cold walking – the coconut oil kept me warm. It was only once I was seated that I became cold,'” she added.

“He is absolutely fine and naturally chuffed that he could pull off his coup again and so proud to do it for Tonga. He has again put Tonga on the world map.”

Taufatofua competed in taekwondo in Rio, before switching to cross-country and qualifying for Pyeongchang — after a journey which included training with planks strapped to his feet in sweltering Australian heat.

Sport24.co.za | Kallis, Smith hit Swiss Alps for T20 … in the snow!

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Cape Town – Proteas legends Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis took part in the Ice Cricket Challenge in the Swiss Alps on Thursday.

Several cricketing greats squared off for a T20 match in the resort town of St Moritz in temperatures below zero degrees.

The match was played on a frozen, snow-covered lake on an artificial turf carpet, with players using traditional cricket gear and a red ball, but wearing normal sports shoes rather than spikes.

Smith and Kallis played for the Shahid Afridi XI who defeated the Virender Sehwag XI, chasing down a 165-run target with for than four overs to spare.

England’s Owais Shah was the star of the show, scoring 74 off 34 balls for the winning team.

Following the match, Kallis took to Instagram to post a picture of himself and Smith together in the snow:

A second match is scheduled for Friday.

Squads:

Shahid Afridi’s Royals XI

Shahid Afridi (Pakistan), Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan), Abdul Razzaq (Pakistan), Jacques Kallis (South Africa), Graeme Smith (South Africa), Daniel Vettori (New Zealand), Nathan McCullum (New Zealand), Grant Elliott (New Zealand), Monty Panesar (England), Owais Shah (England), Matt Prior (England), Aidan Andrews (Switzerland)

Virender Sehwag’s Diamonds XI

Virender Sehwag (India), Zaheer Khan (India), Mohammad Kaif (India), Ajit Agarkar (India), Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka), Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka), Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka), Michael Hussey (Australia), Andrew Symonds (Australia), Mithun Manhas (India), Ramesh Powar (India), Rohan Jain (Switzerland)

Sport24.co.za | Proteas: Real threat of worst home series

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Cape Town – All the money in the world somehow seems unlikely to buy South Africa a one-day international victory over India just at present.

With that in mind, the unpalatable possibility exists that the Proteas, at sixes and sevens in so many ways, will be “blanked” for the first time in a bilateral home ODI series … something that would be especially humiliating if the extended hostilities do end 6-0 in the tourists’ favour.

Even in prior home series surrenders – last time was against Pakistan, 2-1 in 2013/14 — SA have always managed to win at least one game, regardless of the duration of each series.

But time is gradually running out to claw back something against master blaster Virat Kohli and his colleagues: the Indians opened up an unassailable 3-0 lead by orchestrating another veritable drubbing (by 124 runs) at Newlands on Wednesday.

It was also the fourth time in a row they have beaten South Africa in the 50-overs format, and every time with startling ease.

The Proteas don’t lose many home series, and even more seldom by wide margins, but this one could yet turn out as bleak or worse than the 5-1 grilling from Ricky Ponting’s formidable Australians of 2001/02.

Then, and after one no-result in a scheduled seven-match series, South Africa had to eke out a tight, Duckworth/Lewis-influenced triumph in game seven at Newlands just to earn a modicum of self-respect and stave off a sweep.

Even in the highly unlikely event that Aiden Markram’s callow, under-strength outfit remarkably bounce back to share the honours at 3-3, India have already ensured they are the best ODI side from that country to visit here results-wise – they had lost every earlier bilateral series.

With Kohli in utterly imperious touch – his beautifully even-paced, calculated and dominating 160 not out at steamy Newlands added to earlier personal knocks of 112 and 46 not out – and the wrist-spinning wiles of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav further confirming widespread technical discomfort by SA batsmen against them, India hardly look like stepping off the pedal.

Yes, it is “pink day” at the Wanderers in game four on Saturday and the Proteas have a habit (unfailing thus far) of producing some of their most sizzling cricket on that specific occasion.

At the time of writing, it was also still anticipated that pivotal batsman AB de Villiers would bolster their ranks at the Bullring; he will be welcomed with special enthusiasm and relief if so.

But even the richly proven qualities of De Villiers don’t amount to any guarantee that a concerted redemption drive is likely from the Wanderers onward (there are closing games at St George’s Park and then back at SuperSport Park).

Despite the glorious — too glorious, drought-plagued Capetonians may be quick to mutter — weather on Wednesday, a strangely muted atmosphere was prevalent from the stands almost throughout at one of the Proteas’ most treasured strongholds.

