What a year of Benoni sport (January to June 2014)
Local sportspeople continued to fly the flag for Benoni in their various sporting codes in 2014. There were also fantastic sporting events held in Benoni during the past year.
January
Former Benoni Northerns Football Club player Ryan “Chappies” Chapman made a return to the Bafana Bafana squad during the 2014 African Nations Football Championships (Chan), in Cape Town.
Sunday, January 11, was a historic day for Benoni Northerns Cricket Club, as they fielded three brothers, Stiaan, Stefan and Renier Jordaan, in the Premier XI for the first time, in the match against KwaThema.
The 2014 Nature Valley/Ebotse Swim Challenge, a seeding event for the Midmar Mile, was held at the Rynfield Dam on Sunday, January 12. Brandon Isemonger dominated the all-ages 3km swim, while Benonian Savannah Barman was the first female swimmer home.
Benoni Northerns Cricket Club’s Premier XI won the Benoni Cricket Derby against Actonville Spurs by six wickets on Sunday, January 19.
Nedbank Running Club’s Africa Mailola stormed in to win the 32nd annual Johnson Crane Marathon, hosted by Benoni Harriers Athletics Club, on Sunday, January 26, in the 42.2km race in a time of two hours, 22 minutes and 47 seconds.
Raymond Cloete took over the first team coaching role at Old Bens Football Club.
February
The last round of the South African Amateur Stroke Play Championship was played at Benoni Country Club (BCC) in early February. Over 100 amateur golfers from around the world participated at BCC. Irene Country Club’s Jason Smith won the tournament with a 14 under-par 274.
Benoni nonagenarian Lorna Cochran broke her own record as the oldest ever finisher of the Midmar Mile, at the age of 90. She completed the swim in a time of one hour, 16 minutes and 13 seconds.
Benoni Northerns Football Club emerged as 3-2 victors in a pre-season derby game, dubbed the Benoni Shield, against bitter rivals Old Bens FC, on Friday, February 7.
A large contingent of paddlers from the Ekurhuleni Kayak Club took part in the world’s toughest canoe endurance marathon, The Dusi from February 13 to 15. Michael Stewart was the club’s top finisher.
March
Lakefield resident and former St Dunstan’s Preparatory College pupil struck the winning runs in the final of the ICC u-19 Cricket World Cup final, between South Africa and Pakistan, in Dubai, on March 1.
Benoni racer/drifter Clare Vale returned to circuit racing in her Mustang V8 during the first round of the 2014 Super Series, at Zwartkops Raceway, on March 1.
Northvilla’s Heugene Murray, an above-knee amputee, reached Africa’s highest peak, Uhuru Peak, at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Accomplished masters swimmer and track athlete Christie du Plooy (83), a Rynpark Two resident, brought home four medals from the 30th Masters Swimming Nationals, held in Bloemfontein.
Benoni Northerns Cricket Club’s Promotion XI (second team) managed to pip rivals Kempton Park by a single point to win the Eastern Promotion League under skipper Juan Schaerer.
Former Benoni High School pupil Gareth Sawyer won his debut professional fight at EFC 28, at the Coca-Cola Dome, on Thursday, March 27. He defeated Pupanga Tresor, via TKO, two minutes and 28 seconds into round one.
April
Benoni residents and triathletes Caroline Koll and Kristian Fesel both completed their 10th Ironman South Africa events on Sunday, April 6.
Ebotse Golf and Country Estate was awarded the Compleat Golfer magazine’s prestigious Five-Star Golf Experience Award for the third year in a row.
Benoni wakeskater Matti Buys won the National Wakeskating Cable Tour for the seventh successive year.
The 2014 Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) Gauteng Wheelchair Tennis Open was played at the Gauteng East Tennis Complex, in April. South Africa’s wheelchair tennis aces Lucas Sithole and KG Montjane were beaten in their respective finals by world number ones David Wagner (USA) and Sabine Ellerbrock (Germany).
Maxed Elite runner Vusi Malobola was the winner of the main 42km marathon at the 22nd Slow-Mag Marathon, hosted by Benoni Northerns Athletics Club, on Sunday, April 27.
May
Benoni Northerns Sports Club’s hockey section adopted a new constitution at a special general meeting. The club’s junior and senior sections now run as one unit.
Rynfield resident Mark “Muddy” Ferreira completed a 7.5km swim from Robben Island to Big Bay, in Cape Town, on Saturday, May 5.
Fifth Avenue Equestrian Centre’s Forrest Lovgren, riding Trevan Copocabana, won the victor ludorum title at the Young Riders Derby, at Kyalami Park.
Rynfield husband and wife team of Marc and Jessica Grannum took on the Old Mutual joBerg2c 900km race adventure from Johannesburg to Scottburgh, to raise funds for the Apricot Tree, in Northmead.
Two Benoni residents, May Homer and Beppie Summersgill, participated in the singles and pairs categories at the South African National Championship for Disabled Bowlers in Durban and returned with medals.
Benoni figure skater Lejeanne Marais became a six-time national champion in the sport at the South African National Figure Skating Championships in Pretoria,
June
Former Benoni Northerns Junior Hockey (BNJH) player Jethro Eustice was a part of the South African men’s national hockey team that played at the 2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup, in The Hague.
A number of runners from Benoni’s athletics clubs braved the 89.28km down run Comrades Marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. Mosongo Mokoatsi (Benoni Harriers) was the first local home followed by Gregory Bishop (Benoni Northerns).
The SA Canoe Marathon Championships were held at Homestead Dam on Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8. Michael Stewart from the home club Ekurhuleni Kayak Club was the best placed local in the veteran men’s age category in the K1 (singles) race.
Farrarmere’s Savannah Barman (15) was selected to swim for South Africa at the 2014 Fina World Junior Open Water Swimming Championship.
The Easterns Billiards and Snooker Association hosted the Women’s 2014 South African Snooker Championships from June 13 to June 16 at The Matchroom in Rynfield. Nicola Rossouw claimed both the 6-Red and 15-Red titles at the championships.
Laura Beamish and Christopher Anthony, of the Dan Triangle Karate Club, were awarded their Protea national colours for all styles kumite (fighting).
Hanriël Coetzee (Hoërskool Hans Moore), Simanga Malusi (Benoni High School) and Thokozani Skhosana (St Dunstan’s College) represented the Valke at Craven Week, schoolboy rugby’s elite tournament.
