TUESDAY, 1.00PM:
THE National Olympic Committee of South Africa (Nocsa) and the Netherlands signed a co-operation agreement in Johannesburg on Monday.
Nocsa secretary general Dan Moyo said the agreement will help South Africa’s preparations for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. “The agreement covers both elitist and developmental aspects of Olympism, with special coaching clinics in South Africa and participation opportunities for our codes in Holland,” he said.
He said Holland are the Olympic champions in field hockey, men’s volleyball, mountain cycling and rowing and are one of the world’s top footballing nations. “The expertise that has gone into these achievements will now be available to us,” he said. The South African and Nertherlands’ goverenments will sign a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday.
SPORT BRIEFS
RILEY PIPS PENNY SOUTH AFRICAN Olympic gold medallist Penny Heyns finished second after clocking 1min 08,65sec in the 100m breaststroke final in the Pan Pacifc swimming championships at Fukuoka in Japan on Monday. Australia’s Samantha Riley clocked 1min 07,81sec to win the race.
WAYNE BEATS PAIN SOUTH AFRICA’S Wayne Ferreira beat Australia’s Michael Tebbutt 6-4 6-3 in the first round of the $1-million RCA Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana on Monday. Ferreira, who played with a painful ankle, said: “I didn’t come here with much hopes this week. I’m not in the shape that I want to be in, there is still some pain from the ankle.”
Another South African, Marcus Ondruska, lost to Australian Jason Stoltenberg 6-2 7-6 (7/4).
HEADLINE HERE ADRIAN KUIPER was on Monday appointed captain of the South African cricket team to play in this year’s Hong Kong Sixes cricket tournament from September 27 to 28.
SOUTH AFRICAN squad: Adrian Kuiper (captain), Herschelle Gibbs, Dean Laing, Bradley Player, Roger Telemachus, Derek Crooks and manager Ray Mali.
SA BOXERS IN WBA RANKINGS SEVEN South African boxers appear in the latest Top 20 ratings of the World Boxing Association. Number one on the the list is American-based heavyweight Frans Botha — top contender for Evander Holyfield’s title. Corrie Sanders is ranked two notches behind Botha.
Other boxers are: Super middleweight Giovanni Pretorius (3), welterweight Peter Malinga (11), bantamweight Mbulelo Botile (5), featherweight November Ntshingila (6), and mini-flyweight Lindi Memani (11).