Polokwane to host national junior softball championships Herbert Rachuene >>herbert@mailbox.co.za Limpopo will play host to the u.19 Junior Softball South Africa’s National Softball Championships set to take place from 3 to 6 July at the Polokwane Cricket grounds, Limpopo Softball Association (LSA) Spokesperson, Matome Lebea confirmed. Lebea told Polokwane Observer on Tuesday that this will be the second time LSA hosts the championship, the previous time being 2007 when they hosted the senior championship and Limpopo won the tourney. “The preparations are afoot. We are expecting 18 softball teams from eight provinces to converge on the province for the tournament. Each entrant will bring male and female teams, including the University Students United Sports. We have already
selected our local teams and we will be going on camp soon,” Lebea added. He also announced that Polokwane Municipality will be the main sponsor during the championship. “They will sponsor us with the facilities and the opening and closing ceremonies. We are working around the clock to ensure that we attract more partners to join us. We want to make it a point that we up the standard from what we have observed in Cape Town during the recent senior championships. According to Lebea they trust the province stands to benefit from the tournament through the provision of accommodation and catering as well as local hawkers who will have an opportunity to display their wares. “We hope that the more people attend the matches, the more benefits there will be for business people,” Lebea said.
City only track to host SA indoor model car event Warren Blunt >>warrenb.observer@gmail.com The second round of the National Off-road Electric National Model Car Championship gets underway at the Community Hall in Dalmada across the road from the Excel Garage on Saturday and Sunday. Electric model car enthusiasts from all over South Africa will be participating in the second leg of the national championship in Polokwane, with a number of local
entries among those that have entered so far. The indoor track at Dalmada is the only indoor event that forms part of the SA National Off-road Electric Championships. The organiser of the event, Jaco van Eeden from JRC Models says the indoor track will be fast and luckily inclement weather will not be a factor over the weekend. For further information contact van Eeden on 015 297 2197 or 082 823 1589.
Nirvana outfit OBSERVER 47 the Limpopo T20 club champions April 10, 2014
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Warren Blunt >>warrenb.observer@gmail.com
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l-Fatah Cricket Club from Nirvana was crowned as the new Twenty20 (T20) club champions in Limpopo after defeating the 2011/12 winners Seshego Cricket Club by 38 runs in the final at the Polokwane Cricket Club on Sunday. The final T20 match brought an end to the 2013/14 club cricket season in Limpopo with the annual award ceremony scheduled for later this month. Al-Fatah had to work hard for their victory in the T20 semi-finals and final on Sunday after the semi-finals were shortened to ten overs a side due to the pitch on the A-field being declared unplayable after Friday night’s consistent rain. Batting first on the B-field in the semi-final against Mogol Cricket Club, Al-Fatah struggled to 50 for the loss of nine wickets in their allotted ten overs and appeared to be heading for
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Photos: Warren Blunt
The Al-Fatah Cricket Club from Nirvana won the Limpopo T20 club tournament at the Polokwane Cricket Club on Sunday after defeating Seshego Cricket Club by 38 runs in the final. defeat. However, their spin bowlers came to the party and Mogol were bowled out for a paltry 31 runs to give Al-Fatah a 19-run victory and a place in the final. The second semi-final was in complete contrast to the first, with Unicorn Cricket Club scoring what was thought to be a defendable 98 for the loss of three wickets in ten overs
Softball feast at Seshego Herbert Rachuene >>herbert@mailbox.co.za The finals of the Limpopo Softball Association Super Cup are set to take place at the Seshego Softball grounds on Saturday. Six provincial softball teams, Moletlane Texas, Mamaolo Rebels, Kalkspruit Red Scorpions, Lebowakgomo Wildbeast, Naledi Spiders and Seshego Raiders will battle it out. Limpopo Softball Association Spokesperson, Matome Lebea said the tournament will take a round robin format with two groups of three clubs playing in the morning to determine the two teams that will contest in the final later that afternoon. “We are looking forward to exciting finals. We should have hosted the finals last year but we
could not due to the preparations of the Softball national championships. We are excited that we will be finalising the Super Cup and this will afford us the opportunity to focus on the preparations of the national u.19 softball championships which we will be hosting in Polokwane in June. We are calling all the softball fanatics to come in numbers and rally behind their teams to ensure that softball remains one of the most popular sports in the province,” Lebea said. He also added that the winner will walk away with R2 000 and a floating trophy. Group A is made up of Lebowakgomo Wild Beasts, Moletlane Texas and Mamaolo Rebels. Seshego Raiders, Naledi Spiders and Kalkspruit Red Scorpions make up Group B.
