Chairman`s Corner - The Wanderers Club

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May 2013 Newsletter
Chairman’s Corner
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the
sails.” William A. Ward
It‟s AGM time again!!!
Please make an effort to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Club which will be held on Monday 3
June and which will start promptly at 6pm, as there are a number of issues the Club is currently dealing
with and we will be providing updates on these issues at the AGM as well as dealing with the more
mundane but nevertheless important stuff.
From a personal point of view my upcoming 300th league hockey game for the Club (Sunday 2 June)
while not being as epic as the movie “300” depicting the heroic defense by 300 Spartans of the narrow
pass of Thermopylae for 3 days against a vast Persian army in 480 BCE, feels like a pretty epic milestone
to me.
Reaching a milestone tends to encourage reflection and nostalgia for how it was in the “old days” but alas,
I am no longer 24, and these days my body isn‟t shy in letting me know.
While I have had great times and made fantastic friends in my 24 years of playing league hockey in Cape
Town and Johannesburg, which I wouldn‟t change for anything, the reality is starting to set in that it‟s not
going to last forever…
I have often joked that the most stressful thing about being the Chairman of the Club is writing this
column for the newsletter every month. While I willingly took on the roles and responsibility of the
Chairmanship when the Committee asked me to do the job last year I was secretly hoping that I could get
someone to ghost write this column for me each month. As a Chartered Accountant and a SARS official I
hardly have much of a background in creative writing…
I look forward to seeing you at the AGM on Monday night.
Antony
Membership Corner
Restaurant News
Some words of praise from a very grateful member
Dear Charlmein
“Words cannot express our gratitude for the magnificent lunch and service we experienced recently at The
Wanderers for our mom, Annie Friedman's 90th birthday celebration. The food and service was impeccable, and
we had a wonderful event with Tembo and Selina assisting us diligently throughout the afternoon. They were
very professional and could not do enough for us. The food was incredible and all our family extended hearty
congratulations to Granny Annie for selecting such a fabulous venue.
It was a very special event for us all, 21 of our closest family members flew in from England, Zurich, California,
Dallas, Atlanta and of course Johannesburg. We had not gathered together in the same room for at least 32
years. How special for Granny Annie!
Thank you also for organizing the beautiful birthday cake - we will all truly carry this special memory in our
hearts forever.
You are the best, and we loved working together with you - You are an inspiration!
Best wishes from our whole family.
Denise & Frank Rindsberg, Mervyn and Andy Druian and Joel Druian and extended families"
__________________________________________
Wanderers Club - Club Blazer
We have managed to source a local tailor to make up blazers for members and he is at present trying to
source an appropriate badge for the blazer pocket. The material for the blazers should be available
shortly and it is hoped that the first jacket will be made in time for the AGM.
Should you be interested in purchasing a Wanderers Club blazer, please contact
[email protected]
Wanderers Walkers In Action
Wanderers Walkers in the Medals at the SA Champs & The SA Masters
Kevin Phillips (pictured below) won a silver medal at Pretoria. On April 26th and 27th, Kevin won 2 Gold
medals at the recent South African Masters Athletics Championships held in Oudtshoorn. He did a
Personal Best time in the M45-49 5000m in a time of 24:58. The following day in the 10km Road Walk
he led the field and finished with another Personal Best time of 51:47. These are both times that make
him eligible for South African National colours in Masters Athletics.
Barbara Nell (on the left) who is one of the Wanderers Walking Coaches and Janet Goodman, who were both
supporting our athletes at Pilditch Stadium.
Ray Patterson races in the 60-64 age group and won a gold medal on the day. He recently topped his season
at the National South African Masters Athletics Championships (Oudtshoorn April 26th & 27th) with a win
and a Season‟s best 5000m in a time of 27:20. The next day he set a new National 60-64 years 10km Road
Walk record of 57:10.
Lisa Patterson in Pretoria where she won Gold in her age group (5000m W30-34). At the Nationals in
April, Lisa also won gold medals and did Personal Best times in both her races. She did 29:27 in her
5000m and 61:27 in her 10km Road Walk.
Other results from SA Masters Athletics Championships on April 26th and 27th in Oudtshoorn:
Lesley van Buuren did a National Record time Women 50-54 for her 10km Road Walk in a time of
52:26. The previous record was 52:49 which was held jointly by another Wanderers Walker Maria
Ghisleni. Lesley was the Gold medallist in her age group and the 1st Woman overall in the 10km.
