Sporting glance at 2013

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January

· Boksburg Cricket Club got off to a perfect start in 2013, beating Kwa-Thema by 11 runs in a thrilling encounter at Prince George Park. The homeside took to the bat first and set a target of 207 before bowling out the hosts for 195 in a nail-biting finish.

· South African cross-country champion Elroy Galant came out victorious in the 12km senior men’s race in a time of 37.26 minutes at the South African cross-country trials, which were held at the Boksburg Stadium.

February

· A host of the biggest sporting stars assembled at Emperors Palace for the glamorous Virgin Active Sport Industry Awards evening. Among the distinguished guests present were current Springbok captain Jean de Villiers and Olympic gold medallist swimmer, Cameron van der Burgh.

· Boksburg’s Lynette Burger won the 25th edition of the Dis-Chem Ride for Sight cycle race held at the Boksburg Stadium. The race included more than 4 500 cyclists.

March

· Ruan Potts sensationally lost his EFC Africa heavyweight title to Andrew van Zyl in a fight that arguably initiated the fierce rivalry shared between the two heavyweights today. The then challenger Van Zyl, won via unanimous decision in the bout which went the distance.

· Samkelo Radebe was Boksburg’s biggest winner at the Ekurhuleni Sport Awards at Emperors Palace, when he was named Sportsman of the Year. The Paralympian gold medallist was joined by co-Boksburg sportsmen Nico Coetzee and Siza Bukhali who won the Coach of the Year and Sportfan of the Year awards respectively.

· St Dominic’s drum majorettes Kelly Loring, Thato Mlambo, Tiffany Hodge and Tarryn Francke represented the country at the 2013 Drill Dance Championships in the US. The quartet won 36 trophies from 38 categories, split 19 gold, 10 silver and seven bronze.

April

· Tasol GT’s David Maree edged-out Bonitas’ Chris Jennings and Westvaal-BMC’s Shaun-Nick Bester in a dramatic photo finish during the Emperors Palace Cycle Classic race. All three were separated by a second with Maree finishing in 2.13.25, Jennings in 2.13.26, and Bester in 2.13.27.

May

· Boksburg’s own and double Engen Volkswagen Cup champion Mathew Hodges, along with Saxon Motorsport teammates Nick Barrow, Jamie Morrow and Dave Cox, won the famous ADAC Zurich Nurburgring 24-hour race in Germany.

June

· IBO strawweight world champion Hekkie “The Hexecutioner” Budler sensationally defended his title against Nkosinathi Joyi at Emperors Palace. Budler won via split decision with the three judges scoring it 115-113, 116-113 (to Budler) and 116-112 in favour of Joyi.

· Former Sunward Park High School pupil, Wezly Barnard received a soccer scholarship to go ply his trade at Young Harris College in the US. The goalkeeper played for PJ Stars in the National First Division before the major breakthrough.

July

· Dwayne Combrink floored Sylvester Zaki at Emperors Palace to avenge what was his only defeat in his career. In doing so, Combrink claimed the then vacant Gauteng middleweight title.

· Boksburg Rugby Club’s first team overcame Springs in a 99-point thriller to set-up a showdown against Brakpan in the Valke League final. The home team won 50-49 in the nail-biting encounter.

August

· Boksburg Rugby Club’s Ashey Buchler brought back memories of Jonny Wilkinson in the 2003 Rugby World Cup final as he slotted a drop-goal in the dying minutes to give The Owls victory over Centurion, in their Predator League opening match. Boksburg won 29-26.

September

· Dino “The Lion” Bagattin roared to victory at EFC Africa 23 in one of the more memorable matches in EFC history. Bagattin defeated Michiel Opperman in a match that went the full distance (five rounds) to be crowned the new EFC Africa welterweight champion. The bout was also awarded the fight of the night.

· Boksburg’s World Fitness Federation (WFF) and World Bodybuilding Federation (WBBF) bodybuilder, John Leslie, received his Pro Card and booked a place to compete in the 2013 WFF-WBBF Professional World Championships Amber Prix Olympia in Slovakia.

· Hoërskool EG Jansen’s first rugby team added one in the history books by winning the Beeld Trophy for the first time in the school’s 58-year history. They thumped Hoërskool Kempton Park 38-17.

· Sunward Park’s bikini bodybuilding sensation Cat Buys Rademeyer, won the 2013 World Physique Federation Rossi Classic held at the SAX Arena in Centurion to add on to her impressive career resume.

October

· Laerskool Westwood’s Kayla Venter has dominated with the bow and arrow since her debut in the sport of archery at the age of 10. The 13-year-old was vying for her third archery world title in Potchefstroom from October 2 to 5. She also holds four world records.

· Lauren Dance and GD Kotze won the gruelling Ultimate Athlete X-Fit Challenge, which saw the duo cash R10 000 each. The challenge included a 2.4km run, a strength and stamina challenge and an obstacle course, to name a few.

· Cat Buys Rademeyer conquered the world in Greece when she won the National Amateur Bodybuilding World Fitness Federation (NABBA-WFF) World Championship title. The 25-year-old brushed aside fellow South African Carla Beukes to cap-off a very successful year.

· Shianne Addinall was crowned European and African junior champion after a string of stellar performances at the European and African Barefoot Water Ski Championships in Kimberely.

· Goju Karate Academy’s Sensei Marius Madgwick won gold in Team Kata at the Commonwealth Karate Championships in Montreal, Canada.

November

· Boxing star Tommy Oosthuizen extended his perfect career record to 22 victories, beating Ezequiel Maderna of Argentina by majority decision to retain his IBO Super Middleweight world title.

· Cat Buys Rademeyer has made her mark as the premier bikini bodybuilder in Boksburg, having won numerous championships including the National Amateur Bodybuilding World Fitness Federation (NABBA-WFF)world title; but the emergence of a certain Christy Griffiths means that Boksburg is in for a bright bikini bodybuilding future.

· Boksburg pro-bodybuilder John Leslie won silver at the WFF-WBBF Professional World Championships Amber Prix Olympia in Slovakia. Leslie finished behind Iranian stalwart Reza Bagherzadeh.

· Boksburg Rugby Club was officially named as one of the five wild cards for the 2014 Cell C Community Cup. This followed a successful campaign for The Owls, which saw them finish as runners-up in the Valke League final to Brakpan.

December

· CBC’s opening batsman Johan du Preez produced a batting masterpiece against local rivals Boksburg in the derby. Du Preez hit 126 before the Premier League encounter got rained-out.

· Local paintball team Dynamix won the World Cup in Malaysia. This was the first time that a South African team managed to win the event.

· Ruan “Fangzz” Potts scores stunning victory over Andrew van Zyl to regain EFC Africa’s heavyweight title. The final EFC Africa event of 2013 delivered exceptional action at the Coca-Cola Dome where Fangzz put the champion into submission via an armlock, 44 seconds into round one.