Nation gets behind SA’s Netball Cup bid
OCKERT DE VILLIERS
in Paris CASTER Semenya will be looking to make a fiery debut at the Paris Diamond League with a history-making run on the cards this evening.
The three-time world 800-metre champion has improved with almost every single race in her specialist twolap event until she hit a bit of a snag at the Oslo Diamond League earlier this month.
Rumour has it that Semenya has her sights set firmly on another major milestone as she goes in pursuit of dipping below 1min 55sec, a feat only six women in history have achieved.
It would edge her towards Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova’s world record of 1:53.28 from 1983.
She also needs to chop another second off her South African record to get close to Pamela Jelimo of Kenya’s continental record of 1:54.01.
Semenya will go up against a fine field that includes the five fastest women of the season over the distance.
The South African boasts the world lead of 1:55.92 she clocked in Eugene towards the end of May.
Lining up next to her is world silver and bronze medallists, Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi and American Ajee Wilson, who both have PB’s below 1:56.
Three others have gone faster than 1:57.
While Semenya will be looking to extend her winning streak of close to three years, South African 100m record holder Akani Simbine goes up against some of the fastest men in the world this year.
Only two athletes in the field – former world champion Yohan Blake of Jamaica and American Jeff Demps – have not dipped below 10 seconds this season.
American duo Mike Rodgers and Ronnie Baker, who boast the second and third fastest times so far this year will headline the race.
Not a single athlete has dominated the 100m this year which is something Simbine expected after Jamaican legend Usain Bolt retired last year.
“It’s an era where everybody is gonna show up and try to win and everyone has the potential to win. It’s pretty exciting where you have eight guys running and all can win.”
Simbine has taken a different approach to his season where he his doing a lot of racing compared to previous years.
There has also been no rush to push his body to the limit which has seen him post his first sub-10 second time relatively late in the season.
He dipped below 10 seconds for the first time this year at last week’s IAAF World Challenge meeting in Madrid. He clocked 9.98 in his heat but had to be content with third place after cramping up coming out of the blocks in the final.
It would still be quite the feather in his cap if he manages to beat the likes of Rodgers and Baker.
Former South African 100m record holder Henricho Bruintjies and Thando Roto will feature in the B-race earlier in the programme.
Short-sprint hurdles specialist Antonio Alkana will be fighting for a spot in the final in his qualifying heat of the 110m hurdles.
Half-lap sprinter Luxolo Adams will race in the non-Diamond 200m event where he will be looking to build on a breakthrough season.
De Villiers is in Paris courtesy of the IAAF. IT IS a historical sporting weekend for South Africa with the country’s firstever World Cup hosting bid exclusive to a women’s sporting code.
Netball’s “put your hands up” campaign is a statement for the support of the sport and for women in sport in South Africa.
And the country, from government to the public, have responded with an emphatic endorsement to get behind Netball SA’s dream to bring the best teams to Cape Town’s International Convention Centre in 2023.
“The response in the last month has been overwhelming,” said Accelerate Sport’s managing director Gary Grant.
Accelerate Sport is Netball SA’s sport’s business partner and Grant and his team have been responsible for the bid document that will be delivered to the International Netball Federation’s (INF) offices today.
“It’s been an invigorating last month,” said Grant. “Our team has worked around the clock to ensure the deadline was met. And there has been so much work done by so many within Netball SA, National government, Western Cape government, the City of Cape Town and local sponsors of netball.
“Everyone has worked toward the common goal of showcasing the strength and presence that women’s sport has.
“No World Cup event can be hosted unless there is absolute alignment, support and endorsement from government, the provincial government and the host city.
“The thank you goes to those within these structures who, like us in netball, shared the vision of just how important this World Cup is for women in sport in the country, and also recognised the economic benefits for the city, the province and the country.”
The projections are that the 16team Netball World Cup, hosted in Cape Town, over a 12-day period in 2023, would inject R2.6 billion into the economy.
Sport and Recreation Minister Tokozile Xasahas said the government’s vision included bringing international sporting events to South Africa and that there was an emphasis on women in sport.
Minister Xasahas also said netball, in comparison to bids like soccer, rugby and cricket, was not as expensive. This was because the tournament was exclusive to one city and was played over a compact 12-day period.
She said hosting the World Cup would elevate the sport in South Africa, especially professionally. The sport currently is second only to soccer as a participation sport.
New Zealand, winners of the World Cup three times, is also bidding to host the event for a fourth time. The last time New Zealand hosted was in 2007.
But Sascoc president Gideon Sam said it was again time to bring the world’s best in sport to South Africa.