Monica Risk won 2 Gold Medals in the W55-59. They were both Seasons‟ Best times for Monica. Her
5000m time was 29:22 and her 10km Road Walk time was 61:50.
Hildegard Vey won both her races also bringing home 2 gold medals in the Women 70-74. Both her times
were also Season‟s Bests. Her 5000m time was 33:57 and her 10km time was 69:10.
Hildegard Vey, Lisa Patterson & Monica Risk
Wanderers Athletes brought home 11 Gold medals from this competition! We are very proud of everyone.
Much dedication and hard work has been done to achieve such fantastic results.
From left to right – Kevin Phillips, Monica Risk, Bernadette Davies, Lisa Patterson, Mthunzi Mnisi,
Ray Patterson, Bles Kavai, Lesley van Buuren.
SA National Senior Championships held at Stellenbosch on April 13th
Lesley van Buuren at the age of 51 competed against a field of mostly 20 year olds and won the Bronze
Medal at our National Athletic Championships. In the 20km Road Walk she improved her 20km time by 7
minutes by finishing in a Personal Best time of 1: 45:57. This is a new national record for Women 50-54
and she broke the previous record by 3 minutes. Our heartiest congratulations to Lesley!
Athletics
Ironman 2013
by Catherine Egner
April 14 2013 was the day that I would be participating in my 2nd Ironman in Port Elizabeth South Africa. As always
the anxiety and nerves start building from at least a week before increasing exponentially until you are on the
beach with at 06:00 in the morning with 1800 other Ironman competitors listening to the beating of the drums and
after singing the national anthem with your stomach in your mouth and goose bumps all over your body the gun
goes off and the race has started.
I generally ease into the water to avoid the infamous washing machine effect of all the swimmers rounding the
buoys at the same time. It is calm at the back of the pack on the swim and you have the added advantage of
dedicated life guards.
The swim was a walk in the park compared to the choppy conditions we experienced in Ironman 2012; the water
was a pleasant 20 odd degrees with about a two meter swell. The trick with a big swell is to do a 2 stroke breath to
avoid feeling sick from the wave movement. The first lap of 1.9km went well roughly 50 minutes exactly what I was
aiming for, it’s always hard to come out after the first lap to run the U shaped path surrounded by spectators and
friends and family to have to then go back in the water for another 1.9km lap but at least you know it is the last
one. We were told at the end of the race that there were dolphins swimming with us, probably better that we
didn’t see them – we might have thought they were SHARKS!!
It was 50 minutes for lap 2 making it 1hr42 in total with 40 minutes to spare on the cut off of 2hr20...
I think for most people or certainly for myself finishing the swim is a big milestone. To me it is the first time in the
race where I say to myself ‘this is possible’.
I normally take it easy in T1 so that the stomach can settle. It’s nice to dry off properly and get your cycling kit on;
you want to make sure you have everything you need. This is normally the longer of the 2 transitions. I picked up
my bike and off I went telling myself again and again ‘Three laps that’s all’ The first 10km of the lap is great , there
are lots of supports which keeps your mind off what you are actually doing. It took a good 20 – 30km for my legs to
warm up after the swim.
About 30 km of the cycle lap is inland, not too many supporters so it’s good alone time, due to the strict non
drafting rules it’s almost impossible to talk to anyone so for me it was over seven hours of ‘alone time’. There was
however something to look forward to look forward to each lap and that was coming back into town along marine
drive, there are hundreds of supporters shouting for you but best of all was seeing my support team all dressed in
the same bright shirts and caps labeled Team H&C standing for Team Heather and Catherine. Heather was my
training partner – we went on this journey together. There are so many supporters so it’s always a good idea to
have your supporters in a specific colour that stands out to easily identify them in the crowds.
So my first lap was done, two more to go only 120km left, after giving a big wave and high five on the go to my dad,
stepmom, wonderful husband and the rest of the team H&C gang I headed off. I remember seeing a man ironing
his cloths on the road cheering as we went past – I thought that was a nice touch of humour. It’s always nice to
smile and thank the supporters the race wouldn’t be what it is without that massive supporter energy. At the
turnaround you head back to the coast and ride roughly 20km along the ocean this is the most beautiful part of the
race it is quiet, clean and has the fresh smell and feel of the ocean. It is nice and cool along this stretch as you
prepare to head back to town.
