Sports stars will just have to eat and run
WHILE many South Africans will be pigging out on Christmas Day, spare a thought for the country’s sports stars — who will have to show a little more restraint.
On December 26, the Proteas play a Boxing Day test match against England. Proteas batsman JP Duminy said he and his teammates — who will sit down to a festive meal with their families at a restaurant just outside Durban — will still “go big” on the food front despite the match just 24 hours later. But, he said, they would have to rein it in a little.
“A lot of the players in the squad are very strict with their diet and training, but we do relax a little bit on Christmas. It’s sometimes really hard to resist the spread that they have on offer for us,” said Duminy.
Not overeating did not feel like too much of a sacrifice when compared to playing a Boxing Day test, which is arguably the most prestigious match of the year, he said.
“The Boxing Day test is a match that we all look forward to, so it’s a small sacrifice when you look at the bigger picture.”
South African hockey player Shelley Russell said she was lucky to have a sporty family, so did not really have to watch her diet because they were always active.
“I go to the [Cape] coast every Christmas holiday, so the morning runs along the coast are the best. We play touch rugby on the beach, and play bat-and-ball games. We definitely don’t hold back on the indulging, but we also train a lot.”
Russell said it was tougher when she spent time with her non-sporting friends.
Sharks winger Odwa Ndungane admitted it was difficult to manage a diet during December.
“When you go home, Mom often makes some delicious food. It’s difficult to ignore those goodies and you can’t say no to everything. It’s all about managing whatever you take in and not going overboard. It’s one of the few days in the year where you can tuck in.”
Ndungane said the Christmas Day table at his Eastern Cape home was always filled with samp and beans, roast meats, rice, vegetables and salads.
Banyana Banyana midfielder Silindile Ngubane agreed, saying it was important to find a balance.
“I’ve taught myself the discipline to stay away from stuff that’s not very good for me. Normally I’ll eat whatever is cooked on Christmas Day, but I watch my portions, especially when it comes to heavy foods because they may cause problems for me when I have to go back to [training] camp.”