Gauteng claim SA Canoe Polo Champs gold

The Gauteng Barbarians produced an upset win over the Gauteng Men’s team at the end of the South African Canoe Polo Championships on the weekend, winning the final of the Senior Men’s division at Emmarentia dam.

Teams from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape entered an assortment of men’s and mixed teams in two categories: U21 and Senior. Traditional rivals Gauteng and KZN were given more than a run for their money by the teams from the Western Cape.

The Saturday's action involved the teams fighting it out during the pool stages of the competition which continued into the early part of Sunday before the teams moved on to the semi-finals and finals later in the day.

The competition was fierce as teams vied for a place in the play-off games with spectators being treated to some hard-fought matches on both days and culminated in an all Gauteng final in the senior category and a north-south derby in the Under-21 age group final.

In the Under-21 category, the Gauteng Scouts proved their mettle, playing for the first time in a competition of this nature and enjoying games of a high standard against their rival teams. The true competition in this category was between Gauteng U21 and the Aurecon Western Cape U21 teams. The final was a hotly contested game that had parents and spectators cheering loudly. After 20 minutes, there was still no score, so the game went to Golden Goal. The Western Cape team just pipped the Gauteng team to the post.

In the senior division, there were surprises in store. KZN’s mixed team played Western Cape, who beat them in the play-off for 3rd and 4th place. The real competition and undoubtedly the match of the tournament was the senior final, between two Gauteng teams: Gauteng Men and Gauteng Barbarians. The battle was fought between the two local sides, with the score see-sawing back-and-forth, ending in a draw. The game went to Golden Goal and the Gauteng Barbarians paddled away with the gold much to the delight of their supporters.

The final results for the tournament were:
U21: Gold - Aurecon Western Cape U21; Silver - Gauteng U21; Bronze - Gauteng Scouts.
Senior: Gold - Gauteng Barbarians; Silver - Gauteng Men; Bronze - Western Cape

For any further information go and have a look at the Canoeing South Africa website atwww.canoesa.org.za. 

A chat with Lewis Hamilton

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton knows he has plenty of rivalry for the 2015 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award next month, including major sports stars like Novak Djokovic, Rory McIlroy and Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Rory’s done an amazing job.  Ronaldo, what a great player he is, Djokovic, I mean he’s killed everything,” said British two-time world champion Hamilton, in an interview with Laureus.com.

But also in the interview, the Mercedes AMG Petronas driver surprisingly revealed that if there was one place he would like to seemore competition, it is on the race track, when this year’s Formula One season gets under way in Melbourne on March 15.

In 2014, Hamilton, with 11 Grand Prix wins, and team-mate Nico Rosberg, with five, won all but three races on the calendar, giving the Mercedes AMG Petronas team a comfortable victory in the World Constructors’ Championship.

A perfect season on the face of it, but Hamilton told Laureus.com: “I like to race, I really like to race. The 2015 cars are going to be evolutions of last year’s cars, so it’ll be the same people that we were racing with last year.  Red Bull, Williams, and then you’re hoping that it’s a bit of a better year for those like McLaren and Ferrari, so that we have more people to race. The more the merrier.

“There was one year the first seven races were won by a different driver, a different team, that’s what people want to see. But, most importantly, if the cars are close you can have real races where you’re overtaking and battling and that’s what I love doing. That’s what racing’s about.”

Having just turned 30 in January, Hamilton also revealed his thoughts about the future, insisting he will know when it’s time to stop, though he believes that will be a long way down the road.

“If I’m lucky enough to be able to live out my whole Formula One career then I think I’ve got a good seven, eight years left in me. I’m sure I could go longer, but I think there’s only 22 seats in Formula One, so you’ve got to imagine that there’s going to be kids coming up along the way. I don’t plan on hogging my seat, particularly if I’m not competitive in my later years. I’ll definitely stop.

“Of course I look ahead to try and imagine what my life will be like in the future, but to be honest, generally the way I live my life is day by day, because I honestly believe you never know when it’s going to be your last day, so I want to make sure that I enjoy as much as I can whatever it is I’m doing, workwise or in my personal life.