I had a quick stop to chat to the Team H&C supporters and eat some power bar before heading out for the last and
final lap, only 60km to go!! I was feeling a little nauseous at that time probably still from drinking water on the
swim. I don’t normally eat much on the cycle or run so I make sure I finish both my juice bottles, one of which had
eight scoops of Hammer Perpetuem in it, it has a texture of watered down porridge – yum yum. This fills me up
sufficiently; I also eat Woolworths soft chews on the cycle to keep the sugar levels up. When my second water
bottle is empty I stop and fill it up with water and rehydrate, I have at least 4 rehydrates during the course of the
race.
On my final lap of the cycle I made sure to thank the supporters and tell them how happy I was that I wouldn’t see
then again – they all laughed. The man with the ironing board was still ironing on the road – that’s dedication!! I
took in the scenery for the last time as I headed back to town there is always that final bend on the ocean road
when you see the university and you know you are only 10km away from completing the 180km cycle.
Catherine Egner
All that was left now was an easy 42.2km trot. It was already after 16:00 so the sun was going down; it was nice and
cool so no need for a hat or sunglasses. My aim is always to run the first 21km of the Ironman marathon. I set off at
a good pace chasing Heather who was now 8 minutes ahead of me. The best thing about getting to the run is that
you can finally speak to your fellow competitors. I kept a good 6.5min/km average pace eating Enervit tablets every
45 minutes. I finally caught Heather at 16km it was wonderful catching up with her and chatting about her
experience so far, this was her first Ironman.
We continued to push ourselves to 21km and then started the walk run routine, run 2 light posts walk 1. It is always
nice to have company on the run especially around the university as there aren’t as many buildings or supporters as
Marine drive and as the sun sets it gets quite dark out there. As I passed fellow competitors that I knew I gave them
a high fives on the go. It is this point in the race when you know for sure you will finish this race and be an Ironman.
We went past transition for our third and final lap, only 14km to go, for each lap you get a band for your arm, you
start to get very envious of competitors who already have three whilst you only have one as you know they are
almost done and you still have a long way to go, nevertheless you keep moving forward.
Still doing the Ironman shuffle with Heather we stopped to chat to our support team and they told us that they had
walked 21km during the course of the race; they had been awake since 05:00 am and had been on their feet for 13
hours. There is something special about an Ironman supporter – you cannot do this race without them. They are
the people that you look so forward to seeing on each lap and they pick you up at the finish line when your legs
can’t take you any further. They stand for hours in the sun and then cold waiting to see you for those few minutes
as you pass by. They deserve their own medals for everything they go through to get us through this race.
We knew when we left them at 32km that the next time we would see them would be the finish line. I was so full of
energy that any opportunity I had if there was a good song playing I would do a little dance and sing. We chatted to
fellow competitors anyone that wanted to keep their minds off the pain and listen to us.
With 2km to go we coordinated how we would go through the finish line. I would go first then Heather would
follow me a minute later. It was at this point that Kevin Garwood passed us with Nikki in the jogger. Nikki has
Cerebral Palsy and Kevin his father, a strong and incredible man completed the entire race with Nikki in tow, such
an amazing achievement. Heather and I were both very emotional at this stage and shouted words of support and
congratulations as they went by.
I headed off towards the finish line, just before the right turn into the finish my dad and stepmom stood to give me
one final high five on the go as I made the final turn onto the red carpet. I could hear the crowd cheering and my
name being called out. I saw Sean my husband standing on the side cheering for me; it was so wonderful seeing
him at the finish. I did a little dance on the carpet before heading up the ramp to the finish line. That is when they
say the words you have been waiting to hear through months of early mornings and long training weekends and
after 15 hours being on your feet on the day “Catherine, you are an Ironman”
Badminton
Wanderers‟ badminton section would like to warmly welcome the following new members:
Henning, Simon, Kieren, Estha, Caroline, Yoann, Winston and Roger.
Wanderers were the main supporters of the recent Southern Gauteng Badminton Associations‟ Special
General Meeting and were recipients of their colour scrolls and certificates for representation at various
levels.
Linda Hampton recently captained the Southern Gauteng Masters team in Robertson. She and her partner
won the Ladies Doubles title and she was selected to represent South Africa against Denmark later this
year. She was also the recipient of the Sportswoman award. Well done Linda.
A fun evening is scheduled for the 28th May. Please be sure to support our social committee in their
efforts.
