With the festive season officially over and Newcastillians preparing to tackle 2016, the community has much to look forward to on the local sports scene.
Here are some of the sports highlights of 2015:
January:
The annual Chelmsford Challenge turned 30 years old last year. Avid swimmers took to the water, pushing their skills to the limit in the 3000, 1000 and 500 metre challenges. The popular event was well supported.
February:
Martial arts enthusiasts were introduced to the world of Iaido, a Japanese martial art associated with smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from the scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, before replacing the sword into the scabbard.
With the lessons offered by Sensei Frik Willemse of Shorin-ryu Butokukan, the classes offered Newcastillians the chance to awaken their inner samurai.
April:
The Oval Track changed from a male dominated world to one of gender equality, when it introduced a women’s division. With four women racing down the track since then, it has proved to be a popular division.
Sharur Ramautar made headlines after participating in the South African Regional Championships held in Durban. The teen swam away with five medals and proved his aquatic prowess.
May:
Newcastle played host to the annual Natal District County Hockey Tournament. Northern Natal, Midlands and Zululand competed and Northern Natal clinched second place.
Siyabonga Nkosi, Kaiser Chiefs’ midfielder, made his way to Newcastle to launch a youth festival where local teens could showcase their soccer prowess. Unbeknown to many, Mr Nkosi hails from Newcastle and his soccer festival was a way of giving back to his home town.
June:
Faizel and Razia Cassim proved they were a force to be reckoned with on the quarter mile.
The couple participated in a drag racing event held in Mtubatuba, where Faizel clinched the victory by finishing his race with a time of 11.7 seconds. Razia was deemed the fastest female in her Golf R after finishing her race in a staggering 11.7 seconds.
July:
Wrestlers from Newcastle Wrestling Club proved their worth at the annual No Mercy Tournament in Glencoe. The 17 wrestlers had their stamina pushed to the limit, taking part in four matches each and testing their skills.
August:
Blackrock Casino hosted its seventh annual Blackrock and Supersonic Show Off your Ride show, which proved to be the highlight of the month for car enthusiasts.
Another popular sporting event on the Newcastle sports calendar was the Memel Walk. Athletes tackled the daunting task of either walking, running or cycling the 50km from Memel to Newcastle.
September:
The 12th annual Muslim Youth Organisation Soccer Tournament took place during September. Newcastillians competed against teams from Kroonstad, Estcourt, Volksrust, Ermelo and Vryheid.
December:
Oval Track stalwart, Johann de Jager, made headlines, by sharing his story about his love for racing and his refusal to let his disability get him down.
