Dramatic win at Billabong Pro J-Bay

By Shaun Gillham

Billabong Pro J-Bay winner Adriano de Souza. PHOTGRAPH: MIKE HOLMES

URGED on by a soaked but enthusiastic crowd, ecstatic  Brazilian Adriano de Souza clinched his first Billabong trophy in dramatic fashion during the hotly contested finals of the Billabong Pro J-Bay held in Jeffreys Bay on Friday July 13.
Following excellent conditions earlier in the week, throngs of supporters and contestants braved increasingly heavy rain and onshore winds to witness the final battle in South Africa’s premier surfing event which, in a new format, attracted 144 top local and international surfers to the globally renowned Supertubes surf break.
With just minutes left on the clock, De Souza – who faced Frenchman Joan Duru in a Europe versus South America  final heat battle – injured himself as he smashed his surf board fin on Supertube’s infamously sharp rocks.
He was forced to come out of the water as a friend sprinted down towards the famous surf break with a replacement board, and with the clock racing towards the final siren, gutsy De Souza was forced to pull his considerable skills and determination together to grab the coveted trophy, $25 000 (R200 000) in prize money in his 16 to 13.60 points win.
In an interview with Weekend Post following an exuberant celebration  on the podium, De Souza said anger and determination had seen him through the closely fought final heat.

Adriano de Souza during the final heat of the Billabong Pro J-Bay PHOTOHRAPH: MIKE HOLMES

“I could not believe it. I hit the rocks when I came off the wave. My fin was broken and I was angry about this. Luckily my friend came down with another board, but the clock was ticking. The anger made me get back out there and do my best,” said De Souza, who revealed he had been dreaming of a win at Jeffreys Bay since he first came to the surfing mecca more than 10 years ago.
“Jeffreys Bay is a very special place. The waves are fantastic and I am thrilled about this win,” enthused the short, stocky surfer who is currently ranked among the world’s top 10 competitors.
“I will definitely be back next year. I am looking forward to that already,” he said.
The contest, which also drew a massive national and international media contingent, kicked off on Tuesday in epic off-shore wind conditions with perfect waves of six to eight foot in height.
With forecasts predicting foul weather heading into the weekend, organisers were fortunate to complete the championship before on-shore winds and dropping swells made Supertubes uncontestable.

This is a shortened version of an article that first appeared in the print edition of Weekend Post on Saturday July 14 2012. 

 

Corruption rife in SA soccer claims Lovegrove

By George Byron

MILLIONAIRE soccer boss Tony Lovegrove has hit out at corruption which he claims is rife in South African soccer with referees and linesmen openly cheating to influence the outcome of crucial professional league matches.
Bay Stars owner Lovegrove, whose team narrowly missed out on the chance to represent Nelson Mandela Bay in the First Division next season, came out firing, saying the corruption needed to be exposed for the good of the game.
In an exclusive interview with Weekend Post,  Lovegrove  claimed that:

* Support staff and players are “bombarded” with offers to throw matches;

* Protesting questionable decisions will ensure match officials will be even more biased;

* There is no auditing of referees’ performances by top-level South African Football Association (Safa) officials;

* Clubs often field “illegal” players [a player who is not registered with the league, for example]; and

* Referees turn a blind eye to poor field conditions in lower leagues, if it happens to be the referee’s “preferred” team’s home ground

Lovegrove is not alone in his concern about the effects of widespread corruption in the sport with high-ranking Safa official Boya Chetty confirming  that a top-level investigation into bribery and corruption was currently  under way.
“I am a member of Safa’s protocol and security committee and we are currently investigating bribery and corruption at all levels of South African soccer,” Chetty said.
“Our findings will be released in due course.”
Lovegrove and  fellow Stars owner Yusuf Adams ploughed R3.2-million into their team last season which played in the Vodacom League.
However Lovegrove believed  the only reason the team  failed to be  promoted was because the “referees are all powerful”.
Citing the example of Stars having no fewer than 13 goals disallowed during the season, he said:   “In the Vodacom League there was absolutely no consistency when it comes to refereeing.
“This makes winning games exceptionally difficult.  The interpretation by officials of the rules is inconsistent in itself and there is no auditing from senior officials at Safa.  This ultimately translates into each ref having absolute power to dictate the outcome of games.”
Lovegrove said players and support staff were also often approached with offers to take a bribe.
“Both our players and technical staff have come to me on occasions to highlight that they have been approached to influence a game.  The owners are very rarely approached in this league, but the support staff and players are bombarded with offers to throw games.”
Lovegrove said his club had approached the regional office of Safa with their complaints, but it had not helped to eradicate the problem.
“In spite of the regional office of Safa being very sympathetic, it unfortunately does not go further.”
Lovegrove said his club had on several occasions asked Safa to address important strategic matters at a higher level to combat this issue.
However Safa Eastern Cape provincial secretary Isaac Klaas said his organisation had never received any complaints regarding the conduct of referees from Bay Stars.

