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Do you have any interesting stories or photos to share about South African athletics during the sports isolation period up until 1992? Or would you like to advertise on our website? Contact the publisher, Clement du Plessis, by completing the form to the left, sending an email to info@athleticsclipboard.co.za, leaving a comment on the website or joining the Athletics Clipboard Facebook community. We would love to hear from you. |
Dear Publsiher, Does anyone have photos of the SACOS games 88….under 19 men’s 800m final?
Dear Publisher, I get goosebumps reading your articles. I know a lot of athletes such as Henry de Grass, the late Hendriena Persendt, Harold Adams, Wilson Claasen and Edmund Lewis.
My 85-year-old father Solomon Ross was a very good middle-distance runner and later a Master’s athlete for Western Province.
Do you perhaps have any pics of him?
Dear Publisher
WOW!
Thank you for taking the initiative to create this athletics site. Seeing these old pics have caused me to relive so many moments of excellence, these phenomenal athletes were truly a talented bunch. To me it was an honour to get to know some of them when I achieved my WP and Sasssa colours and until today I see some of those teammates as my heroes. So many names and so little time.
As the saying goes, it was not a lack of talent but rather a lack of opportunity that robbed these awesome athletes from being afforded the opportunity to take their rightful place on the world athletics stage. Thanks, Clement.
Keep up the great work and I salute you for all your efforts.
Thanks, Gasant, you were a field athlete of note. I think I may have posted a photo or two of you on the facebook page. As you say, so many names . . .
The Publisher
I’m David Louw and shared a record in the 10 000m together with Hennie Moses during 1980s
If anyone has photos and or coverage, please share. I would like to share those memories with my kid. I lost all my info.
Hi Clement. Thanks for all the memories.
It is heart warming to see how sport, in particular, in the SACOS region developed. Donovan’s story brings fond memories in my association with him in Mitchell’s Plain during the late 80’s and early 90’s whilst living in Woodlands. He used to share his skills with Seventh Day Adventist Youth in Mitchell’s Plain. Sad to hear about his medical condition. Brother keep in believing, God’s hand is over you. Is there a number where I can contact him. We lost contact when he moved to Pacaltsdorp. If he read this note my name is John Flemmer at 073 685 7650. I was the team manager of our running club. Keep up the good work, Athletics Clipboard.
Wonderfull memories. Just a pity I lost all my articles during a family disaster.
I liked the article under “Louw wys hakke ” during one of my races, but lovely to see some stars whom I competed with!!
Hi Athletics Clipboard
I’d like to know if you can get any information about a specific athlete Cathleen Vashu (my mother) who was based in Robertson at the time – 1970’s era. As long as I can remember everybody has always been raving about what an exceptional and prominent athlete she was. She attended De Villiers Laerskool and Langeberg Hoerskool. She was the champ of all champions and excelled in 100m, 200m. I will really appreciate it if I can get any records( pictures, news articles )as a proof to show my kids since my mother only has the stories to tell us. Many Thanks.
The Publisher,
My name is Belinda Nkonzo from Gugulethu Athletics Club. I am shocked to see this site and very excited to here from guys that I used to run with. I remember those good old days when we used to run at Vygieskraal, Bellville, Athlone Stadium and in many other places together. I am glad to that you are alive and treasuring those good memories today. I don’t know where to start, but I wish we can really do something about our history. This is a good start, thanks to the person who initiated this idea. I am waiting patiently for my pictures of the event that Reginald mentioned and many others, as I was the sportsperson of the year that year, I remember because I still have the medal. Not to mention breaking records in the 800m junior ladies, 1500m, cross country races. I was nominated several times in SAAAB, SASSSA track and field teams, cross country and road running. Please let’s share the pictures. Love you all and God Bless you all. You have made my day. – Belinda Nkonzo
Hi everyone. Does anyone have old pics or info on Wilton Pik from Spes Bona and the late Tauriq Achmat from Alexander Sinton. They were formidable sprinting rivals during the late 70’s . As memory recalls Tauriq Achmat dethroned Wilton Pik at an Interschools event for the first time during that era and went on to beat a guy named Motalla from Durban, with Wilton Pik coming in second. Motalla was the SA champ at the time.
There was some video footage taken of both the 100 and 200m races by a teacher from Alexander Sinton. Any leads or information would be appreciated. This competition was held at the old Paarl stadium.
Hi everyone. Does anyone have old pics or info on Wilton Pik from Spes Bona and the late Tauriq Achmat from Alexander Sinton. They were formidable sprinting rivals during the late 70’s . As memory recalls Tauriq Achmat dethroned Wilton Pik at an Interschools event for the first time during that era and went on to beat a guy named Motalla from Durban, with Wilton Pik coming in second. Motalla was the SA champ at the time.
There was some video footage taken of both the 100 and 200m races by a teacher from Alexander Sinton. Any leads or information would be appreciated.
