WeeklySA_AdminHARD CONVERSATIONS: Kolisi opened up on his international future while addressing his role in the Bok setup
By Sports Reporter
Siya Kolisi says that “hard conversations” as a Springbok group has meant that every player, himself included, accepts getting subbed is for the good of the team.
Arguably the most influential player to pull on the green and gold jersey, the 32-year-old solidified his status in South African rugby lore by captaining a golden generation of Boks to back-to-back World Cup titles after South Africa beat New Zealand in October.
He has also made an impact since joining Racing 92 this season, and scored his first try as the French Top 14 club secured a place in the last 16 of the Champions Cup with victory over Cardiff.
It was previously suggested that the loose forward may relinquish the Bok captaincy post-World Cup to focus on just playing for his country and the possibility of reaching 100 Tests.
During a wide-ranging interview with former Scotland lock Jim Hamilton on The Big Jim Show, the 83-Test Kolisi opened up on his international future while addressing his role in the Bok setup. “It’s all about how good I’m playing – that’s it. Right now, all I’m thinking about is playing well here at Racing, and hopefully winning a title,” Kolisi told Hamilton.
“And hopefully putting on that Springbok jersey again. That’s it: that’s all that’s in my head right now.” Though it is partly a consequence of the Boks’ fabled Bomb Squad, Kolisi has only played 80 minutes in 12 of his last 33 Tests.
“When guys get subbed – I get subbed at 45 minutes sometimes – I know why: because I’m not as effective as I usually am,” said the Bok captain. “Then Kwagga [Smith] will come in, and they win the game.
“It doesn’t mean I like it, but I’m comfortable enough to know the team is more important. I think that was the difference between us and others [at the World Cup].
“Some players would get p***ed off when they’re subbed off early. But we’ve had hard conversations as a group. That’s what I really enjoy, when we have honest and serious conversations. You get hurt, but you don’t take it to heart, you move on the next day.”-SARugbyMagazine
UGANDA’S DRILEBA UBUNTU TROPHY WINNER
RECOGNITION: Ongoing efforts to use the game of basketball to positively impact the lives of youth in his native country rewarded
By Sports Reporter
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) (BAL.NBA.com) and New Fortress Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NFE) – a global energy infrastructure company founded to help accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy – has announced that Tonny Drileba, who played for the City Oilers (Uganda) during the 2023 BAL Season, has been awarded the 2023 BAL Ubuntu Trophy in recognition of his ongoing efforts to use the game of basketball to positively impact the lives of youth in his native Uganda.
Throughout the year, Drileba regularly hosted basketball clinics and life-skills seminars for boys and girls from underserved communities in Kampala. As an assistant coach for Angels Basketball Club – a professional women’s team that competes in the Ugandan Basketball League – he participated in the club’s community outreach projects across the country, including youth clinics and life-skills seminars at Nakivale Refugee Camp in Western Uganda.
The BAL Ubuntu Trophy is awarded annually to an individual or organization that has made an impact on the local community during the BAL season. In recognition of Drileba’s efforts, the BAL and NFE – presenting partner of the Ubuntu Trophy – will donate $5,000 to a charitable organization of his choice in Uganda.
“I am extremely humbled to have won this award, which in all hope will shine more light on the social issues I have sought to tackle in my community,” said Drileba. “Going forward, I am excited to continue working with the youth, empowering them through basketball and bringing positive change to the disadvantaged communities.”
“The BAL Ubuntu Trophy recognizes outstanding leadership and consistent acts of service that uplift people and communities,” said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall. “Tonny’s efforts are inspiring to the entire BAL family and a testament to the transformative power of basketball and its ability to be a force for good beyond the court.”
The BAL’s expanded fourth season will tip off on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa. The 2024 BAL season will feature the top 12 club teams from 12 African countries playing a record 48 games in Pretoria; Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; and Kigali, Rwanda over four months, marking the first BAL games in South Africa and the first time the league will play games in four different countries. Fans can register their interest in tickets to games in all four markets at BAL.NBA.com.
The 12 BAL teams, conferences, game schedule and additional information about the 2024 BAL season will be announced in the coming months.
SUNSHINE TOUR FOR LIMPOPO
SPORTS TOURISM: Major tourneys in line to woo enthusiasts and grow the sport of golf in the province
By Sports Reporter
The Limpopo Province’s growing status as a premium golf destination will once again be showcased by the Limpopo Tourism Agency and the Sunshine Tour when the sixth edition of the Limpopo Championship tees off in April 2024.
The Limpopo Championship at the Euphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate is one of three major golf tournaments that the province will host on the Sunshine Tour in 2024, including the SDC Open and the Vodacom Origins of Golf. Strong regional golf tournaments such as the Kudu Amateur Championship, the Big 5 Tournament, the Limpopo Youth Championship and a strong amateur calendar add significantly to the province’s golf offering.
The province also welcomes a new tournament this year in the Limpopo Ladies PGA Pro-Am Championship to be played in August at Koro Creek Bushveld Golf Estate.
The Limpopo Championship remains the crown jewel in the province’s golf offering and will be played from April 4-7 with a field expected to include defending champion Ryan van Velzen, who will seek to emulate JC Ritchie’s back-to-back wins in 2019 and 2020 as he joins the leading Sunshine Tour professionals in the bushveld to challenge for the R2 000 000 prize fund.
Sports tourism is central to the Limpopo Tourism Agency’s growth strategy and golf continues to deliver impressive results for the province. Golf destination marketing has directly contributed towards an increase in visitors, economic investment, job creation, and golf development.
This year’s Limpopo Championship will showcase this and more in a week-long lifestyle and golf programme that includes live entertainment, an after party, a business exhibition, a pro-am golf day, and hospitality area where fans and their families can experience the best of the Limpopo culture.
“The Limpopo Tourism Agency is proud of its partnership with the Sunshine Tour and the staging of a top professional international tournament in the sixth Limpopo Championship.
The Waterberg District is now a sought-after golf destination for South Africa and continues to excite international golf enthusiasts, leisure and business travelers. The district, which is a permanent home of this prestigious tournament,to this end, the Agency and its partners are poised to deliver a bigger and better edition of the Limpopo Championship this year,” said Moses Ngobeni, LTA CEO.