Wednesday evenings will be available for social practice except for league nights. Please come down and
support.
Hockey
The 2013 winter hockey season is now in full swing with all the age-groups from the 4 year old minis, the
u15 and u17 girls and boys Colts, the more „social‟ and Premier league players, the younger masters plus
the grand masters guys all practicing and playing matches every week on our Astroturf.
Our SGHA league results so far have been very good and also “not so good” as the season progresses.
Our men‟s 1st team is still unbeaten so far and looks good to take the Premier league honours again this
year.
Since the SGHA started playing most of the leagues on Astroturf it has caused teams to request many
more postponements than in the days when we all played on grass fields and when all leagues were played
on Sunday mornings from 08h30 until 12h30. In order to fit in all the games on Astro, as there are far
fewer surfaces than on grass it has meant that leagues are played on Saturdays afternoons from 12h45 until
18h30 and Sundays all day often as late as 18h30 as well as certain weekday nights after 18h00. So yes to
a certain extent it has taken away a life style of family get-togethers, functions and outings, Sunday roast
lunches, Mother‟s Day parties etc. In order to cope with the players who cannot always play for their
teams due to the above events and also job commitments we have larger squads at Wanderers to help
solve the problem of finding enough players to fill a team to play each week. However even with the
larger squads the teams are sometimes short of players for a game and need to ask SGHA for a
postponement.
Whilst Astroturf is truly the only way to play „modern hockey‟ it has also taken a lot away. The Astro
surface is so much harder than natural grass as underneath the carpet there are layers of hard ground,
concrete and thick rubber. I personally believe that a modern hockey player‟s career will be quite a lot
shorter on Astro as compared to that of grass, and that the injuries in time will be more severe than they
were on grass. The game on Astro has changed the way one plays hockey and requires great skill; it‟s so
much faster and is far more challenging to a player than the days of grass fields.
Milestone for Antony!
This coming Sunday 2nd June at 08h15 at the Wanderers Astroturf Antony Cohen celebrates his 300th
league game for Wanderers.
Antony joined the Club 19 years ago and has played every year during that period. During his time at the
Club he has captained his team with much enthusiasm and has been a mentor to the many younger players
who were starting out in his team, some improving and moving up to play in the higher leagues. Not only
has he played hockey for the Club but has also been involved in many aspect of its development over that
period. He has been on the hockey committee and has looked after its finances with caution and care.
We wish him another 300 games at Wanderers; after all he is still a young man!
Mini-hockey Tournament at Wanderers on Saturday 25th May.
Below is a full report from our Mini-hockey co-ordinator Christine de la Harpe who we would like to
thank for all the time and hard work she put into making this tournament the best we have had so far.
THANK YOU Christine!
Wendy B Cooke
WANDERERS MINI-HOCKEY TOURNAMENT 2013 – SATURDAY 25 MAY
Mini-hockey is alive and well in Johannesburg. We hosted seven of the clubs (Wanderers, Crusaders,
Hooked on Hockey, Beaulieu, Benoni, Khosa and Old Parks) and saw 1500 children play hockey
throughout the day. This creates quite a crowd as many of the children bring their local fan club in the
form of friends, parents and grandparents.
We introduced a new format this year whereby the u/5-u/11 age groups play 4 to 5 games in the morning.
Each game is 20 minutes and this year the u/11 girls got a chance to play on the astro. We entered 12
teams in the tournament. No results are kept, but we are very proud that our teams win the majority of
their games and more importantly exhibit excellent sportsmanship on and off the field. Our tournament
continued into the afternoon when our u/13 teams arrived and played on all four grass pitches.
We entered four teams into this event and games ended just as the sunset. A successful day for all hockey
players at the Wanderers Club.
It was fantastic to see our 2 senior Ladies sides at the event. They were there to feed us. Thank you to the
Ladies 4th side (The Pixies) for providing delicious cupcakes and true to form dressing for the occasion.
Thank you to the ladies 3rd side who cooked up a storm and set up an all-time record for the selling of
bacon rolls using 1 skottle gas braai.
The mini-hockey coaches give of their time weekly to assist with skills training on a Saturday morning.
Due to the skills of the coaches, the level of hockey at Wanderers continues to improve. The coaches
afford each child the opportunity to participate equally in games and participation is not dependent on
ability. Well done to the players, coaches and managers of the teams for your enthusiasm and excellent
organisation.
Christine when she is not on the hockey field!