And if there seemed little conviction among their supporters that a turnaround showing was on the brew, it appeared even less apparent in the ranks of the team, who looked too scarily at times like a SA Invitation XI who might be thrust into duty as limb-loosening fodder for opponents who have just arrived in the country.

But India have been here for a few weeks, thank you, and picking up mojo on local pitches almost by the minute; they may be regretting just a bit now that the Test series came first and they didn’t allow themselves much time to acclimatise for that.

Apart from the anticipated infusion of seasoned character De Villiers, there is relatively little else the Proteas can do personnel-wise at this juncture – no Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, Dale Steyn etc – to look a notably less cowed bunch in Johannesburg and immediately onward.

They dubiously overlooked on Wednesday, once again, the rich domestic form of Farhaan Behardien, whilst another veteran figure consigned to a side-line bib on the day was Morne Morkel.

Although he may have been just about due a “rotational break” from international activity anyway, perhaps in retrospect it was naïve – especially given the general lack of street-wisdom in the present team – to have left out the lanky paceman in this time of considerable strife.

As television commentator Mike Haysman pointed out, Morkel has a sublime record from four prior ODIs at Newlands. From most recent, his bowling figures at the ground are as follows: 10-0-39-3 v Pakistan, 10-0-28-3 v India, 9-1-39-3 v England and 8.2-0-36-4 v West Indies.

Such data may do little to improve the mood of miffed Proteas fans …

*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing

 

Sport24.co.za | Proteas women aim to level ODI series

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Cape Town – There is a quick turnaround time for the Proteas women ahead to their second One-Day International against India women on Wednesday. 

The hosts, who are 1-0 down in the three-match series, hope to level up against the visitors when they meet at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley.

Assistant coach, Enoch Nkwe believes that the desired result will take care of itself if the basics of the three aspects of the game and the players’ skills are executed correctly.

“The team has been grafting hard, which is exciting to see,” he commented. “It’s a pity it didn’t click yesterday, but that’s only because we didn’t execute our basics well. We’ve spoken about it and the processes that we have put in place and I strongly believe that come tomorrow, the team will perform a lot better.

“The most important thing for us is how we bounce back from this experience, within (the space of) one day and actually execute our game plans better to get a positive result.”

The batting unit were found wanting on a slow wicket that required patience upfront, but Nkwe is confident that the team has assessed the conditions correctly and will put a better foot forward in their next encounter.

He said that because the turnaround time between the first two fixtures was so short, it helped in focussing the their attention on the immediate mission, which is to bounce back strong, rather than to focus on the disappointment of the previous day’s performance.

“Losing a game of cricket while playing for your country is always going to be disappointing but we don’t have time to sit on that and let it affect us. We need to focus on what we can control and that’s how to approach tomorrow’s game and we’ve done that. There’s a good vibe and energy in the team and I’m confident that come tomorrow, we’ll be ready for the challenge of getting the positive result and putting ourselves in a position to win the series.”

When asked about the improvements he hoped to see from his charges, the coach said;

“I think patience with our basics is a major key and mastering the simple plans that we have put in place. That alone will make a massive improvement. There is a strong belief in the team environment that we can overcome what we’ve experienced and come out better and more successful on the other side. At the moment, the focus is on us and what we need to do and the rest, I believe will fall into place.”

Sport24.co.za | Toetie-less Boks move up in rankings

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Cape Town – Despite not playing at the weekend, the Springboks have moved up one spot to FIFTH in the official World Rugby rankings.

This was due to Wales’ dominant 34-7 Six Nations win over Scotland in Cardiff at the weekend.

Wales’ bonus-point triumph – their first since the Six Nations adopted the bonus points system last year – was worth 1.35 rating points, improving Wales’ overall points tally to 83.43, just under four-tenths less than South Africa, who took Scotland’s place in fifth.

Scotland dropped to seventh after the defeat.

The Springboks’ improvement is somewhat ironic given the fact that coach Allister Coetzee was relieved of his duties just last Friday.

During Coetzee’s two-year stint in charge, the Boks had slipped from No 3 to No 6 in the rankings courtesy of winning only 11 out of 25 Tests.

Elsewhere, Johnny Sexton’s last-gasp drop goal against France in Paris not only kept Ireland’s Grand Slam dream alive, but also saw them pick up just under half a rating point to boost their tally to 86.86.

The gap between themselves in third and second-placed England is now down to a fraction over four points.

England did not gain anything from a rankings perspective for their clinical 46-15 win over Italy in Rome, due to the 19.62-point differential between the sides before kick-off.

In turn, France’s agonising 15-13 home loss to Ireland has seen them fall to their lowest-ever position of 10th since the rankings were introduced in October 2003.

Fiji replace them in ninth to equal their highest-ever ranking.

