Sport lovers can look forward to an action-packed year

Some of the highlights of 2014 include two local clubs celebrating their milestone birthdays in the latter half of the year.

The Legogote Villagers running club hosted their 30th annual Mozma’s Race and commemorated 30 years of achievements in August. The club has steadily grown throughout the years and now boast almost 100 members from the White River, Sabie and Hazyview areas.

The Witrivier Pistoolklub celebrated their 45th birthday in September. They have about 65 members, some of whom regularly take part in the SA Championships.

Two of their members were praised for their excellent achievements in 2014. Rosco Becker (19) received his Protea colours and represented SA at the world championships in the USA, while Carmen Sales (15) won a gold medal at the SA Championships.
Also in September, the White River Kickboxing Club hosted the town’s first-ever fight night, where kick-boxers from all over the Lowveld and Gauteng bumped fists in the ring. Exhibition kick-boxing and boxing matches showcased the skills of local professionals. The club hope to make this an annual event.

Pupils of Rob Ferreira also enjoyed a calendar highlight in September – their annual kaskar races. Each class is responsible for creating their own kaskar and then races other classes around a track. The fund-raising project has been organised by deputy headmaster, Piet van Tonder for several years and is a favourite team-building activity for many learners.

Uplands Equestrian Centre played host to the Mpumalanga Dressage Championships in October and locals were amazed at the discipline and skills of both riders and horses. Claudia Heamus, an Uplands pupil, impressed the judges with her performance and won first place in the junior preliminary section.

It was also a good year for gymnastics with trampoline gymnast Carolien Pienaar (9), taking a bow at the SA Gymnastics Games in Cape Town and winning a gold medal in her category.

The year ended on a triumphant note for kick-boxer Linda van Staden, who joined the South African team in Prague for the World Kickboxing Federation’s championships on November 15. She was also crowned the world light-contact heavyweight champion.

Some of the first events on this year’s sports calendar are athletics, with most schools holding interschool tournaments next week. The Flamboyant Tennis Club also plan a tournament for February and tennis players are invited to join their social days. Throughout the year, the White River Bowls Club and Lowveld Nomads will also be seen on the greens, with the Witrivier Pistoolklub providing an engaging pastime for adrenaline junkies.

This year’s biggest rugby event will be the Coca-Cola Craven Week for Primary Schools, which will take place at Rob Ferreira High School at the end of June. Preparations are already underway and most of the functions have already been finalised.

Since only 90 per cent of the event is sponsored by Coca-Cola and the SA Rugby Union, local sponsors are encouraged to offer support. Interested parties can contact Johan Orton on 084-401-4739.

For more events, visit www.whiteriverpost.co.za and our Facebook page and keep an eye on the paper.

Sport clubs are welcome to send their details or events to editor@whiteriverpost.co.za