“I’ve been so fortunate to have this incredible career, the incredible life that I have, the family, good people around me, so I try and enjoy it. There’s so many youngsters or people in the world who would love to be doing what I’m doing.” 

Hamilton said he is ‘very grateful and proud’ to be one of the six Nominees for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award, following his thrilling victory in last year’s world championship. Also nominated are Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, world golf No.1 Rory McIlory, Spain’s World MotoGP champion Marc Márquez, tennis world No.1 Novak Djokovic and Renaud Lavillenie, the French pole vaulter who broke Sergey Bubka’s 21-year-old world record.

The names of the winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards will be announced in Shanghai on April 15. Hamilton was also thewinner of the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award in 2008.

He said: “I think 2014 was definitely one of the best, if not the best year of my career, it was just an exceptional year, where the team came together, did an amazing job with the car. We had some ups and downs. Even though we were at the front of the field the majority of the time, it was still a challenge to try and improve all the time. But we want to be better this year, we want to try and dominate even more.”

“I’ve never won the big Award at Laureus and obviously seen the greats that have. So, you know, I’d be massively privileged if I was amongst those. Knowing how prestigious the Laureus Award is I feel very, very grateful and proud to be amongst the great athletes that have been nominated. “

So can he win a second straight world title – the third in his career? With the first Grand Prix just more than a week away, Hamilton said: “I feel fresh, I feel fit.  I will plan to drive as good as I did last year, but I want to be better.  I hope that we have the package and I hope that we have some good races, but I’m just grateful that I get to race again.” 

TomTom GPS Sports Watches now Compatible with Nike+Running App

TomTom today announces that its range of TomTom Runner and Multi-Sport GPS Sport Watches will now connect to Nike+.  Users can now track their progress, challenge their friends and share their successes with the Nike+ running community and earn NikeFuel.

“This is the next step in a partnership with Nike that began in 2011 with the launch of the Nike+ Sportwatch, which was powered by TomTom,” says Corinne Vigreux, Managing Director and Founder, TomTom Consumer. “We’re excited to add an industry-leader like Nike+ to the list of platforms available to TomTom users.”

“Whether it’s an athlete’s first or fastest run, Nike+ has been there to provide inspiration and information to motivate all runners. Together with best-in-class partners, we can now deliver these experiences to even more runners, regardless of where they run or the device they prefer,” says Adam Roth, VP of Nike Global Running Brand Marketing. “This expansion is all about the runner – giving him or her even more ways to access the benefits of being a Nike+ Running member.”

TomTom GPS  Sport Watches automatically sync activities to multiple running sites and apps including Nike+, TomTom MySports, RunKeeper, MapMyFitness, Jawbone, Endomondo and Strava.  Activities can also be uploaded manually to other open platform communities.

TomTom GPS Sport Watches track real time information including time, distance, pace, speed, heart rate and calories burnt during an activity.

For more information visit www.tomtom.com/sports

Cycling SA denounces racism in sport

Press release sent out today:

Cycling South Africa reports that a case of racism has been brought to its attention. The matter involved the rider Dusty Day who referred to fellow cyclist Luthando Kaka by the derogatory “K-word” during a road race on 15 February 2015.

The matter was presented to Cycling SA’s Disciplinary Committee (DC). As per the DC process, when a charge is brought against a member and there is “prima facie” evidence to support the charges, the person is placed under provisional suspension immediately while the DC process is completed. In this case Mr. Day was provisionally suspended immediately.

A few days later, Mr. Day laid a counter charge against Mr. Kaka, and following the same disciplinary process, Kaka was placed under provisional suspension. Upon representation from Kaka’s advisors to Cycling SA, by mutual agreement between the parties, Kaka’s provisional suspension was lifted on 27 February 2015 until the finalisation of the disciplinary hearing.

Cycling SA awaits the finalisation of the DC process after which further statements will be made.

Cycling SA would like to place on record its utter disappointment at this very unfortunate incident and we view the matter in a very serious light. There is no place for such racial behaviour in our sport and society.