This was my 6th year of being involved in this event and I must thank the staff at the Wanderers Club. It
was a very smooth process and the Hockey section really appreciates the assistance before and on the day.
Wendy Cooke continues to be the rock of the Hockey section. Thank you my friend, your quiet work
behind the scenes is so appreciated.
Christine de la Harpe - Mini-Hockey Coordinator
Karate
Wanderers Karate offers classes every day, Monday to Thursday, for children and adults. We have
introduced a class for high school children (Grades 8 to 12) every Tuesday and Thursday evening from
17h45 to 18h30. Our successful ladies self-defence class continues every Tuesday, Thursday and
Friday morning from 08h00 to 09h00. We welcome all beginners and those who have trained before.
For more information, please contact Sensei Johan la Grange (6th Dan) on 082 825 9318 or
Margie on 083 414 0508 or visit www.karategauteng.co.za for the full training schedule.
Tennis
SUNDAY MORNING SOCIAL
All players keen for tennis on Sunday morning are welcome to join Jose De Freitas from 9.30am
onwards. You can contact Jo on 083 395 7425.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON SOCIAL
We are always pleased to host new members and visitors. Don‟t let doubt about your strength hold you
back. If you are not up to scratch we will inform you and introduce you to our resident coach to bring you
to the right level. For information contact John Galatis (082 4516326 or [email protected]) or Howard
Espley-Jones (082 564 7745 or [email protected]).
THURSDAY EVENING SOCIAL – 12 FLOODLIT COURTS
All 12 courts are now floodlit so more players can be accommodated at our Thursday evening social
tennis. Roll up and enjoy floodlight tennis.
TENNIS COACHING
For all age groups from the very young beginners to the very old experienced. Phone Wanderers Tennis
Academy and speak to Howard Espley-Jones at 082 564 7745 or get him on email at
[email protected]
Rugby
WANDERERS HAVE MIXED FORTUNES IN THE PIRATES GRAND CHALLENGE
The under 21 and 3rds took to the fields at 13:15 on Saturday 27th May at Lonsdale to take on Raiders.
Unfortunately the u21 had another loss, 0-74 with half-time at 0-31.
The 3rds could not keep up the impressive display of last week and went down fighting 10-27 with half
time being 10-22. Try scorers were wing Brett Sheath and lock Jonathon Marshall.
The under 19 and 3rds then kicked off at 14:40.
The under19 lost 3-46. Half-time was 3-29.
The seconds went down 16-33 with half time at 6-21. Flanker Kent Sheppard scored the only try which
was converted by full back Grant Wilcox who was also successful with 3 penalties.
The final game took place at 16:00 when the 1sts took to the field. This game was lost by Wanderers 4556. At half time it was 19-37. Try scorers were lock Stuart Prior with 2, centre and captain Richard
Aingworth, substitute Macduf Ramolahlei, wing Kagiso Kwapeng, and substitute Jonny Mallett also with
a brace of tries. Full back James sharp converted 2 tries, substitute Andrew Thomson also converted one
try as did Richard Aingworth.
The players showed a lot of character in the second half, but could not get the win.
On Saturday the 4th May we hosted Union. The u19's lost 3-34 (3-17). Flyhalf M Fraser scored the penalty.
The u21's won 27-10 (10-5). Try scorers were P Maphutha, S Somdyala, M Mabule, S Mathebula, and
R Viera was successful with 2 conversions and 1 penalty.
The 3rds won 27-7(15-7). Try scorers were L Mngadi, B Mgaga, B Sheath while G Wilcox kicked 2
conversions and 1 penalty.
The 2nds won 25-7 (8-0). Try scorers were S Mgaga, M Ramolahlei, K Dutton, with N Gerber putting a
penalty and a conversion over the poles.
The 1sts lost 28-30(21-10). Try scorers were K Sheppard, J van der Vyver, R Aingworth, W Flanagan
while C Kollerick was successful with all 4 conversions.
Wanderers then travelled to UJ on Saturday 18th May. It was not good for the Chiefs as far as results go –
the u19's lost 0-107 as did the u21's 0-105. The 3rds lost 5-36 with Winger Sizwe Dila getting the solitary
try. The 2nds lost 10-75.Mike Groom crossed over for a try while Sheldon Thorp was successful with the
conversion and also a penalty.
