Lowvelders shine at ringball champs
Six players from the u/17 girls' and boys' Lowveld teams were selected for the South African team after a tough few days on the court at the annual Ringball National Championships held at Hoërskool Bergvlam last week.
Daniël Charls, Benji Charls, WG Engelbrecht, Hendroe Pohl and Juandré Jooste from the u/17 boys’ team were chosen for their outstanding performances during the tournament, and Nicolani van Burick was picked from the u/17 girls’ team.
Sides from 14 different regions descended on Mbombela from July 17 to 22 for the competition of the year, which saw 1 450 athletes play in 539 games over six days. Age groups ranged from u/11 to masters (45 years and above).
Although none of the Mpumalanga Lowveld teams won their respective sections, there were a number of noteworthy performances. The senior men’s B team accumulated 10 league points to come a close second to the KZN A side with 11 points.
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The veteran ladies’ B team also came second in their section behind Gauteng North. The u/15 and u/17 boys’ teams were placed together in one section, with Ekurhuleni East u/17 topping the table with 14 league points, and Mpumalanga Lowveld’s u/17s finishing in second place with 12.
Chairman of Lowveld Ringball, Dries van Rooyen, said he was happy with all the teams’ performances at the championships and made special mention of the senior ladies’ A team.
“They won the B league at last year’s nationals and this year, they finished 10th out of 11 in the A league. This is a great improvement, and we are so impressed considering some of their players were unavailable. If they had had their first-choice side, I am sure they would have finished in the top five,” Van Rooyen told Lowvelder.
Peet Aucamp, who is the vice-president of Ringball South Africa, said it was “an absolutely brilliant week of ringball”.
“After competition hours, the players supported the local restaurants and were impressed by the affordable accommodation available. The level of play also improved four or five notches from last year,” he said.
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He added that the South African teams which were selected in each age group category will battle it out in Kempton Park on August 11, and touring teams from India and Mauritius are expected to visit next year.
Did you know?
• Ringball is a traditional South African sport which has been played since 1907.
• The sport is played by males and females.
• It is now promoted in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, India and Mauritius, with hopes to establish it as an international sport.
• Ringball is played on all-weather, grass or indoor courts.
• The team consists of three goal shooters, three defenders and three centre players. All players must play within their own third and cannot cross the line into another third.
• A netball court can also be used to play ringball, with minor adjustments.
• It is for the very young to the very old – a true family sport.
• Check out Ringball South Africa on Facebook for more information.
