south african sports facts
although 2014 reports ranked South Africa sixth in the world, producing around 6 percent (164.5 tonnes) of the world’s precious metal from its 35 mines. In February 2009, Pollock was voted into the International Cricket Council’s Hall of Fame as a member of the inaugural class of inductees. This month, we feature South Africa. To make this even more fun, I want to challenge you as well. He holds the world record for the most catches – five – by a non- wicketkeeper in a one-day international. Showing that he was a fine all-rounder too, Procter is the only cricketer in history to capture two all-LBW hat-tricks. After boxer Brian Mitchell won the WBA junior-lightweight title in 1986, he successfully defended it on 12 occasions before retiring as an undefeated champion. It’s the national religion. Nationality: South African. … but not the first South African. This Is Africa. Adams Calendar: Adams Calendar is a circular stone structure that was found in 2005 in … He didn’t win in 1989, but then again he didn’t run that year …. We see them shine at the Olympics, at football World Cups and in athletics, among others. Pule ‘Ace’ Ntsoelengoe, the midfield general of many fine Kaizer Chiefs teams of the mid-1970s to mid-1980s, was inducted into the US Soccer Hall of Fame in October 2003. 46. South Africa became a republic in 1961. With their love of the sport, it is not hard to imagine why some of their stars have goner on to play for international clubs like Aaron Mokoena, Delron Buckley, Benni McCarthy, Lucas Radebe, Philemon Masinga, and Steven Pienaar. From 23 August 1997 to 28 November 1998, the Springboks won 17 successive rugby tests to equal the world record. Sewgolum beat him. ‘Basketball South Africa’, the national Federation is is the youngest members of FIBA which is the global basketball governing body and was founded in 1992. Top 10 Interesting Facts About South Africa. One of the North American Soccer League’s all-time leaders for both appearances and goals, “Ace” was voted onto the NASL’s All Star line-up in 1979 and 1982. Not surprisingly he was known as “the Dusi King”. Striker Pietie Coetzee became the all-time leading goal scorer in women’s international hockey on 21 June 2011 with the third of four goals she scored in a 5-5 draw against the USA in the Champions Challenge in Dublin. Birthdate: March 31, 1983. In just 41 Tests, having made his test debut at the age of 34, he scored 2 484 runs at an average of 40.06, with five centuries and 15 fifties. South Africa, a sovereign nation, is Africa's southernmost country. Incredibly, those figures included a five-year hiatus in the prime of her career to concentrate on her studies. South Africa's most liked sports are soccer, rugby union and cricket. It is a counting game played … People were classifiedby color, and pass laws were brought into being, requiring people other than whites, to carry d… Browse our latest sports news! Bob Hewitt and Frew McMillan won 57 career doubles titles, including three Wimbledon crowns. As mentioned in my previous post – 10 Reasons to Visit South Africa (and never leave) – South Africa is one of the top destinations for extreme sports. At just 4ft 10in or 147cm – not much taller than the average 3ft 6in or 107cm tall Lord of the Rings hobbit – Baby Jake was the shortest ever world boxing champion. It has attracted fields as large as 40 000 competitors. The Comrades, widely regarded as the world’s greatest ultra-marathon, belonged to one man throughout the 1980s. The country also has great cultural wealth. Every year, South Africa moves about two inches farther away from South America as a subtle continuation of... 2. The suggested duration for a visit to the penguins is 1-2 hours. He was 31 at the time. I was lucky enough to try some of them myself: 1. Apartheid is made a law of the country – with apartheid becoming a law around 1950, marriage and sexual acts between whites and people of other races were banned by the government. South Africa, a sovereign nation, is Africa's southernmost country. African sports people have broken new ground in their different sporting codes worldwide.