Boipelo Awuah is gonna be all right
The 15-year-old who used to steal her brother’s skateboard and sneak out to skate will now do so watched by millions of spectators around the globe in sport’s biggest spectacle, the Olympic Games.
Sport
Ashleigh Moolman Pasio has it figured out
The cyclist has had her fair share of disappointments at the Olympics. But they’ve helped her determine what type of road racer she is, leaving her confident and in form for Tokyo.
What lies behind Africa’s elusive World Cup glory?
Men’s national football teams have done well in junior world tournaments, but that success hasn’t been replicated on the senior global stage. What causes this and how can it be corrected?
Katlego Mohamme sets a high bar for Soshanguve
The young player has achieved much early in his football career, but his biggest contributions to the residents of his township are off the field.
Lighting a candle for love, victory and country
Akani Simbine and Jo Prins find strength in each other, their faith and being able to share what it takes to be the best in their respective sports. Theirs is really … er … a match made in heaven.
What does the future hold for the Lions Tour?
SA Rugby had no choice but to go ahead with the tour following the financial devastation that Covid-19 inflicted on the local game. This state of affairs could be an ominous sign of things to come.
A win bigger than the Euro cup?
England’s diverse and socially aware team stood in stark contrast to the football hooligans who stormed Wembley and the bigots who hurled racist insults at three Black players.
Arthur Zwane’s debt of thanks to Kaizer and Chiefs
Amakhosi’s stand-in coach, who will lead them in the final of the CAF Champions League, wants to bring home the coveted trophy to repay the man and the club that have always stood by him.
Lessons from the Kaizer Chiefs march
Amakhosi supporters’ unprecedented peaceful protest shook the establishment and started an important conversation about how fans can engage with their clubs in a productive manner.
Cricket dreams die on unsafe pitch in Khayelitsha
Harry Gwala Secondary School principal Gcinisile Mlungu laments how a pitch that was supposed to grow the sport in the school and surrounding areas now lies unused because of vandalism.
Asisat Oshoala wants to pay her success forward
The four-time African Footballer of the Year has notched up a number of firsts in her impressive career. Now she wants to not only inspire but help produce players who can break her many records.
Kenya’s match-fixing scourge
Financial incentives and a lack of legal consequences make the country a target for football match-fixers. But are betting companies contributing to the rise in match manipulation?
Sabrina Simader – Kenya’s proud ‘Snow Leopard’
The alpine ski racer, who has lived in Austria since she was three, explains why wearing the colours of the East African nation matters to her.
Maharaj builds on Tahir’s spin legacy
Imran Tahir changed South Africa’s attitude towards spin bowling and its place in the game. Keshav Maharaj took up the baton and made history with his hat-trick in St Lucia.
How Romelu Lukaku has shamed sceptics – and racists
The Belgian has endured criticism and abuse, some of it owing to his skin colour, but he has risen above it to become one of the world’s best strikers and a valued voice in the fight against racism.
Covid-19 claims sprinting legend Milkha Singh
Having lived through the trauma of violence during India’s partition, the revered athlete came to symbolise what it means to run for one’s survival and to win against all odds.
Power struggles threaten football in Pakistan
Desperate footballers have pleaded with the warring factions in Pakistan’s football federation to put players and supporters’ interests ahead of their egos.
Can Test cricket be saved from the Big Three?
Test cricket is broken because India, England and Australia, who dominate the format, eat alone at the main table while other Test-playing nations compete for crumbs. Can the World Test Championship change this?
Government drops the ball with sport in rural areas
The lack of adequate sporting facilities and financial support to participate in tournaments does not only limit children’s athletic potential, it also affects their relationship with sport.
Kenneth Kaunda, the football-loving president
The late former president loved and promoted football during his 27 years in power, but the beautiful game would also become the platform Zambians used to show they had had enough of his rule.
Sport, the media and mental wellbeing
Players and journalists are necessarily intertwined, but there have to be more considerate and respectful ways to bring the game to spectators.