This is a shortened version of an article that first appeared in the print edition of Weekend Post on Saturday July 14 2012. 

Kings’ hopes dangling by a thread

By Ethienne Arends and Yolandé Stander

EP RUGBY president Cheeky Watson has lashed out at the South African Rugby Union for again delaying the decision on how the Southern Kings will be accommodated in Super Rugby next year, saying the move could scupper the franchise before a ball has even been kicked.
Saru undertook to make the announcement on July 13, but this week reneged once again by delaying the decision to an as yet unspecified date.
And in a further blow for the prospects of top-class international sport in Nelson Mandela Bay it emerged this week that the city could be stripped of its status as an African Cup of Nations (Afcon) host city because of  the local municipality’s financial woes.
Although Safa claims no official decision has been made, sources close to the decision-making process have confirmed this could happen.
Saru’s unexpected decision to postpone the July 13 meeting was confirmed to Weekend Post by media manager  Rayaan Adriaanse,  who said  Saru did not want to comment “on the participation process of Super Rugby 2013 at this stage”.
While Saru had assured the Kings they would be in next year’s Super Rugby competition, there was still uncertainty because the organisation was refusing to say how this would come about.
In addition, Saru was also refusing to guarantee the Kings more than one season in Super Rugby.
In an exclusive interview this week, an incensed Watson said “this uncertainty and the fact that we are guaranteed only one season in Super Rugby is making it impossible for us to sign up a major sponsor”. 
“We have just over six months to go before Super Rugby kicks off and we do not have a sponsor. It’s ridiculous and it’s all due to Saru’s inability to reach a decision on how to accommodate the Kings and which franchise will fall by the wayside,” Watson said.
He said the Kings were already targeting eight current Super Rugby players to sign up for the franchise, but this was proving impossible without funding.
Two weeks ago,  the Nelson Mandela Bay council also voted to reduce the city’s sports development budget from R20-million to zero, cutting its funds for Eastern Province Rugby and effectively killing plans to bring a PSL soccer team to Port Elizabeth.
That decision now also suggests the metro simply will not have the financial capacity to host the Afcon tournament next year.
In a meeting with National Treasury and the Department of Sport  in June 2012, it was made clear  Nelson Mandela Bay would have to provide a guarantee for the funding of the event, failing which it could lose the hosting rights.
In the municipality’s economic development and recreational  services report, director Zolile Siswana mentioned that National Treasury had made it clear  Nelson Mandela Bay did not even have R6-million to contribute.
Currently the metro would need to source between R14-million and R17-million of taxpayers’ money to host the event.
When asked whether Nelson Mandela Bay would still be hosting Afcon games, Siswana said “that matter is still to be considered and discussed”.
Safa Nelson Mandela Bay region  president Mzimkhulu Fina said no decision had been made to take away the metro’s host city rights, but added there were concerns around funding.

This is a shortened version of an article that first appeared in the print edition of Weekend Post on Saturday July 7 2012. 

Elephant Hapoor’s grand-daughter born

By Shaanaaz de Jager

AN EASTERN Cape game reserve is celebrating the surprise discovery of an elephant calf that is the daughter of the legendary Hapoor junior – and grand-daughter of the even more famous original Hapoor that reigned supreme at the Addo Elephant National Park in the 1930s and 40s.
The calf was discovered at Pumba Private Game Reserve near Grahamstown by a guide, Gladman Vayo.
Reserve conservation manager Richard Pearse said the beautiful baby elephant was “in good health” and believed to have been born on Wednesday June 13.
Hapoor junior, son of Addo’s legendary bull Hapoor, died at Pumba in March at the age of 58 after he was attacked by his brother, Nick, in a struggle for the right as dominant bull.
Hapoor junior had been the dominant bull at Addo for 26 years and along with three other bulls was relocated to Pumba in 2005.
Hapoor senior’s claim to fame was that he was part of the original herd of just 11 wild elephants that were left in the Addo area after the animals were virtually wiped out by farmers and hunters.
However, in keeping with modern game reserve practice, the newly discovered  calf will not be given a name, as doing so will “do away with the natural experience of truly being in a wilderness area”, Pearse said.
“This beautiful little elephant calf  was discovered by Gladman while conducting an afternoon game drive at about 4.30pm on Wednesday, June 13.