Cycling SA further reiterates its zero tolerance approach to racism in any sport. No person should be treated the way Luthando Kaka was treated and we apologise to Luthando on him having been subjected to this very embarrassing and humiliating experience.

It relates to this story as published by DestinyConnet.com 

Holistic approach to sports and arts programmes is impacting children’s lives

According to 19-year-old Nkosikhona Ndebele of Diepsloot Number 3 High School, the Tsogo Sun Arts Academy “inspired me to become a better person”. That’s the holistic nature of the Tsogo Sun CSI flaghship school programmes that impact thousands of children’s lives every year.

“Our sports and arts programme are designed to have a tangible impact on young lives – particularly the lives of disadvantaged children – and to do more than just foster an interest in a sport or the arts. Our Tsogo Sun academies use sports and arts as a medium to deliver life skills, leadership and healthy lifestyle information, while also reinforcing the importance of education to young learners in school, ultimately aiming to nurture the children’s wellbeing,” says Vusi Dlamini, HR Director for Tsogo Sun.

It’s paying off, according to reports from youngsters, facilitators, teachers and parents. Ndebele says he used to be a bully at school, taking other kids’ money because “everyone else was doing it” and hanging out with a bad crowd that negatively influenced him. “But my attitude changed when I joined the Tsogo Sun Arts Academy.   It has helped me become more respectful and more disciplined and made me see the importance of being a positive role model to others. It has taught me to be humble and to communicate with other people without being violent. There is now a lot of progress in my life.” As a result, his school also discovered he had leadership skills and he was elected school president.

Child psychologist, Sheryl Cohen, says, “Children learn through cognitive, emotional and sensory experience – touching, moving, smelling, watching, and hearing are all powerful sensory experiences which facilitate learning.  Sports and arts programmes do just that! They use sensory experiences to help children learn and develop. These sensory styles of learning also expect the child to be an active participant in the process of learning, rather than a passive recipient. Sport and creative arts activities also encourage the development of social skills and teamwork. When an individual works towards the benefit of the whole team (such as soccer or a group stage performance), he or she learns about good impulse control, turn taking and participation. These are important life skills.”

With personal experience in the Tsogo Sun Soccer Academy, international footballer Morgan Gould, who plays for Kaizer Chiefs FC and Bafana Bafana, comments on its programme: “It is overwhelming to see the impact such a programme has as an extra-curricular activity in schools, encouraging the boys to develop discipline and camaraderie. This programme teaches a range of skills I wish I understood from a younger age.”  He says the boys commit to school just to play soccer, “but more importantly they strive to excel at school in order to be part of the programme. Some of the boys may become sporting heroes or maybe lawyers, but it is the Tsogo Sun Soccer Academy that is laying the fundamental life skills through sport that will allow them to succeed and accomplish better lives.”

Holistic-education.net says children need to develop academic capacities, but “much more than this is needed”. Children need to begin to learn about themselves. Conveying to children that they are worthy of time and attention, not only from their peers, parents and programmes such as Tsogo Sun’s CSI programme, but also through taking the time to get to know and develop themselves and their inherent skills as individuals, seems fundamental to healthy self-respect and self-esteem. “Children also need to learn about relationships. As our societies become increasingly pluralist, complex, and fraught, social development becomes more difficult as well as more necessary.”

The Tsogo Sun school programmes cover these aspects and encourage the children to write reflectively about their experiences and learning.

Bree Street Primary School is running both the chess and arts programme through Tsogo Sun and educator Waheeda Mohamed states that it is making a dramatic difference in the children’s lives. Most of the children are from communities that “would have very little or no opportunity to attend programmes like these without sponsors,” she says.

Sheila Digoro, a mother of one of the soccer players in the sports programme, Keabetswe Digoro, says her son became a lot more focused in his school work when he started playing soccer. “His behaviour improved too. Before he spent a lot of time in the streets and was often in trouble. Now he helps out at home, he is always on time for soccer, and I can rest easier knowing that that he is working hard.”