It is almost by accident that I found this site. I was a proud member of the “Merewent Athletics Club” from Natal. I can remember participating at Curries Fountain from about 1985 – 1988. I was never good enough to make the provincial team but I enjoyed the participation. I still participate in Road Running (Comrades etc). Growing up in a single-parent home in a council flat athletics kept me and my siblings away from getting involved in any wrongdoing. Some of the prominent athletes from my era in Natal that I can remember are Chandra Naidoo, Rakesh Shewduth, Jayanand Davids, Mervyn Richards, Bev Peters and administrators Rishi Hansraj, Sathie Moodley and Lux Ghordan.
It would be great if some of these athletes from Natal and other provinces could be profiled.
I salute all that participated and made participation possible under the SACOS banner.
Hi there Vivien, my name is Khaleck Younus. I remember running against Jayanand Davids and Mervyn Richards in 1983 and 1984 at the Natal championships in the boys u17 800m final where I beat both of them in a time of 1m 59.4 seconds. We were fierce rivals back then. Mervyn Richards went on to win at the SASSSA Championship in Paarl in 1983. My contact details are as follows 0844004636
Hi , Khaleck
Good to hear from you . I did meet Mervyn Richards about 5 years ago when the Merewent Athletic Club had a celebration and invited all past members .At that stage Mervyn was teaching (HOD) at a school in Phoenix . Not sure about some of the other guys that I have mentioned . I do remember that occasion when Mervyn won the SASSSA U15 800m I think also around 1m59 . Just sad that that so many of these exceptionally talented junior athletes were lost to the sport has seniors .Hope you are well . Are you involved in Athletics in any way . Do you still live in KZN . I currently reside in Pretoria . contact detail 0627308926
Dear Publisher, I agree with Viven that an appeal should be put out to the several road running clubs that were under the Amateur Athletics Association of Natal (AAAN) banner: Apart from Merewent AC, there were Sunshine HMP (from Sydenham/Overport), Redcliffe Striders (Verulam), a club or two from Pietermaritzburg, Phoenix AC and several others. One of the stalwarts, Jay Singh, who was with Redcliffe Striders, is principal of Redcliffe Primary School in Verulam. He may have records. Thanks. Tony Peters
Dear Publisher, Do you have any results or records about Jay Singh
Devan Naidoo.
0761613671
Can you please post on the website photos of the 1988 SACOS opening and closing
ceremony? Here at work they think that I am lying when I tell them
how we struggled for sport in South Africa and some of us are not being
recognised, especially athletics. I used to run with
e.g. Willie Davids and David Snyders.
Not to worry, Reggie, we have some information and pics relating to it which we will post in due course. There are so many requests and pictures to post, but in the meantime, you can show your colleagues this response. The stories told on Athletics Clipboard are essentially about the athletes (all of them unsung sporting heroes) who participated under SACOS.
hi Anyone have pictures of the Famous die hard DIE KAT? this runner got very sick and spent 4 months in GSH never to ever recover to running again .
Yes, check out the website and facebook page.
Dear Publisher, I ran at the SACOS in 1988 games. Do you have any photos, race times in order of positions?
Dear Publisher
Do you have photographs and the history of Sasssa rugby, please? I played No 8 in the 1990 Sasssa team and have no photographs to show off. The tournament was held in Kimberley.
Dear Aubrey
Unfortunately, this page is dedicated to athletics.
Love the pics
Dear Clement
I am duly impressed by this site and the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes. Friends have been sharing these clips and articles on facebook but they had no idea you were behind it.
Anyway, would you be interested in doing the same for other codes?
Swimming was quite strong in the 70s and 80s especially, and I know of a few swimmers who have clippings and articles and so on.
I am in touch with many of them on facebook and through Manta.
I am not sure about the size of your company and whether starting a swimming page is feasible. – Regards Melanie
Dear Melanie, thank you for your comments and interest.
As previously explained elsewhere on this website, Athletics Clipboard is dedicated to athletics and involves a mountain of work.
It will be well nigh impossible to start any other code in the foreseeable future.
Athletics (and sport in general) was a powerful unifying force in the dark days of Apartheid. It played such an important role in uniting communities, giving them a sense of pride, and a practical way (via the non-racial sports movement) to express their disgust at a system that was aimed at making people feel less than equal. I salute Athletics Clipboard for not only keeping the memories alive, but also for documenting the untold stories in such an engaging way. These are the stories of forgotten heroes, who were household names, who were world class, but hidden from the world due to Apartheid sport policies. We have forgiven, but we must never ever forget…
Thank you, Hubert. You could not have stated it better. We agree wholeheartedly with your statement that the stories need to be documented as a far as possible. And with that we rely on the stories (whether photographs, newspaper cuttings or interviews) from the community. Statements like this make us go the extra mile. To you and all of you out there, continue to enjoy Athletics Clipboard.