The firsts also lost their encounter 52-24(17-19). With about 20 minutes to go the Wanderers were still in
the reckoning but could not hold out. Try scorers were Dylan Rutherford, Kagiso 'May' Kwapeng, and
Kent Sheppard. Craig Kollerick was on target with all 3 conversions.
On a balmy Friday evening (24th April) the u19 &u21 took on Diggers at Kent Park.
Although playing well the Chiefs u19 lost their encounter 3-36. Flyhalf Jason Cunningham kicked the
solitary penalty.
When the u21‟s took to the field, it was a different story. They were victorious by 55-0 (half time 17-0).
They scored 9 tries in the process. Flanker Stones Somdyala was nominated as man of the match. Try
scorers included Eric Mdlulu, Capt Slade Buchner, Stones Somdyala, Juvan Swart, and Ricardo Viera was
successful with 3 conversions, and Slade Buchner with 2.
On a hot Saturday afternoon it was the turn of the seniors.
Noticeable spectators were ex-Wanderers, Tvl and Springbok wing Syd Nomis as well as Kevin de Klerk
and Tony de Munnik of the Golden Jilons executive.
The 3rds set the tone with a fine win of 42-0 (half time 14-0). Try scorers were flank Mark Green, wing
Sizwe Dila, fly-half and captain Grant Wilcox, sub. Flank Charl Victor, sub full back Guy Erasmus. Grant
was also successful with all 6 conversions. Lock and Vice-captain Herman Brauer was named as man of
the match.
The 2nds then also won their encounter by 59-0 (half time 45-0). Try scorer were wing Macduf
Ramolahlei, lock Kevin Johnstone with a hat trick, centre Njabulo Zulu, scrum half Sheldon Thorp, wing
Buntu Obose, 8th man Chad Buchner, lock Eben Engelbrecht, while Sheldon kicked 7 conversions. Kevin
Johnstone was the 2nds man of the match for his hard work.
The 1sts then made it 4 out of 5 with a 63-6 (half time 39-6) win. Try scorers were centre Peter Hemsley
with 3, 8th man Jonny Mallett, flank Geoff Wood, centre Darren Rentzke, front ranker Kgolo Matseke,
wing Kagisp Kwapeng with a brace, scrum half Wesley Flanagan. Fly half Craig Kollerick kicked 3
conversions, full back Richard Aingworth kicked one over. Geoff Wood was made man of the match.
Wanderers travel to Roodepoort either on Friday (31st May) evening or Saturday (1st June) afternoon to
take on the Roodepoort Rugby Club
The Wanderers Rugby sub -club would also like to thank all their sponsors so far – Mantis Security, Store
for More, Sive Ray, Opal sports, Experian, plus all those who have assisted.
Pat Lynch
Snooker
The Central Gauteng Snooker Association League fixtures are running smoothly and the season is now
close to the halfway mark. At this stage “The Undertakers”, consisting of Fakhrie Gierdien and Hugo
Lotriet, have taken a commanding lead in the team standings, while Fakhrie Gierdien still tops the
individual standings comfortably. The Ken Shaw Open Championships was played in Sasolburg in April
over two consecutive weekends, with the finals happening on the 20th of April 2013. This is the premier
individual event on the Highveld region Snooker calendar and after some very tough matches it was the
two finalists from last year who battled it out yet again in the final match. In a repeat of last year‟s result,
it was defending champion Fakhrie Gierdien from Central Gauteng and Wanderers Club who
convincingly beat Munier Cassim from Gauteng North 5-0 to claim the title for the umpteenth time.
Congratulations yet again on a sparkling performance.
The CGSA 6 Red Championships was played from 22-25 April this year and with Fakhrie having to
withdraw from the Quarter final stages due to work commitments in another province, it left the door open
for the rest of the players to show what they are capable of. After two closely contested semifinals that
both went the distance, it was Mike Hines and Craig Heath who made it through to the final of the main
event, while Mark Lau and Mukesh Dayah played in the final of the Plate event. Craig put up a brave
fight, but it was Mike Hines who ran out 6-3 victor in the end, while Mukesh Dayah claimed the Plate title
by the same margin. Well done to both these players.
The South African 6 Red Championships took place in Durban from 9-11 May, while the South African
Open Championships was played from 11-18 May, also in Durban. Since the two events were played so
close together, it was difficult for a lot of players to take so much leave from work. As a result we did not
have a lot of entries in the 6 Red event.