There are many other children in both the Tsogo Sun sports and the arts academies who testify to the holistic benefits of the programmes in their lives, such as Nompumelelo Moyo, 16-year-old pupil at Diepsloot West Secondary school, who says the Arts Academy has “built my personality as well as developed my artistic side that I never knew existed. This whole experience has made me a better person. I am now more confident and able to perform in front of a group of people. I also started a choir with some of my friends which helps other children stay off the streets. It has helped me in numerous ways such as being disciplined, working hard in my academics, and being a respectful person.”

RORY MCILROY ‘HONOURED’

The No.1 golfer in the world, Rory McIlroy, has described his Nomination for the 2015 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award as ‘a prestigious honour’.

Speaking to Laureus.com, the Northern Ireland super star, who won two Major Championships last year and was the leading money winner on the US and European Tours, also said: “To be nominated for the Laureus Awards and be up against some of the greats of world sport is an honour. We'll see what happens. I hope to win it one day.”

McIlroy will complete golf’s Grand Slam of the four Major Championships if he wins The Masters next month, just three days before the winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards are announced in Shanghai on April 15.

In the exclusive interview, McIlroy looks back on an amazing 12 months. He said: “It was an incredible year for me.  I got off to a decent start, it was solid. I didn't have any wins for the first five months.  My first win of the year was at Wentworth [European Tour PGA Championship], a course that I've historically not played very well.  This was a huge confidence boost for me and set me up for the summer.

“Once you get on a roll and you have some momentum, you just try and ride it as long as you possibly can.  I was able to hold on to it the whole way through the summer and pick up a couple of Major Championships. You're always hoping that you're going to have a successful year, but you don't expect to win two Majors in a row or to play the golf that I did.

“To be 25 years of age and to have all these accolades and to have four Major Championships to my name already is very special.  But, at the same time, I'm just embarking on my career as a professional golfer and I want to maximise it as much as I possibly can and try and win even more.  2014 was an absolutely incredible year, but hopefully I'll have more years like that in me as well,” he added.

Laureus World Sports Academy Member Gary Player, one of just five men who have completed the Grand Slam of golf, added his congratulations. “If Rory can continue to stay happy and healthy, he’ll be the next Grand Slam winner – he’s only got The Masters to add to his growing collection. He’s on top of the world right now, with tons of confidence. I told him the day after his first Major that I for one truly believe that he can do it. If he does not win the Masters in 2015, I believe it will only be a matter of time.”

In the interview Rory was asked to pick his three key moments of the year. He opted for:

·         “The win at Wentworth. It had been 17 months since I had won on the European Tour, so it had been a long time coming. To win there was huge and to birdie the final two holes and to post a number that was good enough to win, was very satisfying.”

·         “How I finished on Saturday evening at the Open [Championship]: from being one shot in the lead playing the 14^th, to finishing that day with a six shot lead with two eagles in the final three holes. The two iron shots I hit into the 16^th and 18^th were two of the best shots I hit all year.” 

·         “Standing on the 10^th fairway of the final day of the USPGA at Valhalla, being three behind and hitting that three wood that was, admittedly, a little lucky, and making eagle to produce a charge on the back nine to overtake the likes of Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson. I proved to myself that I can do it when I'm coming from behind.”

However, McIlroy faces a fierce challenge if he is to win the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award this year. Also nominated are Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, tennis world No.1 Novak Djokovic, Spain’s World MotoGP champion Mark Márquez and Renaud Lavillenie, the French pole vaulter who broke Sergey Bubka’s 21-year-old world record.

Big Sports Awards coming up!

Schalk Burger’s fightback from life-threatening meningitis to play a key role once again in the Springboks team ahead of the Rugby World Cup has earned him nomination for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award, following a ballot by the world’s media.

A glittering collection of the world’s greatest sports stars have been nominated for the 2015 Laureus World Sports Awards, with the names of the winners to be revealed in Shanghai on April 15, but Burger’s story of recovery and return to the heights of rugby is one of the most inspirational of the year.

Burger had a cyst next to his spinal cord and went into hospital for treatment, but developed bacterial meningitis and was moved to intensive care. He was in isolation and intensive care during which his parents were called to the hospital to say ‘goodbye’.