Die Limpopo mans- en vroue muurbalkampioene is Marnus Janse van Rensburg (Potgietersrus Muurbalklub) en Ronel Welman (Louis Trichardt Muurbalklub). Foto: Verskaf
Lim se 2014-muurbalkampioene Warren Blunt >>warrenb.observer@gmail.com Christiaan Labuschagne van die Polokwane Muurbalklub is in ‘n naelbytstryd in die finaal van die onlangse Limpopo Muurbalkampioenskappe in Polokwane deur Marnus Janse van Rensburg van die Potgietersrus Muurbalklub geklop. In die damesafdeling het die verdedigende kampioen, Ronel Welman van Louis Trichardt
Muurbalklub weer daarin geslaag om die titel te wen met Mieke Pistorius van die Nylstroom Muurbalklub in die tweede plek. Altesaam 33 muurbalspelers het in die kampioenskappe deelgeneem met vyftien spelers van Polokwane Muurbalklub. Franco Welman (tiende), Shamier Cassim (vyfde) en Labuschagne (naaswenner) is spelers van die plaaslike muurbalklub onder die toptien-spelers.
NEWS
Eighteen-year-old Seshego Cricket Club opening batsman, Amir Bux hits the winning runs in the semi-final against Hornbills Cricket Club.
against Seshego Cricket Club. Gerrie Lourens (40 off 23 balls) and Christopher Atherstone (21 off 11 balls) scored the bulk of the Hornbills’ runs. Eighteen-year-old Seshego batsman, Amir Bux then single-handedly set about destroying the Hornbills bowling attack to score a brilliant undefeated 67 off 24 balls to help his team pass the winning total in the eighth over. He hit eight fours and three sixes to leave the visiting Tzaneen team describing his innings as one of the best ever scored against them. Al-Fatah batted first in the final reduced to 16 overs a side and scored 119 for the loss of seven wickets. Mohammed Patel top scored with 56 runs off 36 balls. The Al-Fatah spin bowling attack spun a web of economy around the Seshego batsmen to restrict them to 81/3 in their allotted 16 overs and go on to win the T20 club trophy for the first time.
Limpopo Blue Bulls crushed by Steval Pumas Warren Blunt >>warrenb.observer@gmail.com
centre, Dewald Pretorius scoring under the poles within a minute of play resuming after the break. The Limpopo Blue Bulls conceded 40 points in the final quarter of the match as they suffered their biggest defeat of the season. Limpopo showed glimpses of skill the few times they managed to run with the ball, but a lack of cohesion and numbers at the break-down failed to get them momentum on the front foot.
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Last year’s losing Vodacom Cup finalFor now it is back to the drawing ists, the Steval Pumas proved to be board for the Limpopo Bulls as they too strong for the Assupol Limpopo get ready to face the 2013 Vodacom Blue Bulls at the new Peter Mokaba Cup champions, the Lions at the new Stadium when they went on the ramPeter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday. page to win by 88-0 in the fifth round Entry for Saturday’s match is free of of the competition on Saturday. charge and Limpopo’s rugby enthuThe visitors ran in fourteen tries siasts are urged to come out in their with winger, Ashwin Scott and captain, numbers to support the Jaco Bouwer each scorrugby pride of Limpopo ing a hat-trick of tries as they compete at a to leave them on top of semi-professional level the north section of the against the bigger proleague with two matches fessional rugby unions left to play. Limpopo has in the Vodacom Cup yet to achieve a victory competition. in the competition after The gates at the new making their debut last Peter Mokaba will be year. The big Pumas open from 11:00 with the forwards dominated the curtain-raiser between driving mauls from the the Currie Cup women line-outs to give their teams for the A-section speedy backline plenty Pretoria Blue Bulls and of opportunities to score B-section Limpopo Blue tries, with the halftime Bulls scheduled to start score 27-0 in the Pumas’ at 13:00. The Vodacom favour. Photos: Warren Blunt Cup match between the The floodgates Assupol Limpopo Blue Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls flank, Wikus Davel is collared by opened in the second Bulls and Lions will kick his Steval Pumas opponent in the Vodacom Cup North Section half with Pumas inside off at 15:00. league fixture at the new Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday. Limpopo Blue Bulls right wing, Robin Goliath chases the ball with three Steval Pumas players in close attendance.
Pumas winger, Ashwin Scott beats the Limpopo defender on his way to the try line for one of his three tries.