TOTT 25 April 2019

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Contact us with any sports news: (046) 624-4356 (Jon Houzet) Thursday, April 25, 2019
TWIST AND SHOOT: Nemato’s own Lihle Nxobo, playing for Eastern Province, was the top goal
scorer in the SA Beach Handball Champs played on West Beach over Saturday and Sunday. Nxobo
was renowned for his spin and shoot at goals, which earn double points. EP lost narrowly to
Western Province in the final
WAVE ACTION: One of the participants in the SA Bodyboarding Champs on the first day of the Royal
St Andrews Hotel Amanzi Challenge last Friday. There was a festive atmosphere on the beach with
teams rooting for their members in the surf
Amanzi action all the way
JON HOUZET
It was an action-packed weekend for the start of
the Royal St Andrews Hotel Amanzi Challenge,
which began on Good Friday and continues
through this week until Sunday April 28.
LEAGUES AHEAD: Although he was ineligible for
a prize because he swam in a wetsuit, Travis
McGrath was the first to the finish in the
Marina Mile last Saturday Pictures: JON HOUZET
There was something for everyone, from the
diverse array of athletic prowess on display in the
sea, on the beach, in the Kowie River and on the
trail run which kicked off the event last Friday
morning.
The 8km trail run, organised by the Kowie
Striders, started at the Royal Port Alfred Golf Club
just next to the Royal St Andrews Hotel (see results
inside) with runners and walkers passing by the SA
Bodyboarding Champs at West Beach – which also
started that day and continued over the weekend,
concluding on Tuesday.
For the less athletic there was a fun option on
Saturday morning, when children and some adults
took part in the Anything that Floats on the Kowie
River, starting at My Pond Hotel and ending at
Kiddies Beach. Most opted for blow-up tubes or
boards, but there were a couple of stand-up
paddlers too.
At noon the more serious swimmers took part in
the Marina Mile, jumping in from the Halyards Hotel
jetty and starting at the entrance to the first canal,
swimming the length of the first island and then
back up the Kowie River to the finish at the small
boat harbour slipway.
The SA Handball Championships were held at
West Beach on Saturday and Sunday, offering
spectators unfamiliar with the sport a good view of
the fast-paced and thrilling game.
The World Surfing League’s Port Alfred Classic
began on Monday at East Beach, overlapping with
the bodyboarding still going on at West Beach.
Although the rain – which carried on for the whole
day on Monday and Tuesday – kept spectators away,
SA’s top surfing talent showed their skills in the
wav e s .
At the opening ceremony of the Amanzi Challenge
at the Royal St Andrews Hotel on Friday night, the
mayor of Sarah Baartman District Municipality,
Eunice Kekana, welcomed all participants and said
the week-long sports festival could rival the National
Arts Festival in Makhanda.
Martin Bekker, the owner of title sponsor the
Royal St Andrews Hotel, was emotional at the
opening, saying he had prepared a speech but that
Kekana had “messed it up for me”.
“My dream for Port Alfred is to expose as many
people as possible, nationally and internationally, to
Port Alfred, so that it’s not only a place to drive
through and place on the map,” Bekker said.
“I’m extremely overwhelmed by the growth this
event has achieved since the start. From the first
event, which was very local, we now have national
and international participation – who would have
thought it possible?”
Both he and Sunshine Coast Tourism chairman
Rick Pryce said the event had been a boon for local
accommodation providers.
“We wish all competitors a fantastic and safe
event, and please experience the fantastic
hospitality our town offers,” Bekker said.
The keynote address was given by Mandla
Mabece, CEO of the Ugu South Coast Development
Agency, who said: “Port Alfred, you’ve done very
good in a short space of time.”
He said his dream was to see such coastal events
taking place “from Kowie to Kosi Bay”.
“If Port Alfred can do it, Margate can do it,”
Mabece said.
“Mr Bekker, you committed for five years. Now I
hear you committed for another three years. If you
go beyond from your business to doing social good,
I can understand you become emotional about it –
you’re invested in it.”
In his closing remarks, BS Sports CEO and Amanzi
Challenge founder Sxeaks Nkwinti said the Amanzi
Challenge was the only event in South Africa where
one would find the World Surfing League, the
national rubber duck races, SA Bodyboarding
Champs, an open water one-mile swim and an 8km
trail run taking place at the same event.
The semi-finalists in the men’s and women’s
events and the finalists in the junior men’s and
women’s events at the Royal St Andrews Hotel Port
Alfred Surf Classic were decided in wild conditions
at East Beach on Tuesday.
Kommetjie-based teenager Eli Beukes relegated
Beyrick de Vries of uMhlanga, the standout
PSIRA: 1241091 SAIDSA: 890
performer on day one of the competition, to the
runner-up spot. Both competitors advanced to the
semifinals while third and fourth placed Shane
Sykes (Salt Rock) and Saxton Randall (Durban) were
eliminated from the event.
Beukes went on to reach the final of the Junior
Men’s event later in the day when he finished
second behind Thomas Lindhorst (East London) in
the first of the Men’s JQS semifinals.
Slade Prestwich (Durban) produced arguably the
d ay ’s best performance in the second quarter-final,
advancing to a matchup with Beukes, De Vries and
the runner-up in the second quarter-final, 2018 WSL
Africa Junior Men’s champion Luke Slijpen (Hout
B ay ) .
Zoe Steyn (East London) put on a spectacular
performance to advance in both the Women’s and
Junior Women’s events. The goofy-footer is the lone
South African in the Women’s semifinals and faced
strong competition from the international contingent
including Lucy Campbell (UK), Sol Aguirre (Peru)
and Ariane Ochoa (Spain).
Japan’s Minami Nonaka, fresh off her double
victory in PE last Saturday, was joined by
compatriots Shino Matsuda, Ren Hashimoto and
Julie Nishimoto in the Women’s semifinals.
Ceara Knight (Kommetjie) solidified the form she
displayed when reaching her maiden Women’s JQS
final in PE by edging out Nishimoto in the semis on
Tuesday to book her spot in a second consecutive
final on Wednesday. She took on fellow countrywoman
Steyn, and Japan’s Matsuda and Nonaka.
The Thunder Cat Rubber Duck racing begins with
time trials today and tomorrow, with the actual races
taking place on Saturday and Sunday.
Other attractions include fencing, tumbling and
gymnastics displays at the beach.
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