Schalk said: “There was a critical stage for nearly five days in which there was a lot of uncertainty. I was in isolation and I was seriously ill, so ill in fact that some people around me thought ‘this is it’.”

However, he recovered and made a remarkable comeback, being picked for the Springboks squad to play against Australia and New Zealand in the Rugby Championship. Then he was named man of the match in the November victory over England at Twickenham, in which he scored the decisive third try.

Doctors said the average person would never have made it back to top class competition, let alone be named man of the match in such a high pressure game.

Former Springboks captain Morné du Plessis, who was also manager of the 1995 World Cup winning team, said: “I have known Schalk and his family for many years and I know that there were very real concerns for his wellbeing during his illness. It really was a great relief for his family, friends and supporters  to just see him well again, not even to think at that stage that he would make a miraculous comeback and be back to his best on the rugby pitch. I am sure now he will have his eye on making a big impact in the World Cup for the Springboks. Schalk is also a responsible and caring human being who has done a great deal to support the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation in South Africa and he has been a wonderful Ambassador for Laureus.”

Also nominated for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award are Italian footballer Francesco Acerbi, who recovered from cancer to return to Serie A and the Italy football squad, Diego Milito, who returned to his first club Racing to inspire them to their first Argentine title for 13 years, British runner Jo Pavey, who won the European Championships 10,000 metres gold medal at the age of 40, ten months after giving birth, Pierre Vaultier, who won the Winter Olympics snowboard gold just two months after ligament damage, and British golfer Oliver Wilson, who was 792^nd in the world rankings when he won his first event after 228 European Tour starts.

The Nominations – six in each category - have set up some eye-catching confrontations. None more so than for the Laureus Team of the Year Award, where the shortlist has produced the ultimate football showdown: the German World Cup Team v Real Madrid, winners of a tenth Champions League.

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo will once again be trying to become the first team player to win the individual Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award, but he is up against some ferocious opposition. Last year he was beaten by Sebastian Vettel, this time he faces UK pair Lewis Hamilton and Rory McIlory, tennis world No.1 Novak Djokovic, Spain’s World MotoGP championMarc Márquez and Renaud Lavillenie, the French pole vaulter who broke Sergey Bubka’s 21-year-old world record.

The impact of the FIFA World Cup is also felt in the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year category where Germany’s MarioGötze, who scored the winning goal in the final, and Colombia’s James Rodriguez, winner of the Golden Boot as leading scorer, are both nominated.

Although not picked for an individual Award, record four-time Laureus winner Roger Federer receives two Nominations for the part he played, along with Stan Wawrinka, in the first ever success by the Swiss Davis Cup Team, who are shortlisted for both Team of the Year AND Breakthrough of the Year.

Serena Williams, nominated for Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, will be hoping for her record-equalling fourth Laureus Award, but she is challenged by the emotional appeal of China’s Li Na, who won her second Grand Slam in 2014, but had to retire later in the year. Among the other Nominees in this category are Winter Olympic gold medallists Tina Maze and Marit Bjørgen.

Wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden, who won the marathon Grand Slam of Boston, Chicago, London and New York for the second straight year, will be hoping to win the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award after missing out last year. This time, in a very strong category, her opponents include Roman Petushkov, the first athlete to win six gold medals at the Winter Paralympics and Anna Schaffelhuber, who won all five Alpine gold medals at Sochi.

Australia’s Stephanie Gilmore, six-time world surfing champion, will be bidding to win her second Laureus Action Sportsperson of the Year Award. Her opposition includes Gabriel Medina, Brazil’s first ever men’s surfing world champion, and American skateboard sensation Nyjah Huston.

