SPORT - The African Mirror

Oct

04

2024

Honouring the legacy of Dikembe Mutombo – a tribute

BASKETBALL

OFTENTIMES, a man’s legacy is discovered after he leaves this earth. However, the world didn’t need Dikembe Mutombo’s recent passing to know how great a man he was. From his entry to the NBA as one of Africa’s basketball trailblazers, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was considered one of the best defensive players in the league’s history, to his life after retirement, devoting his time and efforts to charitable and humanitarian causes within the NBA and in his home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Growing up, my favourite part of the game of basketball was defence. I would…

Oct

02

2024

By The African Mirror

The mountain that moved: Dikembe Mutombo’s reign on the court

BASKETBALL

THE crowd's roar swells as an opposing player drives towards the basket, eyes locked on the rim, victory in sight. But there, like a monolith risen from the hardwood, stands Dikembe Mutombo. His arms stretch skyward, fingers splayed, a human eclipse blotting out hope and light for would-be scorers. In the annals of NBA history, few figures loom as large - both literally and figuratively - as Dikembe Mutombo. For 18 seasons, this 7-foot-2 Congolese colossus patrolled the paint, a defensive sentinel whose very presence altered the course of games and the trajectories of countless shots. Mutombo wasn't your typical…

Sep

25

2024

By The African Mirror

Exclusive: Donald Ramphadi on Bronze Win and Inequality in South Africa

SPORT

IN an exclusive interview, South Africa’s Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis bronze medallist, Donald Ramphadi reflects on the historic win in France, the state of the sport in South Africa, the challenges wheelchair tennis players face, and the lack of funds to grow the game. Doland Ramphadi, along with his South African companion, Lucas Sithole made history at this year’s Paris Paralympic Games when they became Africa’s first-ever doubles team to win a medal on the global stage. The duo won the bronze medal after defeating Brazilians, Leandro Pena and Ymanitu Silva 6-2 4-6, and 10-8 after a highly contested match tiebreak.…

Sep

22

2024

By STEPHEN GRANGER

Cape Town Marathon attracts Africa’s running royalty

ATHLETICS

RUNNING royalty is heading to Cape Town next month to race the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon (SCTM) in what is a foretaste of what is to come in the next few years. Some of the biggest names in the marathon game will be racing Africa’s premier marathon in just over four weeks as excitement builds towards Cape Town joining the exclusive Abbott’s Marathon Majors club in May 2026. The SCTM forty-day launch released the names of several marathon superstars, and while most are past the dizzy heights reached in their hey days, simply having the likes of former world record…

Sep

22

2024

By STEPHEN GRANGER

Africa tops Golden Trail World Series table after Breaklands 27k

SPORT

THE 2024 edition of the Golden Trail World Series commenced in China with two races, before moving to Europe for the next four. Two races in consecutive weeks in the USA complete the series before the grand final in Ascona Locarno in Italy next month. Sadly, the Tatra Sky Marathon, which was to have taken place last month on the Polish side of the Carpathian Mountains as the sixth race in the GTWS, was cancelled due to intense and dangerous electric storms. Featuring many of Marin County's most famous trails, the Headlands 27k contains 1300m of vertical gain and is…

Sep

22

2024

By SILALEI SHANI

African Basketball Roundup

BASKETBALL

BC Chaux Sport are Congo Cup League champions, Mali dominates at the FIBA U18 Afrobasket and Petro de Luanda represents the continent at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup. The recently concluded 2024 FIBA Intercontinental Cup saw Africa’s only representative Angolan side, Petro De Luanda, finish 5th in the classification games in the 34th edition of the tournament, hosted at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Petro de Luanda qualified for the tournament as champions of the Basketball Africa League 2024 season and is the first Sub-Saharan African team to do so. BC Chaux Sport vs BC Terreur in the finals. Photo Courtesy: Chaux…

Sep

18

2024

By The African Mirror

Exclusive: Babalwa Latsha on the new-look Springbok

SPORT

THE first encounter between South Africa Women and the Barbarian Women was in November 2021, in front of over 29,000 fans at the Twickenham Stadium [now Allianz Stadium]. The Babas dominated that fixture 60-5 and since then, the Springboks Women’s side have made great sides as they prepare for the upcoming WXV 2 competition in Cape Town later this month. In the latest encounter, the Bok women's side turned the tables around with an emphatic victory over their counterparts 59-17 over the weekend. Bok Women prop Babalwa Latsha was enthralled by the victory "It was exciting to play the Barbarians,…

Sep

18

2024

By The African Mirror

Lungi Ngidi: “It’s not all about me”

SPORT

HAVING missed last month’s T20 series in the Caribbean due to a calf injury, Proteas fast bowler Lungi Ngidi is fit and ready to lead the bowling attack in Sharjah. Conquering Injuries as a Professional Player Injuries have kept one of the most promising Proteas fast bowler Lungi Ngidi on the sidelines in the recent past so much that it has been hard for him to make a case for a permanent spot in the side again. As a result, the 28-year-old missed out on South Africa’s 15-man squad for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup as he only travelled…

Sep

17

2024

By The African Mirror

Eliud Kipchoge reveals lessons from Paris Olympics and callenges Federations to prioritise athlete welfare

ATHLETICS

THE 2024 Paris Olympics marked exactly two decades since double Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge made his Olympic debut. The legendary marathoner first ran in the Athens Olympics in 2004 where he won the 5,000m bronze medal before upgrading to silver four years later in Beijing in the same event. By 2008, Kipchoge had already been an established name in distance running, boasting two world championship medals and two at the Olympics. This year, the legendary marathoner led team Kenya to the Olympics together with a strong contingent that included 2024 TCS London Marathon champion Alex Mutiso and 2022 Chicago…

Sep

17

2024

By The African Mirror

Exclusive: Marizanne Kapp has no plans to retire

SPORT

PROTEAS women’s all-rounder Marizanne Kapp has no retirement plans in place despite the recent retirements of experienced teammates including Shabnim Ismail. Proteas Women Transition Phase Time and again, professional teams have to stomach an unavoidable phase of the retirement of their senior players, a phase that tends to lead to a period of regression or a transition phase. It is almost impossible to know how long the regression period will last. Some teams take longer than others for a host of different reasons. The Proteas women’s team had to endure a similar phase after reaching their first-ever World Cup final…