Sporting highs and lows of 2014
Take a look at what made headlines in sport in 2014.
January
• Local rhythmic gymnast Alike Janse van Rensburg won gold at the Zone VI Gymnastics Championships held in Harare, Zimbabwe, in Level 4.
• Motor-cross rider Calvin Hume claimed a top podium finish at the KZN Junior Championships held at Jolivert on the South Coast.
February
• Local pace bowler Daryn Dupavillon makes his debut for the Dolphins team in a four-day Sunfoil Series match against the Warriors at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead.
• Neill Jordan, Eugene Zwart and Fuzzy van Aswegen (manager) are selected for the South African rural cricket team and win the SARCD cricket week with KZNCD in Kimberley.
March
• Martin de Beer of Garage Boys won the AFL featherweight title after a technical knockout win over S’bonga Masango in an Africa Fight League AFL 18 event held at the iMbizo Hall in Empangeni.
• Zane Ison dominates at the 2014 WAR at RAW powerlifting competition in Honeydew, Johannesburg.
• Pongola-born Jacques du Plessis makes his Super Rugby debut for the Blue Bulls against the Sharks.
April
• Evan Weyermüller swum his way into the SA team and went onto compete at the 12th annual CANA Zone 3 and 4 Invitational Swimming Championships held in Kampala, Uganda.
• Zululand cycling ace Heidi Dalton has been signed on for the Lotto Belisol Ladies cycling Team.
May
• Sandra Mansvelder is selected for Free State U21 women’s hockey team and went onto compete at the 2014 IPT tournament held in Randburg.
• Local jockey Tristan Godden broke the ice at Clairwood when claiming his first career win after riding a cracker of a race on the Kum Naidoo trained Secret Traveller.
June
• Zululand men’s masters squash team won the annual Dave Short inter-provincial masters tournament in Pietermaritzburg.
• Alacrity and Nomad from the Zululand Yacht Club competed in the Vasco da Gama International Blue Water Ocean Race hosted by the Royal Natal Yacht Club.
• Former Zululander Mthokozisi Mkhabela was selected for the Baby Boks team that competed at the 2014 IRB Junior World Championships in New Zealand.
July
• Zululand’s Kenny van Niekerk was selected for the SA Schools rugby team.
• Richards Bay-born Cindy Cant played for the Springbok women’s rugby team at the 2014 Rugby World Cup held in France.
August
• Local disabled swimmer Quinton Harris achieved world number one status in the short course S5 and SB3 categories for 50m and 100m breaststroke and backstroke events, as well as world number two status for 50m and 100m freestyle in the S5 Short Course category.
• Richards Bay Christian School matric pupil Randall Varden was selected for the South African Chess team that competed at the World Youth Chess Championships in Durban in September.
September
• Double title win for Garage Boys fighters at the MFC Fight Night at Sibiya for Piesang van Huizen and Martin de Beer.
• Paolo Minichiello, Khwezi Dlamini and Marco Minichiello from the Paul Cave Empangeni Martial Arts Club claimed silverware at the annual NMA-ISKA National and all-Africa Sport Martial Arts Championships held in Cape Town.
• Rhinos 1 drew 5-5 with Newcastle 1 in their promotion/relegation match at Mick Kelly Park to remain in the Premier League for the 2015 season.
October
• Zululand canoe ace Bridgitte Hartley won the Sportswomen of the Year award at the KZN Sport Awards held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban.
• Tholokuhle High School from eSeleni bagged R600 000 as the runners-up in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup soccer competition.
• Bay rhythmic gymnasts Alike Janse van Rensburg, Ilke Janse van Rensburg, Alyssa Claassen and Faith Mthenjana received bronze for their group dance at the National Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships held at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town.
• Richards Bay Rugby Club’s Jimmy Enslin is announced as the Zululand Rugby Player of the Year at the Zululand rugby awards dinner.
November
• Calvin Hume is officially crowned king of Motosport in KZN when lifting the Natal Junior WFO Enduro series and Natal X-Country series titles.
• Marcel Kotze of Richards Bay claims the title at the World of Motorsports ZA National Championships tar oval track racing in the 2l Pinto Class.
December
• Evan Weyermuller is crowned Zululand Observer/Supersport Let’s Play champion for 2014.
• Calvin Hume and Ingo Harding take home top awards at the 2014 MSA KZN Motorsport Special Awards evening held in Durban.
