Sport Matters

Today South Africa begins what promises to be the country's most successful campaign in the IAAF World Championship. The world athletics showpiece in London has all the ingredients of a masterpiece and, even better, Team SA looks good enough to add value and improve on previous performances. Since readmission to world sports in the early 1990s, SA has had poor pickings in the IAAF event, returning its better marks in 2009 (Berlin) and 2011 (Daegu, Korea). Three medals in Berlin and four in Daegu served mostly to save face but they can't be noted to be counting among the best of the best. It is fitting however to compliment those athletics who gave their all for the country previously. This time we have a squad that, on paper, has the potential to return with six medals or more. Caster Semenya was involved in the feats of those two editions, winning women's 800m gold in Berlin and silver in Daegu. Interestingly, she is among favourites to win gold medals in London. E

Unhappy times... Orlando Pirates supporters are having it tough as their beloved club flounders. Orlando Pirates supporters are looking forward to today's Soweto derby with a high level of despondency. In fact, to say they are looking forward to this match is somewhat inaccurate, but somehow they feel obliged to pay attention to the match because of tradition and historical rivalry with the opponent, Kaizer Chiefs.  The Soweto derby is the biggest soccer match in South Africa, and one of the biggest on the continent. Though the encounter this afternoon is an exhibition match under the guise of the Carling Black Label Cup, when  Pirates and Chiefs meet there are no friendly pleasantries exchanged. The derby is a fight for bragging rights, and very little else matters. For Pirates, the overwhelming sadness enveloping their supporters is not so much from the bad season they had, playing the worst football ever by the club's standards.  Yes, it was bad and ended with Pirate