Skip to main content

Cross country surges on

In the mix. . . South African cross country champion Elroy Gelant.

IT WAS a record field on Saturday when the SA cross country trials were held at the Boksburg Stadium. Favourite and SA Cross Country champion Elroy Gelant duling won the men’s 12km race, just he did in 2011 trials before he went on to win the national title at the SA championships.

Unfortunately, this news remains unknown to most people in the country as the whole focus of the nation is in the ongoing 2013 Afcon tournament. There is nothing wrong with the focus being on the soccer tournament; it’s Africa’s major championship and it’s happening here in South Africa. The “minor” sports in South Africa always struggle for attention in mainstream media but a total blackout that was it last week ahead of the cross country trials is just not on.

Cross country is an essential component of athletics; literally the grassroots. The code is the bedrock of Kenya’s supremacy in middle distance running. The trainers and athletics authorities in that country will not back a career of someone who did not go through the grind of cross country. The reason is not hard to find: cross country running gives athletes all-round qualities, while it strengthens their minds and resolve to overcome obstacles. It has a humbling effect on the athletes, something which works in the favour of the Kenyans and Ethiopians who will kill you with a smile on the road and track.

South African athletics have long identified the importance of cross country but the simple run around method still battles to develop into a culture in this country. The big numbers in Boksburg on the weekend are encouraging but it is at very lower levels that we must see kids running during weekend organised events at their local parks or grounds.

Overall the picture is not entirely bleak for cross country running for South Africa as the senior men’s and junior men’s teams finished overall fifth and six in the previous IAAF world championships in Punta Umbria, Spain, in 2011. The SA women’s teams finished ninth (senior) and tenth (10th), not a shabby effort at all.
This week Athletics SA is expected to announce the national team going to the Southern Region Championships, to be held on March 3 in Lesotho. From the team going to the world champs three weks later will be announced. Judging by spirited effort in Boksburg on the weekend, at altitude to boot, one can confidently hope for a better showing in Bydgoszcz, Poland. 

For the record, Kgosi Tsosane finished second followed by Desmond Mokgobu and Lucky Mohale in the senior men in Boksburg. This trio and winner Gelant are most likely to be joined by David Manja (5th) and Lungisa Mdedelwa (6th) in the team going to Lesotho.
Lebo Phalula won the senior women’s race (8km), ahead of fellow old campaigner Mapaseka Makhanya and
Nolene Conrad. Mpho Mabuza and Christine Kalmer would complete the team to southern region event. The rest of the squad will include the following:

Junior men (8km): Namakoe Nkhasi, Creel Chavalala and Rantso Mekopane
Junior women (6km): Nonhlanhla Dlamini, Glenrose Xaba and Annie Bothma

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rest in peace Zet, thanks for the good times

Legends. . . Zithulele Sinqe runs ahead of another roadrunning super star Willie Mtolo in 1986 Each time when I drive past ERPM in Boksburg, along Rondebult Road, one name springs to mind: Ernest Seleke. The association comes from the memory of Seleke running in a vest with ERPM emblazoned across the chest area. Back then, in the 1980s, I did not even know that ERPM was an abbreviation for a mine, and that the initials stood for East Rand Propriety Mine. To me ERPM was Seleke, not the gold mine it actually was. Stock, as the lithe running machine was known, was a marvel to watch on TV during that time of my schooldays. However, he was not alone among the crop of SA runners who were nurtured and sponsored by the mines to excel in their sport – both on track and on the road – at that time. There were many products of the mines and parastatals but I can immediately single out Xolile Yawa, Matthew Temane, Gibeon Moshaba, Matthew Batswadi, Ben Choeu and much later Zithulele Sin
1 comment
Read more

Memphis shows how far we have fallen

Against all odds. . . Dutch forward Memphis Depay overcame a difficult childhood to shine on world stage. One of the unlikely stars of the Netherlands squad at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil is without a doubt winger Memphis Depay. He is used sparingly in the Dutch team, usually coming on as a second half substitute. The reason for that is clear: Depay is still being developed for big things in future. He started playing regularly at his club PSV Eindhoven only from last season. Secondly, he only turned 20 in February this year, so he still needs protected, gradual introduction to the senior national team. And after just eight caps for Oranje, he's doing all-right. Though the factors above are important to note, it is Depay's childhood which is more crucial to mention. He grew up without a father after his Ghanaian immigrant father left the family following divorce from Memphis' mother. Depay refers to this episode in his life by insisting to be called just Memphis,
Post a Comment
Read more

The enemy within at Kaizer Chiefs

The new Premier Soccer League in South Africa is in its third week and already there's trouble at one of the biggest clubs, Kaizer Chiefs. The upheaval stems from within, thanks to the club's restless supporters. Restless is an understatement to describe a largely belligerent horde ready to trash and clobber, as they showed once again at Mbombela on Sunday 20 August after losing to TS Galaxy. Chiefs are not winning matches because they are goal-shy, scoring just 1 goal in their opening three matches of the league. That is not the scoring rate to win football matches. But instead of directing their anger to the team's forwards, and to some extent the rest of the outfield players, the supporters are blaming the coach and the goalkeeper. Chiefs No 1 keeper Brandon Peterson is a having a torrid time from the fans, despite his form saving the team from serious embarassment game after game. Against Galaxy last week a stopped four certain goal attempts, and earlier in the month
Post a Comment
Read more