Top 20 in latest World Rugby standings:

1. New Zealand 93.99
2. England 90.87
3. Ireland 86.86
4. Australia 85.49
5. South Africa 83.81
6. Wales 83.43
7. Scotland 82.75
8. Argentina 78.22
9. Fiji 7793
10. France 77.62
11. Japan 75.66
12. Georgia 73.46
13. Tonga 71.87
14. Italy 71.25
15. Romania 69.58
16. Samoa 69.03
17. USA 66.87
18. Uruguay 65.56
19. Russia 64.45
20. Spain 61.68

FULL RANKINGS

Sport24.co.za | Blitzboks stunned by Fijian comeback in Hamilton final

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Cape Town – Fiji have beaten the Blitzboks in the Hamilton Sevens final, launching a stunning second half fightback to win 24-17. 

Fiji were on the back foot early in the first half with Josua Vakurunabili sent to the sin-bin in the 1st minute after a deliberate knock-down.

The Blitzboks made their extra man count in the 3rd minute, working space on the left to send Kwagga Smith over in the left-hand corner for an unconverted try and a 5-0 lead. 

Fiji hit back straight from the kick-off with brilliant long range effort that saw Alosio Naduva get over near the posts for a unconverted try to tie the scores up at 5-5 in the 4th minute. 

And the action continued at breakneck speed with Blitzboks captain, Kyle Brown next to score in the right-hand corner.

The try again was unconverted but the Blitzboks led 10-5. 

Poor tackling by Fiji saw the Blitzboks score as the hooter sounded for half-time with veteran Branco du Preez getting over near the uprights.

Afrika converted to give the Blitzboks a healthy 17-5 lead at the break. 

Fiji need to score first in the second half and they did after a brilliant overhead pass saw Naduva score his second try of the final.

Amenoni Nasilasila converted to cut South Africa’s lead to just five points.

South Africa were then down a man as Du Preez was sent to the bin tackling a Fijian player without the ball. 

Naduva sealed his hat-trick after some excellent defence after Werner Kok broke out from the Blitzbok line. Fiji managed to turn the ball over and made their extra man count as Fiji hit the lead 19-17 with two minutes to play.

Fiji put the game beyond the Blitzboks with their fourth try from Eroni Sau to lead 24-17 with a few seconds to play.

Hamilton erupted at the final whistle having witnessed an incredible comeback in a pulsating final.

Results from the World Sevens Series fourth leg in Hamilton on Sunday:

Quarter-finals

Fiji 12 Samoa 10

New Zealand 19 England 12

Australia 33 Kenya 12

South Africa 22 Scotland 0

Semi-finals

Fiji 14 New Zealand 12

South Africa 24 Australia 5

Bronze Medal playoff

Australia 8 New Zealand 7

Final

Fiji 24 South Africa 17

Sport24.co.za | Sundowns win top-of-the-table Athlone thriller

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Cape Town – Mamelodi Sundowns held on resolutely in the second half to secure a 1-0 win over Cape Town City in a drama-filled Absa Premiership game at the Athlone Stadium.

As it happened: Cape Town City v Mamelodi Sundowns

Sundowns started the game with a good intensity and they had the first chance of the night when a mistake in the City defence in the 13th minute let in Jeremy Brockie, but home keeper Sage Stephens made the interception.

The Cape side burst to life around the 15 minute mark as Masandawana stopper Denis Onyango had his first save to make in keeping out Lyle Lakay’s cross-cum-shot.

Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane was then sent off after protesting referee Victor Gomes’ decision to award a free kick against Teboho Langerman for what appeared a fair challenge.

Onyango seemed set to follow his coach to the stands five minutes before the break when he came out his box to challenge Thabo Nodada and caught both the player and the ball, but this time Gomes deemed a yellow to be enough.

The collision saw Nodada being substituted with a gash to his leg.

The complexion of the game was changed two minutes after the interval when Percy Tau’s incredible solo run and cross teed up Khama Billiat to thunder in a volley, much to the delight of the large Sundowns contingent in the crowd.

Ayanda Patosi could have levelled matters soon after, but from a good position in the box his volley was poorly executed and Onyango made an easy save.

More opportunities came for City, but Roland Putsche, Lakay and Teko Modise all fired shots over the bar, while Onyango prevented Soumahoro Bangaly from scoring an own goal before tipping over an 85th minute rocket from Patosi from 35-yards out. 

There was some more late drama when Citizens skipper Robyn Johannes was sent off after picking up two yellow cards in added time – one for a foul, the other seemingly for back-chat as the home side’s evening ended on a sour note.

Sport24.co.za | Masterful Kohli helps India end Proteas record run

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Cape Town – Rival captains, Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis, both scored superb centuries but in the end India coasted to a comfortable six-wicket victory with nearly 5 overs to spare in the opening ODI at Kingsmead on Thursday.