The full list of Nominees for the 2015 Laureus World Sports Awards is:

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award

Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Tennis - won Wimbledon for second time; replaced Rafael Nadal as world No.1

Lewis Hamilton (UK) Motor Racing - won second Formula One World Championship, with 11 victories

Renaud Lavillenie (France) Athletics - broke Sergey Bubka’s 21-year-old pole vault world record

Rory McIlroy (UK) Golf – No.1 golfer in the world, won The Open and USPGA Major Championships

Marc Márquez (Spain) Motor Cycling - won his second straight World MotoGP title at the age of 21

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) Football - winner of the Ballon d’Or/World Player of the Year award

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award

Valerie Adams (NZ) Athletics – undefeated in shot put for four years; was IAAF Women’s Athlete of Year

Marit Bjørgen (Norway) Nordic Skiing – in Sochi became most decorated female Winter Olympian

Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) Athletics – broke three world records in three different events in two weeks

Tina Maze (Slovenia) Alpine Skiing – won two gold medals in the Winter Olympics, Slovenia’s first ever

Li Na (China) Tennis – won second Grand Slam, reached world No.2 ranking, then had to retire

Serena Williams (US) Tennis – won 18th career Grand Slam, level with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova

Laureus World Team of the Year Award

European Ryder Cup Team (Golf) – beat US 16½-11½, for third straight win and sixth in the last seven

Germany Men’s Football Team - became first European team to win the FIFA World Cup in South America

Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team (Germany) – won Constructors’ World Championship

Real Madrid Football Team (Spain) – won a record tenth Champions League/European Cup victory

San Antonio Spurs (US) Basketball - won NBA Championship for fifth time, beating Miami Heat 4-1

Switzerland Davis Cup Team (Tennis) – inspired by Roger Federer, won Davis Cup for the first time

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award

Marin Cilić (Croatia) Tennis – won first ever Grand Slam at the US Open, beating Kei Nishikori in final

Mario Götze (Germany) Football - scored the winning goal for Germany in the FIFA World Cup Final

Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Motor Racing – won three Grand Prix for Red Bull in his rookie year

James Rodriguez (Colombia) Football – won Golden Boot in FIFA World Cup as leading scorer 

Mikaela Shiffrin (US) Alpine Skiing – at 18 years 345 days became youngest Olympic Slalom champion

Switzerland Davis Cup Team (Tennis) – inspired by Roger Federer, won Davis Cup for the first time

Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award

Francesco Acerbi (Italy) Football – recovered from cancer to return to Serie A and the Italy football squad

Schalk Burger (S.Africa) Rugby – survived life-threatening bacterial meningitis to return to Springboks team

Diego Milito (Argentina) Football – returned to Racing who won the Argentine title for first time in 13 years

Jo Pavey (UK) Athletics - won European Championships 10,000 metres gold ten months after giving birth

Pierre Vaultier (France) Snowboarding - won Winter Olympics gold just two months after ligament damage

Oliver Wilson (UK) Golf - 792^nd in the world rankings, he won his first event after 228 European Tour starts

Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award

Shelley Gautier (Canada) Cycling – has won all tricycle T1 UCI para-cycling world titles over past five years

Tatyana McFadden (US) Wheelchair Racing – won Boston, Chicago, London and New York marathons

Roman Petushkov (Russia) Nordic Skiing – first athlete to win six gold medals at a Paralympic Winter Games

Anna Schaffelhuber (Germany) Alpine Skiing – won all five Alpine gold medals at a Paralympic Winter Games

Sarah Storey (UK) Cycling - won four world titles in her first year back after giving birth to her daughter

Yuk Wing Leung (Hong Kong SAR China) Boccia – four golds at World Championships, Asian Para Games

Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award

Alan Eustace (US) Skydiving – jumped 135,889ft to break Felix Baumgartner’s 2012 free fall world record

Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) Surfing – won her sixth World Surfing Championship

Nyjah Huston (US) Skateboarding – won X-Games Street gold medal with highest ever score of 95.00

Sage Kotsenburg (US) Snowboarding – won inaugural Slopestyle men’s gold medal at the Winter Olympics

Danny MacAskill (UK) Trials Cycling – rode treacherous Cuillin Ridge on Scotland’s Isle of Skye

Gabriel Medina (Brazil) Surfing – at 20, won Brazil's first ever World Surfing Championship

For more detailed biographies of Nominees go to www.laureus.com