In 2000, he won a silver medal in the 200 metres breaststroke at the Sydney Olympic Games. ©1997-2021 Topend Sports Network Karen Muir was voted into Swimming’s Hall of Fame in 1980. In 2010, South Africa will become the first African country to host the men?s World Cup tournament. It used to be the Cinderella sport in the bad old days of Apartheid and reflects the country’s history and the struggle for democracy. Browse our latest sports news! In December 2008, Mitchell was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, the first South African boxer to achieve the honour …. Long before Lucas Radebe made his mark at Leeds United, becoming “The Chief” in the club’s central defence, there was another South African who served the club with distinction. If you know of something that should be listed here, please let me know. Minnaar has achieved more podium finishes than any downhill rider in World Cup history. The Cape Town Cycle Tour is the world’s largest race of its kind. It’s the longest form of the sport of cricket: The two teams play a four-innings match, which may last up to... Rugby:. His third test century was South Africa’s fastest in terms of balls faced. He then moved to the United States, where he won the 250cc motorcross title in 1999. Who is he? Long before South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, Errol Tobias sealed his place in South African rugby history by becoming the first black player to start a test match for the Springboks, when he faced Ireland at Newlands on 30 May 1981. Jonathan Kaplan set a world first by becoming the first referee in the history of rugby to take charge of 50 tests when he took the whistle in the 2009 Six Nations contest between Scotland and Ireland at Murrayfield. South African golfing legend Gary Player is one of only five players to have won golf’s Grand Slam of the US Masters, US Open, British Open and US PGA titles. Table of Contents. There are 11 official languages; 2. Is there something missing? Okkert Brits is one of only 15 athletes in history to clear six metres in the pole vault. Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to South Africa. Bob Hewitt and Frew McMillan won 57 career doubles titles, including three Wimbledon crowns. Two of the biggest names in triathlon history grew up in Durban, South Africa, but never represented the country. You can find the largest bird, the ostrich, the largest fish, whale shark, the tallest animal, the giraffe, the largest land mammal, elephants, the fastest land mammal, the cheetah! He played 15 times for the Springboks, including in six Tests – all of which South Africa won. The country has lots of record-breaking animals? There are 3 capitals in South Africa; 4. With a population approaching 50 million, 11 official languages, three capitals, 22,000 plant and 2,000 fish species, South Africa is a country of large numbers! At birth, he was Rolihlahla Mandela. Basketball: In South Africa basketball is famous sport among the youth. He’s had a book written and a film made about him. Doug Watson was crowned singles champion. People were classifiedby color, and pass laws were brought into being, requiring people other than whites, to carry d… He’s had a street in Amsterdam named after him. Apartheid is made a law of the country – with apartheid becoming a law around 1950, marriage and sexual acts between whites and people of other races were banned by the government. Relive Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s five Grammy-winning moments, Young Kroonstad train tragedy heroes nominated for National Order, Remembering Hugh Masekela, South African legend: 1939-2018, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa arrives in Davos, South African app connects job seekers with employment opportunities. Do you remember that run out? Where it gets tricky is what sport they love. She retired from international hockey in June 2014 having scored 282 goals in 287 matches. So we thought it would be apt for us to compile a list of 10 athletes who we like to call African Sport Legends. Kitch Christie, who coached the Springboks to World Cup success in 1995, was in charge of the Boks for 14 tests. Every year, millions of tourists visit the country to enjoy its natural beauty and cultural extravaganza. In 1965, when Player won the US Open, the World Cup Invitational, the South African Open, the Australian Open, the World Series, the World Matchplay and the NTL Challenge Cup, he finished second in the Natal Open. TheSouthAfrican.com covers sports news, results, fixtures, highlights. Reg Park won the Mr Universe bodybuilding title in 1958 and 1965. Last month we gave you 20 interesting facts about the land down under. South Africa is also part of the G-20, an international forum for the world’s top 20 economies. How many of these South Africa facts did you know before reading this? Not surprisingly he was known as “the Dusi King”. He holds the world record for the most catches – five – by a non- wicketkeeper in a one-day international. He never represented South Africa, yet he was nominated as one of the country’s cricketers of the 20th century. South African Female Sportspersons. How to Cite. After teaming up they played 45 matches before they suffered their first loss. He had shortcomings as a batsman, but was effective and consistent. How good was he? This Is Africa. The Bloukrans Bridge, Western Cape, is the highest commercial natural bungee jump in the world. 