Team SA’s first medals arrived on the second day of action at the 2020 African Youth Games. Cycling’s girls brought home the first bronze in the team trial, before karate weighed in with three bronze during the afternoon, writes Mark Lemke in Luanda. However, it was the field athletes who secured the first golds.
Joshua Gerber and Matao le Roux, both 16-year-olds, picked up gold medals in the discus (63.99m) and high jump (1.95m) to take Team SA’s total to six for the day.
Here is a roundup of the action from the Angolan capital.
More to follow when available.
ATHLETICS
Gold! Boys discus: Joshua Gerber won with a distance of 63.99m
Gold! Boys high jump: Matao le Roux took gold with a leap of 1.95m
CYCLING
Team SA code manager Sonja Schultz shared her thoughts on the team time trial performances, “Our team did great today and worked well together. The conditions were tough. It was extremely hot, but I think they enjoyed it. We have settled in nicely and know what to expect, so we are feeling optimistic for the individual time trials tomorrow.”
TABLE TENNIS
Musfiquh Kalam, who is the coach of the table tennis team and an active Team SA table tennis player, said after Thursday’s proceedings: “I thought we performed well. Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt are our biggest competitors so despite the losses, Ruan Scholtz and Tamika van As can be proud of their performances. We have a day to rest on Friday before the team event on Saturday which we are looking forward to.”
RESULTS OF THE DAY
BADMINTON
Team event, Group A: Team SA played three matches, winning 2-0, and losing 2-0 and 2-1.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Team SA girls beat Benin and lost to Morocco
Team SA boys lost to Morocco and lost to Comoros
CYCLING
Bronze! Team SA girls (Jenna Jacobs, Summer Gylard, Danika
Lombard and Alandri Steyn) finished 3rd in the team time trial.
Team SA boys finished top 6 in the team time trial.
KARATE
5th place junior male kumite -76kg: Galliano Boni
5th place junior ladies kumite -53kg: Yathiksha Sewpersad
Bronze! Junior male kata: Galliano Boni
Bronze! Junior make kumite +76kg: Rio Cruz
Bronze! Junior male team kata: Shivaan Ramdhial, Darius Narainsamy, Raahi Ramchunder
TABLE TENNIS
Boys, Round of 16
Ruan Scholtz lost to Tunisia 3-0
Girls. Round of 16
Tamika van As lost to Algeria 3-0
