Navalsig High School and Ntsu Secondary School under-19 teams will represent the Free State at the Kay Motsepe National School tournament which will take place from 24 to 28 September 2026 in Soshangu...
Marumo Gallants will set their sights on a Betway Premiership home encounter against TS Galaxy on Tuesday next week, after suffering their second consecutive defeat of the new league campaign against ...
Navalsig High School and Ntsu Secondary School under-19 teams will represent the Free State at the Kay Motsepe National School tournament which will take place from 24 to 28 September 2026 in Soshanguve, Pretoria.
Navalsig were crowned provincial champions after defeating Ntsu in the final over the weekend at the University of the Free State (UFS) sports fields in Bloemfontein.
Despite their defeat, Ntsu will also progress to the national tournament as runners-up.
The two Bloemfontein sides will now look to make a strong statement on the national stage.
Navalsig coach, Mzwakhe James, described their triumph as a reward for months of hard work and dedication.
He said the victory reflected the commitment shown by his players since the beginning of their preparations.
“I dedicate this win to the boys and their efforts. Since the fifth of January until this point, we have been preparing for this moment. This is the reward for the boys,” James said.
He believes his team maintained consistency and continued improving throughout their campaign despite facing challenges.
“It has been a good journey for us. We had good preparation.
“We have not had any losses so far. The boys have been doing well.
“We took a couple of notes on where we need to improve because not every game is perfect,” he continued.
James noted that preparatory matches against ABC Motsepe League teams played a crucial role in preparing the squad mentally and physically.
“We played against ABC teams - the more experienced guys - just to take some notes and prepare for this. We also play in the Hollywoodbets regional league, so we take that experience and bring it here,” he stated.
The Navalsig coach further expressed appreciation to the Navalsig community, including parents, the governing body, and school staff for their support.
“To the Navalsig community, parents, SGB, principal, teachers, and groundsmen, I want to thank them for their efforts. Especially the parents for trusting us with their boys. This victory belongs to everyone in the Navalsig community,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ntsu mentor, Kolotsa Mthimkhulu, said their objectives remain unchanged despite finishing as runners-up.
“Nothing much has changed. The only thing we are working extra hard on is scoring goals,” Mthimkhulu said.
The Kay Motsepe National School Tournament will feature 18 teams across the country, with two representatives from each province competing for national honours.
Marumo Gallants will set their sights on a Betway Premiership home encounter against TS Galaxy on Tuesday next week, after suffering their second consecutive defeat of the new league campaign against Mamelodi Sundowns by two goals to nil at the Loftus Versfeld stadium on Wednesday evening.
Gallants currently occupy position 15, with 1 point from their opening three matches in the new season. They began the season with a goalless stalemate against the newly promoted Kruger United, prior to enduring a 3-1 defeat to Stellenbosch, and their recent 2-0 loss to the Tshwane Giants. A record they hoped will change, after relocating from Bloemfontein to Rustenburg.
Gallants head coach Phuthi Mohafe believes the defeat to Sundowns was an important benchmark, ahead of a demanding stretch of fixtures.
“You remember at the launch of the Betway Premiership, I said I would have loved to start with Sundowns, because that was going to be the real test for us, to see where we are.And now we have played them, we have already played three matches, and I think this one is the match that I can say we have learned a lot of lessons from,” he said.
Despite the defeats, Mohafe remains encouraged by several elements of his charges performance. Bahlabane ba Ntwa managed to register four shots on target, while remaining organised in their defence.
“So I think that is where we have done well, but also in playing with the flat terrain in the midfield. It also helped us because we minimised the attack through the middle. We did well on that one, and we also did well in cutting the supply from the midfield into the strikers,” he said.
“The other thing was the chances that we have created with our minimal ball possession that we missed, and I think that is what let us down,” added Mohafe.
Additionally, Mohafe dismissed rumours linking Gallants with the signing of foreign players to the team, whereas the season had gone past. He also dismissed claims that there are administrative issues pertaining to the arrival of new foreign players.
Despite the lacklustre start to the new campaign, Mohafe insisted that the record does not validate the team’s performance, with resolving their finishing remains the priority.
“Starting from the first match, if you can go and check how Marumo Gallants played, and you reflect and you review on how we played, you will see that I think most of the matches we have possession,” he said. “But the main factor is putting the ball in the back of the net. That is the main factor. So that is not the true reflection,” added Mohafe.
South African javelin icon Jan-Hendrik Heymans has introduced himself on the global stage, with a personal best throw of 80.50 metres, after winning the men’s javelin gold medal at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, United States.
The 19-year-old delivered South Africa’s only gold medal of the championships, beating his previous personal best and cementing his level as one of the country’s brightest young athletics prospects.
The triumph was about far more than winning a gold medal for the reigning champion. He hopes his journey inspires ordinary South Africans to believe that world-class success is possible without following a conventional path.
“I really hope that it creates a community to show people that it doesn't take a superstar to become a world champion. So I think firstly, people must not think you have to be elite to become a champion. Any ordinary person can do that,” he said.
He encouraged young athletes to discover their natural talents rather than forcing themselves into a particular sport.
“I never thought about javelin. And then all of a sudden, the javelin just fell into my arms. And I was like, okay, let me try this sport. And then everything just fell into order. And also you must not force something that is not there,” added Hymans.
However, the road to world glory was anything but straightforward. After being a member of a full-time training programme in Potchefstroom at the beginning of the year, the increased workload resulted in muscle spasms before he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring tear at the South African Senior Championships.
After two months on the sidelines, another setback arrived in the form of a groin injury just days before an international competition in Italy.
Heymans said that medical scans later revealed that his hamstring injury had still not fully healed, forcing him to rest for another month. Two weeks into his return to training, his groin flared up again, leaving him with just two weeks of intensive preparation before the World Championships.
“Technically, from the South African season to the Worlds, I actually just trained hard for two weeks. And that's quite bad. But I made the best of it,” said Heymans.
His coach, Terseus Liebenberg, who began working with Heymans at the start of the year. He never doubted his athlete’s ability to rise on the biggest stage.
“In my heart, I knew he was going to do it, but you still have to go and do it. I was extremely proud, very happy. I mean, that is, he just showed what a big-match temperament he has; he's a man for the big moments, and he can rise to the occasion.
Liebenberg revealed that Heymans’ natural running mechanics and throwing technique immediately stood out.
“His running ability, natural throwing ability. I just love the way he is running and throwing. It is just a thing that you, as a coach, immediately notice and realise. He is a little bit special; you can see that from the start. You get a lot of diamonds, but he's a real big diamond, very special,” he said.
The experienced coach believes Heymans’ success could have a lasting impact on South African athletics.
“He is going to be, most certainly, a role model for future javelin throwers. To know that his future lies ahead of him. He is still going to become a world beater. He is going to be one of South Africa's best ever javelin throwers,” said Liebenberg.
The Betway Premiership is heading toward a dramatic photo finish as league debutants Orbit College find themselves holding the keys to the South African football kingdom. In a classic David versus Goliath season finale, the relegation-threatened outfit will act as the ultimate kingmakers - deciding whether the trophy heads to Mayfair or remains in Chloorkop.
The goal difference tally may prove to be the difference to determine who will walk away as the Betway Premiership champions between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns as the league races down to a nail-biting finish.
Hannah Pearse became the final addition to the Commonwealth Games qualifying list on the final day of the SA Swimming Championships in Gqeberha on Saturday.
The 23-year-old swam to victory in the 200m backstroke in a time of 2:10.92 to take a step closer to achieving her ambition of competing at the Commonwealth Games, which take place in Glasgow this July/August.
