Patrick Baloyi
No sporting calendar would be complete without the galaxy of stars who shone in the past year.
The New Age takes a trip down memory lane to present the sensational 11 South African sporting heroes and heroines who raised the flag in 2011.
Elton Jantjies
His trusty boot saw him walk away with the deserved Man of the Match award when the Lions won their first final at home since 1950 at the expense of the Sharks in the Currie Cup final. The heir to the Springbok flyhalf position scored a massive 24 points in the game to end the suffering of Lions fans.
Chad Le Clos
Nineteen-year-old swimming sensation Chad le Clos secured the overall Fina/Arena World Cup title in Japan in November, joining Ryk Neethling and Cameron van der Burgh as South Africans who have captured the prestigious title, pocketing about R788000 in prize money and bagging 23 gold medals.
Nompumelelo Nyandeni
The Russia-based Banyana Banyana striker did well to earn nomination for the CAF Women’s Footballer of Year, the award which Nigerian Perpetua Nkwocha won this month. Nyandeni will however, hold her head high for her role as Banyana Banyana qualified for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
SA’s best performing football team lifted the gloom from the sport after the failure of Bafana Bafana to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Michael Mazibuko
By ending Lesotho’s dominance in the men’s race of the famous Soweto Marathon in his debut year, the 25-year-old Free Stater is a classic case of rags to riches.
Pietie Coetzee
Such was her dynamic display that women’s hockey superstar and world goalscoring record holder Coetzee was named as a finalist in the International Hockey Federation’s Player of the Year nominations. In June, Coetzee became the all time leading goalscorer in women’s international hockey when she broke Russian Natella Krasnikova’s two decades old world record of 220 during a four-goal blitz against the US in Dublin.
Charl Schwartzel
2011 was a good year for Charl as he notched up his maiden Major win, the US Masters, before taking part in his first Presidents Cup, representing his country in golf’s world cup.
Nkosinathi Joyi
The 28 year old who goes by the nickname of “Maberre” (bears) ended the year as the IBF minimumweight world champion, and is ranked by boxrec.com and the Ring magazine as the No1 boxer in the division.
Benni McCarthy
There is no doubt that McCarthy has livened up local football since joining cup specialists Orlando Pirates five months ago. Arrogant but deadly, the all-time Bafana Bafana goalpoacher was the indisputable star as he ended the year with the Telkom Knockout striker of the tournament.
Vernon Philander
His start to the Test career saw him climbing up 12 places in the Reliance ICC Test Bowling rankings was a sensation.
Now 28th on the list, having taken 24 wickets in his three matches, including a record four five-wicket hauls, Philander received his second Man of the Match accolade in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Centurion where he led South Africa to an innings and 81-run win with a 10-wicket match haul.
Chanelle Scheepers
The beacon of South African tennis did well by reaching the WTA singles ranking and finishing the year in position 37.
This year she made the third round of the Australian Open and won her first WTA single titles at Guangzhou in China when she defeated eighth seeded Magdalena Rybarikjova of Slovakia 6-2 6-2 in the final.
Cecil Afrika
IRB Sevens Player of the Year Cecil Afrika also did well leading the Springbok Sevens attack on home soil in Nelson Mandela Bay early this month.
patrickb@thenewage.co.za