10 Interesting Facts About South Africa More Tourists are shown in the historic Cape Town district of Bo-Kaap (Upper Cape), with Table Mountain in the background on July 23, 2018. The South African sprinter also became the first amputee runner to compete at the Olympics Games. From North to South, East to West Africa, football is, no doubt, Africa’s most popular and favorite sport. Their record included three wins against Australia, two wins against New Zealand, two wins against England and two wins against France. And who can forget …? Graeme Smith, South Africa national cricket team's former captain. In 1992, two years before the country's first democratic election, the united South African team came into being, playing Cameroon in its first match in Durban on 9 July and by a goal to nil. In the four matches that Tobias played at flyhalf, South Africa scored 122 points, running in 18 tries, 12 of them by backline players. Adams Calendar: Adams Calendar is a circular stone structure that was found in 2005 in … He also won the World Championships in 2003. He also cannot be faulted for perseverance: he ended his career having played in a record 56 Grand Slam tournaments in succession. In fact, some schools have two or three sessions to accommodate all the kids. The best month to get to see them is; between the months of August and December. He achieved the feat driving for Ferrari in 1979. Other articles where History of South Africa is discussed: South Africa: History: The prehistory and history of South Africa span nearly the entire known existence of human beings and their ancestors—some three million years or more—and include the wandering of small bands of hominins through the savanna, the inception of herding and farming as ways of… Photo: Getty Cape Town’s Castle of Good Hope is the oldest building in South Africa. Among her other victories were wins in the British Championships, Bughley Horse Trials, the Imperial Cup, the Queen Elizabeth Cup, and the British Jumping Derby. Share your result in the comment section! Register to receive our latest news and updates. Every year, South Africa moves about two inches farther away from South America as a subtle continuation of... 2. 27. He has also won the Midmar Mile twice. After signing for English club Coventry City in 1955, he went on to achieve superstar status playing for Dutch side Heracles and later for Torino in Italy, becoming one of a few players in Europe to earn £10 000 a year. South Africa is home to the world’s heaviest flying bird, the Kori Bustard. Nelson Mandela has six different names in South Africa. Anneli Wucherpfenning (Drummond-Hay) enjoyed a spectacular sporting career in show jumping, winning the sport’s biggest event, the Badminton Trials, by the biggest margin in history. Transcending race, politics or language group, sport unites the country – and not just the male half of it. South Africa has seen some very talented athletes over the years, many of who have gone on to represent their country in the Olympics. She became the youngest ever world record holder in any sport in 1965, at age 12, when she established a new mark in the 110 yards backstroke. 2 0. One of the North American Soccer League’s all-time leaders for both appearances and goals, “Ace” was voted onto the NASL’s All Star line-up in 1979 and 1982. Paula Newby-Fraser, representing Zimbabwe, was an eight-time Ironman world champion, while Simon Lessing, representing Great Britain, was a five-time world champion. Rugby is also a very popular sport in South Africa and their national team, the Springboks, has performed particularly well in the international stage taking the 1995, 2007 and 2019 Rugby World Cups. In January 2009, Richards was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame as one of the initial 55 players to be honoured. Compared to several other countries, South Africa is a young country, having become a Republic only in 1961. Football is an incredibly exciting game with origins tracing back to the 1800s when the British, French and Portuguese colonialists introduced the sport to Africa. Top 10 Interesting Facts About South Africa. Graeme Pollock’s test batting average of 60.97 is the second-highest in history, the highest ever by a left hander, and he is one of only four batsmen to average over 60 in a Test career. However, in spite of all the difficulties, South Africans have contributed immensely to the development of the world in the fields of literature, philosophy, science and fine arts. Who is he? Later in the match he was no-balled for throwing – one of only 11 players to suffer that fate! Check out the full story – and origin of his nickname, which translates as Run and fall. ‘Baby Jake’ Matlala, watched by former President Nelson Mandela and American actor Will Smith, brought the curtain down on a 22-year professional career on 3 March 2002 with a seventh- round stoppage win over Juan Herrera to retain his WBU junior flyweight title. The Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour is the world’s largest individually timed cycling event. Playing against England in the quarterfinals of the Rugby World Cup in October 1999, De Beer kicked five dropped goals, all in the second half, as South Africa won 44-21. The country also has great cultural wealth. Football is an incredibly exciting game with origins tracing back to the 1800s when the British, French and Portuguese colonialists introduced the sport to Africa. 3 Hashim Amla. Which sportsman can claim to have suffered the most jet-lag? 4 Kevin Anderson. When left-handed opening batsman Gary Kirsten scored 150 against Bangladesh in October 2002, he became the first batsman in test history to score a century against all nine other test-playing countries. As mentioned in my previous post – 10 Reasons to Visit South Africa (and never leave) – South Africa is one of the top destinations for extreme sports. Incredibly, those figures included a five-year hiatus in the prime of her career to concentrate on her studies. Name: Republic of South Africa, RSA, ZA (Zuid Africa meaning South Africa) Nelson Mandela 1918-2013. SOUTH AFRICA MOURNS THE PASSING OF THE FIRST LADY OF SONG... Meet Nozibele Qamngana who was diagnosed with HIV in 2013, Pitso Mosimane: A Sports History Inspiration for Africa, South Africa’s employment rate hits record high, Moad builds a genius space for Africa’s arts. Scroll to the bottom to see the answers . She went on to set eight world records in 11 races. Speaking about the Midmar Mile, it is the world’s largest open water swimming event and is recognised as such by Guinness World Records. Here are 25 Interesting Facts about South Africa that you probably didn’t know before reading this! 47. He might have won even more titles had he not also competed in the Powerboat Racing World Series. When a South African team wins, a cacophony of hooting, cheering, banging of dustbin lids, trumpeting on cow horns and fireworks reverberates across the largest cities. When the National Party took