This is a shortened version of an article that first appeared in the print edition of Weekend Post on Saturday June 23 2012. 

All the colour, action of the rugby

WEEKEND Post chief photographer Mike Holmes took these pics at Saturday’s third test between the Springboks and England at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Jessica’s countdown to Olympics

Jessica Roux is on tenterhooks for Olympic selection. Picture: Mike Holmes

By Shaun Gillham

EASTERN Cape long distance swimming sensation Jessica Roux has a few more nail-biting hours before she hears whether she will be included in the South African national team headed for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
The 19-year-old Eastern Province swimming star and former headgirl of Collegiate High School in Port Elizabeth qualified to participate in the world’s most prestigious sporting extravaganza at an Olympic qualification event held in Setubal Bay in Portugal on Saturday June 9. Competing in the 10km open water race, Roux came in ahead of South African swimming ace Natalie du Toit, effectively ending the golden girl of South African swimming’s chances of qualifying for the games.
Roux, who now lives and trains in Durban where she is studying, is anxiously awaiting news from the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) about her inclusion in the national squad.
She was informed on Friday that the full SA team to leave for the United Kingdom during July would be announced today (Wednesday June 20).
“I am staying with my family until the team is announced. This is nerve-wracking and I am really hoping for a positive outcome,” Roux said.
She was not expecting a podium finish should she make the team, but was eager to compete for the sake of gaining important international experience.

This is a shortened version of an article which appeared in Weekend Post on June 16. UPDATE: Jessica Roux has to wait until July 4 to hear if she has made it into the Olympic squad.

Billabong Pro record entries

By Shaun Gillham

THE 2012 Billabong Pro J-Bay has attracted a record number of entries and one of the largest international contingents in history, cementing  Jeffreys Bay’s reputation as South Africa’s surfing mecca.

The unprecedented number of 144 entries – the largest ever since professional surfing started in Jeffreys Bay in 1981 – includes 120 international surfers who will contest the six-star ASP World Tour event between July 10 and 15.
It will include 13 of the World Championship Tour’s elite top 32 professional surfers, as well as the majority of South Africa’s top competitors.
The surfers will be going all out to claim the 2012 Billabong Pro J-Bay title and more than R1,2-million in total prize money.
Radio station 5FM, Nissan Juke and Weekend Post are among the headline sponsors of the new-look 2012 Billabong Pro J-Bay which has been elevated into a surfing and music extravaganza.
International surfers include the likes of Mark “Occy” Occhilupo, John John Florence, Kolohe Andino, Adam Melling, Adriano de Souza and the Hobgood brothers,  CJ and Damien.
The local contingent includes seasoned campaigner Travis Logie, defending champion Jordy Smith, as well as SA stalwarts Royden Bryson and Davey Weare.
The action at the beach will be mirrored at Mentorskraal Country Estate outside the town where 5FM will host it three-day music festival from July 13.
Top local and international acts will include a host of leading DJs, Taxi Violence, Prime Circle, Jack Parow, Flash Republic and Crash Car Burn. Hard Fi, from the UK, will headline the international talent at the festival.
Festival tickets are at Computicket at R400 for a weekend pass and R200 for a day pass.

This is a shortened version of an article that first appeared in the print edition of Weekend Post on Saturday June 16 2012. 

Domingo’s gruelling itinerary

Picture: Mike Holmes

By George Byron

PORT Elizabeth’s Russell Domingo was busy packing away his fishing tackle as he prepared to embark on one of the most gruelling international cricketing itineraries  ever  undertaken by a South African cricket team.
For the next few months Domingo, the Proteas assistant coach, will concentrate all his energy on helping his team land the biggest fish of their careers  – the scalp of the England cricket team.
Bluewater Bay-based Domingo, a self-confessed “fishing fanatic”, started his cricketing trip around the world with a short tour to Zimbabwe on Sunday June 17. From Zimbabwe the team travel to Switzerland for a team-building “adventure camp”  before they arrive in England in July for a demanding two-month tour against the world’s No 1 ranked nation.
They will barely have time to catch their breaths before they board another plane for the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka.
Once the World Cup is over the Proteas still have a tough away test series against Australia to negotiate. They also have two home series lined up against New Zealand and Australia this summer.
“Living out of a suitcase for nine months will be a big challenge for me because it will be new to me. I have never toured that much before and it will be a routine of training, match and travel days for quite a few months,” said the 37-year-old highly-rated former Warriors coach.
“This is a fantastic time to be involved with the Proteas and it is going be a wonderful experience to be on tour with South Africa’s best players and see so many different places,” said Domingo.
Domingo, who along with head coach Gary Kirsten will be masterminding South Africa’s bid to topple England, says he will miss his home, quality time with his family and fishing with his mates.
“It will be tough to be away from my wife Genevieve for so long and my sons Kyle  and Liam are both at important ages and I am sure they will miss me.
“Of course I will also miss my fishing. I am crazy about fishing and try to get down to the river or sea at least three or four times a week.”
Domingo, who toured New Zealand with the Proteas earlier this year, said his late father Wendell had introduced him to cricket. “I can thank him for passing on his love and passion for the game.”