SCORECARD: Proteas v India, 1st ODI – Kingsmead

Du Plessis’ century (120 off 112 balls, 11 fours and 2 sixes) was marginally faster than Kohli’s (112 off 119 balls, 10 fours) but both innings had to be seen in the context of the match overall.

The match was effectively decided in the first place by the Proteas only managing to score 51/4 in the 13 overs between the 15th and 28th overs and in the second by the Indian record third-wicket partnership in ODIs against South Africa of 189 off 188 balls between Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane (79 off 86 balls, 5 fours and 2 sixes).

By the time Andile Phehlukwayo claimed both their wickets the match was as good as over as a contest.

Kohli, in making his 33rd ODI century, showed once again how good he is in pacing a successful chase, something he has done on numerous occasions for India.

By contrast, Du Plessis first had to bring some stability to the South African innings before setting about trying to set a target that gave the Proteas some sort of chance as he shared successive partnerships of 74 for the sixth wicket with Chris Morris and 56 for the seventh wicket with Phehlukwayo before finally perishing in the final over with four balls left to be bowled.

In the Proteas middle-order struggle India had two match-winners in their two wrist spinners, Yuzvendra Chahal (2/45) and Kuldeep Yadav (3/34), who both bowled their full complement of 10 overs. It was their ability to take wickets in the middle overs that proved decisive.

The Proteas were a good 50 to 60 runs short of the total they needed after winning the toss and they will hardly need reminding that their successive series wins against Australia, Sri Lanka and New Zealand last summer were all built around their ability to make totals in excess of 300 consistently whenever they were required whether setting or chasing.

The fact of the matter is that, with the changing nature of this format, a total of 300 is the minimum benchmark to be competitive and this no doubt will be top of the agenda as the Proteas prepare for the second match at SuperSport Park on Sunday.

Sport24.co.za | Mokoena, SASCOC spat turns personal

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Cape Town – 2014 Commonwealth Games triple jump champion Khotso Mokoena believes that the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) has a “personal issue” with him.

This comes after the 32-year-old was a surprise omission from the South Africa squad that will travel to the 2018 edition on Australia’s Gold Coast from April 4-15.

Mokoena, who is also an Olympic silver medallist in the long jump from Beijing 2008, believes that he has been hard done by, and took to Twitter to vent his frustration.

The confusion, it seems, lies in the qualifying criteria.

SASCOC High Performance manager Ezera Tshabangu confirmed to Sport24 that she understood Mokoena’s frustrations, but that he had not produced the qualifying standard during the time frame stipulated.

SASCOC and Athletics South Africa (ASA), Tshabangu said, agreed that all athletes should reach their qualifying times or distances between August 1 and December 31, 2017.

In addition, once an athlete had achieved the qualifying time or distance, that time or distance would need to be in the top 10 Commonwealth rankings to be considered for Team SA selection.

According to Tshabangu, Mokoena’s qualifying jump on December 2 of 16.55m did meet the minimum qualifying distance to get to the Gold Coast, but it left him with a Commonwealth ranking of 12th at the end of the year.

When Mokoena jumped 16.68m in Pretoria this past weekend, it was a distance that would have been good enough to get him to the Games, but it came too late.

Tshabangu says that Mokoena’s name had appeared on a preliminary list that ASA had sent to SASCOC on January 8 this year.

On that list, ASA had included Mokoena’s December 2 (16.55m) jump.

At a meeting on January 10 between SASCOC and ASA, SASCOC went through the list of proposed athletes and encouraged ASA to reconsider the names they had put forward.

Tshabangu says that when they received the final list of names from ASA on January 12, Mokoena’s name was not on it.

Mokoena went to the SASCOC offices on Wednesday to seek clarity, but he did not leave with the news that he wanted.

His 16.68m this past weekend would’ve been good enough to earn him bronze at Glasgow 2014, but that’s irrelevant four years later.

“Our federations have the right to send the names of those who are medal contenders with the motivation to put them on the team,” Mokoena argued.

“They (SASCOC) are saying that my name wasn’t there. My name was there … 100%.

“It’s really disappointing that things have to be handled this way.

“It is only now that some of us start the season. There is no way that you can chase the qualifying standards from August 1 until December 31 … we are just finishing the season at that time.

“What is important is that this must not go on. Every time athletics has to be picked this is what they do.”

Responding to claims that things were personal between SASCOC and Mokoena, Tshabangu disagreed.

“I understand that he is disappointed,” said Tshabangu.

“We have got nothing personal against him. It wasn’t just him alone, there are quite a few athletes who haven’t been selected.”