{"id":140828,"date":"2017-01-03T07:01:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-03T05:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/140828\/the-top-sports-stories-of-the-year\/"},"modified":"2017-01-03T13:44:31","modified_gmt":"2017-01-03T11:44:31","slug":"the-top-sports-stories-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/sports-news\/2017\/01\/03\/the-top-sports-stories-of-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"The top sports stories of 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

2016 was a good year for sport and saw some major highs in the world of sport in Germiston.<\/p>\n

Here are the top 10 sport stories of the year, and there is something for everyone.<\/p>

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1. Blood, sweat and hard-hitting action: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1pMr0nq<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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It was a night of upsets as not one but two champion boxers lost their title fights. The championship bouts were part of Supercharged, an explosive box and dine evening that featured four action-packed bouts hosted by Emperors Palace, in association with Golden Gloves in March. During the event Germiston boxer Grant Fourie took on Warren Joubert for the SA\/WBA Interim Pan Africa and Junior welterweight championship belts.<\/p>\n

2. Unsavoury incident costs Luso league match: http:\/\/bit.ly\/2cMwPyq<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Bad sportsmanship and drama marred the Germiston Derby, in September. It was Germiston City FC\u2019s last match of the Eastern Local Football Association\u2019s (ELFA) Super League, against Luso Africa FC, and it was called off 20 minutes before the end of the second half, when a member of the crowd hit a linesman. This meant that Germiston won the match, played at Hattingh Park, 1-0. It was the second time the teams faced off in a Germiston Derby this season, with Luso winning their first gruelling encounter 3-2.<\/p>\n

3. Nigel rows to success: http:\/\/bit.ly\/2cQ6S1c<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Lambton\u2019s talented Nigel Bakker (51) put South Africa and Germiston on the map at the 2016 World Rowing Masters Regatta, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from September 8 to 11. Bakker scooped three gold medals from the five races in which he took part. \u201cRowing categories and races are divided by age, category A is from 27 to 34, B from 35 to 41, C from 42 to 49, D from 50 to 55 and so on, as it is worked out in five year intervals. I raced in the C and D singles, C and D doubles and in the mixed doubles categories and won the C and D singles and D doubles,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

4. Germiston bowl over the competition: http:\/\/bit.ly\/2e5WDEA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Germiston City Cricket Club began their Easterns Cricket League campaign in October with an impressive win over the Benoni-based Wattville Cricket Club. The two teams took to the pitch at Germiston City Sports Grounds for their Fourth League match, on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Germiston, who were in high spirits, won the game comfortably by 93 runs, with one wicket in hand.<\/p>\n

5. Local warrior to make history: http:\/\/bit.ly\/2dU4Uha<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u201cThis feels like part of me and my destiny. If I can pull this off I will be opening up a platform where amputees can compete as equals.\u201d These are the words of Hannes Brits, a local hero from Denlee, who regularly takes part in obstacle course races (OCR) despite having had his left leg amputated. Aided by crutches and a will that\u2019s bigger than the African sky, Brits only started competing in obstacle course races after he had his leg amputated in November 2010. Two of his friends encouraged him in 2015 to join them on a Warrior Race and from then on Brits became hooked on achieving the impossible.<\/p>\n

6. Nadia holds SA\u2019s flag high: http:\/\/bit.ly\/2gZW3IV<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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In October the GCN met Nadia Calore (15) who executes her kata with clear precision and dedication which leads her to victory. The young junior black belt, who is a member of the Nippon Tigers Shotokan Karate Club in Castleview, recently returned from Mumbai, India, where she competed as a member of the SA team in the 18th FSKA World Cup Shotokan Karate Championship hosted by the World Funakoshi Shotokan Karate Organisation. Calore took part in three events, the u-23 (senior) team kata, the u-15 individual kata and the junior team kata.<\/p>\n

7. Tebbutt\u2019s takes on the best of SA: http:\/\/bit.ly\/2huZKqy<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Tebbutt\u2019s Mixed Martial Arts Academy had a busy and successful October. On October 1 and 2, 10 of the academy\u2019s members travelled to Cape Town, to take part in the annual NMA\/ISKA National Championships. The competing members walked away from the event with 30 medals. \u201cI am very proud of the academy, we always stand out at competitions,\u201d kancho Alex Tebbutt said. The club had little time to catch their breath, as they hosted their own tournament a week later.<\/p>\n

8. Medal drought smashed by youngsters: http:\/\/bit.ly\/2eACFoU<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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History was made at the recent Gauteng Schools Rowing Championships, held at Roodeplaat Dam in November. Lwazi Zwane and Tshepo Mohale broke Germiston High School\u2019s 33-year medal drought at the championships by coming in as the first double in the JM u-15 2x (Doubles) section. They were the highlight of the regatta, claiming gold by a boat-length ahead of St Alban\u2019s College and St John\u2019s College. The boys, both in Grade Eight, only started rowing in January this year.<\/p>\n

9. Bears tackle tough opponents and bad weather: http:\/\/bit.ly\/2hEpZOG<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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In November, gloomy weather played a big role in the Bears Rugby League Club\u2019s weekend fixture. The team faced the Broncos Rugby League Club, for the first time, in a match played at the Bears\u2019 second home ground of Bosman Stadium in Brakpan. It was a physical confrontation from the start to finish with big hits and perfectly timed tackles, and the home side walking away the winners.<\/p>\n

10. Vosloo checks into new challenge: http:\/\/bit.ly\/2hEpS5Z<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Blind author and chess-whiz Cicel Vosloo from Symhurst needs the community\u2019s help. He, along with Melvyn Lucas, William Isaacs, Bruno de Meyer, Frederick Liebenberg and manager Floris Brown, has been chosen to represent South Africa at the 15th IBCA World Chess Olympiad for the Blind. The event will take place in Macedonia from June 18 to 29, next year.<\/p>\n

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