This is a shortened version of an article that first appeared in the print edition of Weekend Post on Saturday June 16 2012. 

De Villiers on coaching Kings

By John Harvey

FORMER Springbok coach Peter de Villiers continues to maintain that South Africa was “robbed” during its ill-fated World Cup quarterfinal against Australia at last year’s Rugby World Cup – and has again questioned whether the shocking defeat could have been determined by “outside factors”.
In a candid interview with Weekend Post this week,  following the controversial launch of his “tell-all” book Politically Incorrect last month, De Villiers said he would “definitely” consider coaching the Southern Kings if approached, despite believing  the franchise was far from ready for Super Rugby next year.
De Villiers is still scratching his head over New Zealand referee Bryce Lawrence’s decisions in last year’s quarterfinal and questioned why no one in South African rugby circles ever took up sports science guru Professor Tim Noake’s  call to probe Lawrence’s performance.
In a letter to a Cape Town newspaper following the Boks’ exit from the tournament, De Villiers said rugby bosses  were being “too quiet” on this issue. “We are a leading rugby nation and we’ve been robbed out of competition [World Cup]. We have to wonder if there are people working  higher up.
On the issue of the Kings’ involvement in Super Rugby next year,  De Villiers suggested that, had Saru kept faith in the Southern Spears in 2005 – a team he coached – the franchise would have developed to Super Rugby level by now.
“When I was at the Spears the assignment was to develop rugby in the Eastern Cape, where the vast majority are black people. The difference between then and now is that almost eight years have passed and the team would have been developed for Super Rugby.
“Now the Kings are starting from scratch.”
Acknowledging that he had acquired something of a cult following in South Africa,  De Villiers said he hoped his term in charge of the Boks would have inspired others. “I did it my way and I got everyone involved, not just rugby-wise, but you, me, the team, the Eastern Cape, everyone.”

This is a shortened version of an article that appeared in the print edition of Weekend Post.

No more Olympic hope

By Ivor Markman

EASTERN Cape Olympic qualifier Greg Louw, who is also the reigning All Africa Games canoeing champion, appears to have  been left out of South Africa’s Olympic  squad in a move some call an injustice to the sport and to one of its greatest achievers.
Louw, of Port Elizabeth, may now have his dreams of Olympic glory in London shattered as it seems he – the continent’s fastest sprint paddler –  has been sidelined in favour of the All Africa Games runner-up from Egypt.
There is only one spot available at the Olympics for a male canoeist from Africa – and it is looking increasingly unlikely it will be Louw.
The disclosure of Louw’s disappointment was made to Weekend Post by a source within South African canoeing circles, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Although Sascoc has said the team for the London Olympics announced during the beginning of June is provisional, the final squad will only be announced at the end of the month – too late for 25-year-old Louw’s Olympic ambitions to be realised because the International Canoe Federation (ICF) has only given Sascoc until Friday June 15 either to make use of the one available spot or “give it back to Africa.”
Unless Sascoc gives Louw the place in the national team, it will go to Mostafa Said, the Egyptian canoeist who came second at the All Africa Games last year.
Louw won the sprint paddling category of the competition in Mozambique in September in a time of 37 seconds – nearly three seconds  ahead of Said. This is considered a significant time difference given  the short distances – only 200 metres – raced in this event.
Sascoc high performance general manager Ezera Tshabangu would only say, “Athletes in Team South Africa were selected in accordance with the agreed selection policy between Sascoc and CSA [Canoeing South Africa]. The policy can be found on the Sascoc website.”
Weekend Post then examined the Sascoc website but found the following under the heading “Sascoc Policy and General Selection Criteria for the Olympic Games London 2012”:
“It is high time we remove the cloak of hypocrisy and examine issues honestly.  We will guarantee a place for any athlete who is a probable medal hope or will return commendable performances.”
Louw said he was “obviously disappointed,” but declined to elaborate further.

This is a shortened version of an article which appeared in Weekend Post on June 9.

• Since this article was published Greg Louw’s Olympic hopes were dashed when he was not included in the Olympic squad.