Hamilton affected by booing Mexican crowd
Theunis Kok dies
JOHANNESBURG – It has been reported that one of South Africa’s most exciting light heavyweights, Theunis Kok, passed away after suffering a heart attack at the age of 65.
Kok, a former Natal light heavyweight champion, fought out of the Natal and made his pro debut on February 27, 1978 at the West Ridge Tennis Stadium in Durban, winning on a third-round knockout against William Mandyu.
This exciting and powerful knockout puncher, who fought from the southpaw stance, went on to score wins over Johan Ticky Nel (ko 1), Kid Jackson Hlongwana (ko 2), Bruce McIntyre (w 6 – McIntyre would go on to win the South African middleweight title), Willem Smily Giesing (tko 1), Vedat Akova (tko 6), Mervin Smit (ko 1) and Martin Barnard (tko 1) before being matched with Dwight Muhammad Qawi (Braxton).
Nhlanhla Tyirha wins
CAPE TOWN – South Africa’s Nhlanhla ‘Mount Kilimanjaro’ Tyirha completely dominated Filipino Orlie Rojas Silvestre over 12 rounds to claim the vacant International Boxing Federation junior flyweight title at the International Convention Centre in East London on Sunday afternoon.
The 23-year-old South African from Mdantsane, who fights from the southpaw stance, took control from the opening round as he used his educated right jab to pile up the points.
This was the pattern throughout the fight, and it was difficult to find a round where Silvestre could have shaded it.
Pioli extends contract
MILAN – Coach Stefano Pioli has signed a new contract with AC Milan which ties him to the Serie A champions until 2025, the Italian club said yesterday.
“AC Milan is happy to announce Stefano Pioli has extended his contract until June 30, 2025,” said Milan in a statement.
Pioli, whose previous deal was due to expire at the end of this season, won Milan’s first league title in 11 years last season after taking charge in October 2019.
The 57-year-old is also on the brink of taking the seven-time European champions to the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign.
MOTOR RACING
MEXICO – Lewis Hamilton admitted he had been affected by being booed by sections of the crowd after he finished second behind Max Verstappen in Sunday’s Mexico Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion saluted the big sellout crowd, which created a carnival atmosphere at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodrigues, before revealing how ‘awkward’ he had been made to feel.
Speaking during the post-race interviews, the Mercedes driver said: “This has been an amazing crowd, but definitely a bit awkward this time around.
“Boos all day, but nonetheless I have so much love for Mexico and for the people here –- and what a great race event they put on this weekend.”
His experience at the Mexico City venue followed a similar outburst of booing in Austin the previous weekend when Verstappen was booed and jeered and continued a trend in crowd behaviour at certain F1 venues in recent years.
Hamilton had been hoping to take advantage of circuit conditions that suited his car to win for the first time this season and extend his record of taking at least one victory each season since his debut in 2007.
He said he had been close to Verstappen during the first part of the race before pitting to switch from medium compound tyres to ‘hards.’
“But I think the Red Bulls just clearly too fast today and ultimately they had the better tyre strategy,” he explained.