AFRICAN GAMES DAILY BULLETIN

5 SEPTEMBER 2015

Beckett grabs SA’s first gold medal at 2015

By Mark Etheridge

Bouncy gymnast Kirsten Beckett banked Team ’s first individual gold medal and also helped her teammates to team gold at the All Africa Games here on Saturday.

The 19-year-old, pictured on the podium, came out tops in the all-around competition after the two days of competition.

Just Nigeria and Algeria had to compete on Sunday and Beckett and the team were in the stands when the action ended and the scores tallied.

Beckett had a provisional score of 40.25 for the three disciplines she completed, uneven bars, beam and vault. The floor event didn’t take place after the incorrect floor was supplied by organisers.

For the team event Beckett was backed up by Bianca Mann, Claudia Cummins, Tylah Lotter and Angela Maguire.

On the bus back to the Athletes’ Village, Johannesburg’s Beckett was unaware that she’d won SA’s first medal. ‘Wow, I didn’t know that, great news.

‘All the medals I’ve won mean a lot to me but this is right up there with the best, especially after coming back from surgery to my left shoulder a year ago this month,’ she said.

‘It’s also my first African Games. I’ve had a nice consistent build-up to the Games and was pretty confident I’d do well – I think we’ve all adapted quite well here.’

Part of that build-up were the nationals in Cape Town in June where she ended fourth as team-mate here (and at Commonwealth Games last year) Bianca Mann was tops.

As for the injury ‘It still gets a bit stiff now and then but I’m learning to manage it and it’s nowhere near as sore and restricting as it used to be.’

Beckett will be in action again on Sunday when she tackles two apparatus in the individual competition, the bar and beam, and after being one of the first codes to arrive in Congo, they’ll leave for home on Wednesday.

See more at: http://www.sascoc.co.za/2015/09/05/beckett-grabs-sas-first-gold-medal-at- 2015-african-games/#sthash.gjKFC0ro.dpuf

Badminton bags a silver medal

Team SA’s badminton team played their way to a silver medal in the team competition at the Revolution sports facility on Saturday, writes Jessica Choga.

The mixed team comprising Jennifer Fry and Andries Malan were first in competition and beat their Seychelles opponents in the semi-finals with a score of 21-14 21-18. Jacob Maliekal, the current African Games champion, also played the men’s singles and thoroughly beat his opponent 21-13 and 21-11 respectively.

Elme de Villiers sailed through her semi-finals and like her teammates, also won, 21-14 21- 10 .

The late afternoon saw the SA team battle it out with Mauritius in the very competitive finals. Fortune was not on South Africa’s side though. The mixed doubles team lost 17-21 in both sets whilst in the women’s singles De Villiers lost both sets 21-10 and 21-9 respectively and in the women’s doubles, they tried so hard but luck was not on their side and they also lost 19-21 7-21.

In the men’s doubles, Malan and Viljoen played extremely well and victory was theirs with scores of 21-14 21-9. Likewise, Maliekal showed his prowess and thoroughly beat his opponent 21-10 21-9 respectively.

Viljoen said the game was quite easy. “The game was quite easy even though we were under so much pressure but we picked well and we were confident and supported each other as a pair.”

The girls were however, frustrated with their performance. Said Fry: “The games were frustrating. It was one of those games where I panicked and felt under intense pressure. We tried our best but it was not good enough, and we hope to do better in the next competition.”

“I’m happy to have contributed well in the finals. Let’s hope our teams will continue performing well,” added Maliekal.

Team coach, Chris Dednam concluded: “The team played well and tried their best. We didn’t achieve a gold medal as anticipated but we appreciate all the effort from the team and hope to turn our weaknesses into strengths and capitalise on that in the next competitions.

SA’s karate aces ready to rumble in Congo

By Mark Etheridge

For the ‘karate kids’ in Team South Africa’s African Games squad it is very much a case of keeping it in the family.

The squad of 17 features not one but two family connections! Father and son team Stefano and Silvio Cerrone-Biagionio are joined by brother and sister Ian and Meghan Booyens.

And true to form the karate gang exhibit very much a family, sticking together, kidding around wherever they go, and never far away from another informal game of what they term ‘ninja’.

Cape Town based coach Jody Young, with some input from manager Humphrey Skosana shared his thoughts with what could be expected from the code.

SA Karate Team

‘A lot of it is down to the draw but I would say a realistic target would be around 10 medals from this group… worst case scenario would be half of that a best case, well who really knows?