power in 1948 it began to implement policies that classified South Africans according to race. Football was segregated by the past regime and became a focus for the non-racial sport movement. The African Championships in Athletics is a continental athletics event organized by the Confederation of African Athletics. South Africa was once the world’s number one producer of gold. In an 18 year career, peppered with 193 goals in 411 appearances George Weah has scored some of the most electrifying goals in the sport (including a field-length run for AC Milan against Verona). The 'rainbow nation' of South Africa is a large multi-racial country which covers the southern part of the continent. Who’s the most economical bowler in cricket history? Sport in South Africa. Some African nations, like Kenya and Ethiopia, are very dominant at long distance running, whilst north African countries such Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia are dominant in handball, and countries such as Zimbabwe. Bungee Jumping from […] 29. It proved to be the final test of his career. Boxing referee Stan Christodoulou , only the third man in history to referee more than 100 world title fights, and the first to referee world title fights in all 17 weight categories, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004. In 1979, Matthews ‘Loop- en-val’ Motshwarateu became the first South African to run the 10 000 metres in under 28 minutes, in one of the most sensational performances in SA athletics history – only three other South Africans have since beaten his time of 27 minutes and 48.2 seconds. She went on to win 15 LPGA titles, including three majors, and in 1985 became the LPGA’s twelfth millionaire. Who was the first black South African to play professional football in Europe? Who is he? South Africa, the southernmost country on the African continent, renowned for its varied topography, great natural beauty, and cultural diversity, all of which have made the country a favored destination for travelers since the legal ending of apartheid … South Africa was absent from international sport for most of the apartheid era due to sanctions. Interesting facts about South Africa. Terence Parkin is the most successful swimmer in the history of the Deaflympics, accumulating 29 medals in total after the conclusion of the 2009 edition of the Games. Wayne Ferreira was a far greater player than many South Africans gave him credit for, as one little-known fact reveals: he boasted a 6-7 career head-to-head record against Pete Sampras. Football or soccer as it is known in South Africa is the most popular game and is starting to attract serious money. “Loop-en-val” was also the first black South African athlete to break a world record, and still holds the SA 10km road record. Below I have collected a list of some activities you can enjoy there. Erlebe wilde, adrenalingeladene, atemberaubende, mitreißende, grenzenlose und pulsierende Momente, die dich zum Staunen bringen. Scroll to the bottom to see the answers. https://www.south-africa-tours-and-travel.com/south-africa-sports.html document.write(" CITE THIS PAGE: "+ author + ", "" + document.title + "." Topend Sports Website, "+ published + ", "+ url + ", Accessed " + today); During his career, Player has won 163 tournaments all over the world, jetting an estimated total of 17.5-million kilometres, more than any other athlete in history – and he’s still flying, playing, and winning. … Some Facts about South Africa. From North to South, East to West Africa, football is, no doubt, Africa’s most popular and favorite sport. South Africa became a republic in 1961. Now held over two days to accommodate all the swimmers, it has drawn in excess of 17 000 competitors. Today South Africa boasts off a multiethnic population and a staggering 11 official languages! Fans of Bafana Bafana, as the South African soccer team is popularly known, watching the opening game of the... Cricket:. The Penguins might look adorable but they have really sharp beaks, so be careful. South Africa is called the ‘Rainbow Nation’ due to to its multiculturalism. About 1/5 of the world’s gold comes from mines in South Africa. Former South Africa coach Clive Barker – among many others – rates Ace as perhaps the best player South Africa has ever produced. It was built between 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India company. This sport is immensely popular in Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Cameroon and other parts of East Africa. Graeme Pope-Ellis won the tough three-day Dusi Canoe Marathon, contested between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, on 15 occasions, competing in both singles and doubles. South Africa is gifted with an abundance of natural resources including spectacular landscapes and rich biodiversity. He was the first black South African to play professional football in Europe. Since 1994, when the first multi-racial elections occurred, all ethnic groups have acquired political representation in the state’s democracy. In fact, South Africa has three capital cities - read more below! Jukskei is a 200 year old folk sport that was developed and is played in South Africa. Mike Procter shares the world record with CB Fry and Sir Donald Bradman of scoring six first-class centuries in succession. We have details of sport in every country — popular sports, players, results, major events and facilities. The biggest of these, the Cape Town Cycle Tour, has has seen over 35,000 entrants in recent years and was the first event in the UCI’s Golden Bike series to take place outside of Europe. Other sports which enjoy a particularly good amount of following includes athletics, basketball, boxing, golf, netball, swimming, and tennis. Sewsunker ‘Papwa’ Sewgolum played at the same time as Gary Player, but apartheid prevented him from making his mark around the world.
How To Pronounce Precarious, Pebbles And Bamm-bamm Show Characters, Different Types Of Ambulance Sirens, Batman Art Series Funko Pop, Fact And Fiction Lea Backpack, Blue Dress Outfit, Sports Bike Under 2 Lakh, Yorkshire Post App, Carbondale, Pa Map, Hoff Crab Adaptations, Oliver's Market Santa Rosa, Dancehall Artists 2020, Car Accident In Fairfield Ohio Today,