For CGSA it was only Mike Hines who progressed to the quarter finals where he lost 4-5 to the eventual
finalist, Johnny Sideratos from Western Province. The final was eventually won by Mutalieb Ali who beat
Johnny 7-5 in the final, after having been runner-up in the event the year before.
In the SA Open Championships, however, Central Gauteng had 5 players who qualified for the Last 32
and three of them succeeded in making it through to the quarter finals of this prestigious event.
Congratulations to Fakhrie Gierdien, Mike Hines and Segren Naidoo for achieving this high level of
success in the event. Unfortunately the draw panned out with Fakhrie and Mike having to play against
each other in the quarter finals and this saw Fakhrie going on and progressing all the way to the final of
the main event. In the final he came up against Mutalieb Alie, who came fresh from winning the 6 Red
title and who had been runner-up twice in this event through the years.
Mutalieb came out firing, but it was Fakhrie who fought back bravely and displayed some remarkable
potting skills as he came from behind in a number of frames to race to a commanding 6-1 lead. Mutalieb
managed to claw one back after a very good clearance in the next frame, but it was Fakhrie who was
simply too strong on the day, winning the final 7-2 to claim the title of South African Snooker Champion
for 2013. Well done and congratulations to Fakhrie for winning this prestigious event. You have made
Central Gauteng and Wanderers Club extremely proud.
We will be making our selection soon for the Walker and Ibinson Cup events that will be played during
the second week of June. The Walker Cup is the interprovincial team event of the Highveld Region
provinces, while the Ibinson Cup is the equivalent event for the B-teams of each province. Since we have
won the Walker Cup for the past four years and also re-claimed the Ibinson Cup last year, we have a
couple of titles to defend, so we need to put our best possible teams forward. Good luck guys. We wish
you all the best in your defense of the titles.
I will be bringing you the results of these and other events as the 2013 season progresses.
Yours in Snooker
Hugo Lotriet
Bowls
Hi All
Another month on and lots has happened.
On the good side we have has a wonderful result in the Nationals. Bobby Donnelly is the National Men’s Singles
Champion. Shawn Nell and Dylan Stafford received the Silver medal for coming second in the Men’s Open Pairs
having just been edged out (luck?) on the last bowl of the day. Hearty congratulations to all you gentlemen, you
made us proud! There were a number of entries and to all who took part – well done irrespective of the result.
There were also a couple of “war stories” which would just take too much time to retell – so ask your mates.
Also each and every weekend the TABS has grown stronger with more people participating. On the last Saturday
of the month we had two full greens. Please make every effort to attend as TABS is the basis of the game and
from where league teams and the like are chosen – bowlers are obliged as part of their membership to attend
twelve sessions per year. Included in this is credit for call-up by district or higher and duties such as officiating at
for example JBA tournaments. More about tabs later…
We have on the bad side also had some incidents where there has been unsportsmanlike and unseemly behaviour
both on and off the green. May I remind you that a disciplinary committee is in existence and action is taken
when complaints are received. My message to all is “please be polite, friendly and competitive all at the same
time”. Have a look at this photograph from two weeks ago – how’s that for enthusiasm?
As mentioned in the announcements one Saturday please note that complaints and suggestions are always
welcome but they need to be put in writing to the committee. General conversation just won’t do and will not be
acted upon. Ensure that you can back up your letter or e-mail with a willingness to participate in the course of
action you suggest.
Also announced was that we would confirm a “calendar” of events, and do a regrading for TABS. To this end the
committee has agreed that every 1st and 3rd weekend of the month, both on Saturday afternoon and Sunday
morning and Public Holidays TABS would be Mixed Men and Ladies. All other weekends will be separate Mens and
Ladies. The final rule is that everyone will get to play even if there are an uneven number of, say, ladies, as we
will accommodate such into a men’s game. This starts on 1st and 2nd, 15th 16th and 17th June being Mixed.
Separate ladies and men’s TABS grading committees will be formed for grading and once that is complete they will
sit together for a final perusal and adjustment. Ronnie Grek and Lynne Levine will initiate this process. We will
also appoint a lady/s to the TABS room to assist. We also wish to co-opt some ladies onto the committee.
After an incident when there was an afternoon where there was no green available, we have confirmed that there
will always be at least on green open every day.
Lastly – we are looking at uplifting the look and feel of the bowlers lounge with some new furniture and a coat of
paint. I look forward to a brighter bowling future 
Yours in Bowling
Richard
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