‘ are undoubtedly the side to beat. They’re the continent’s top karate nation and are in the world’s top three.. ‘I’d think we are about the same level as Algeria while there are also good fighters from and the host nation Congo.’

See more at: http://www.sascoc.co.za/2015/09/05/sas-karate-aces-ready-to-rumble-in- congo/#sthash.zcx6FQkJ.dpuf

Fencers fight to gold

South Africa’s other medal of the day was another gold when the women’s epee team of Juliana Barrett, Gisele Vicatos, Aphiwe Tuku and Tamryn Carfoot fought their way to gold against Egypt.

SA Fencing team

That was after Barrett had narrowly missed out on a medal in the individual epee competition the previous day.

The women toppled their north African opponents 45-38. Sunday sees the mens’ epee team competing.

RESULTS DAY 4

Sport Date G Event Athlete Results Mixed Jennifer Fry & Andries 21-18 X doubles Malan 21-14 21-13 M Singles Jacob Maliekal 21-11 Badminton 05-Sep 21-14 F Singles Elsie de Villiers 21-10 X Team event Team SA Silver F All round Kirsten Beckett Gold Women's F team - All Women team Gold Gymnastics 05-Sep round Men's M Men's team Bronze teams Women's Fencing 05-Sep F Women's team Gold Epee

COMPETITION SCHEDULE DAY 5

Sport Day Date Session Start Time Event Athlete Venue Sibusiso Sibandla, 5 Sunday 6 Sep Afternoon 14h00 49kg, 56kg & 91+kg Ayabonga Sonjica, Paul Boxing Schafer Talangai Fencing 5 Sunday 6 Sep Morning 09h00 Men's Foil Robert McGregor, Palais S Kintele

Keith Sefularo, Sello 5 Sunday 6 Sep Afternoon 14h30 Men's Epee Maduma, Joseph Fencing Maluleke, Thulani Manzini Palais S Kintele Kirsten Beckett,Claudia Cummins Bianca Mann Gymnastics 5 Sunday 6 Sep Afternoon 15h00 Women's Artistic final Angela Maguire Tylah Lotter Gymnase Makelekele Wilson Mafona, Terence Ledwaba, Ryan Patterson, Gymnastics 5 Sunday 6 Sep Afternoon 15h00 Men's Artistic final Tiaan Grobler Gymnase Makelekele Women 100m Karin Prinsloo, Marlies Swimming 5 Sunday 6 Sep Morning 10:00 Freestyle Ross Complexe nautique K. Cameron vd Burgh, Alaric Swimming 5 Sunday 6 Sep Morning 10:05 Men 100m Breastroke Basson Complexe nautique K. Marlies Ross, Megan van Swimming 5 Sunday 6 Sep Morning 10:10 Women 400m IM Wyk Complexe nautique K. Calvyn Justus, Myles Swimming 5 Sunday 6 Sep Morning 10:15 Men 200m Freestyle Brown Complexe nautique K. Women 50m Jessica Ashley Cooper, Swimming 5 Sunday 6 Sep Morning 10:20 Backstroke Rita Naude Complexe nautique K. Richard Ellis, David De Swimming 5 Sunday 6 Sep Morning 10:25 Men 50m Backstroke Villiers Complexe nautique K. Women 4x200m Swimming 5 Sunday 6 Sep Morning 10:30 Team SA Freestyle Relay Complexe nautique K. Women 100m Karin Prinsloo, Marlies Swimming 5 Sunday 6 Sep Evening 17:00 Freestyle Final Ross Complexe nautique K. Men 100m Cameron vd Burgh, Alaric Swimming 5 Sunday 6 Sep Evening 17:05 Breastroke Final Basson Complexe nautique K. Women 400m IM Marlies Ross, Megan van Swimming 5 Sunday 6 Sep Evening 17:10 Final Wyk Complexe nautique K. Men 200m Freestyle Calvyn Justus, Myles Swimming 5 Sunday 6 Sep Evening 17:15 Final Brown Complexe nautique K. Women 50m Jessica Ashley Cooper, Swimming 5 Sunday 6 Sep Evening 17:20 Backstroke Final Rita Naude Complexe nautique K. Men 50m Richard Ellis, David De Swimming 5 Sunday 6 Sep Evening 17:25 Backstroke Final Villiers Complexe nautique K. Women 4x200m Swimming 5 Sunday 6 Sep Evening 17:30 Freestyle relay Team SA Final Complexe nautique K.