Indoor facility to drive cricket development
In a major stride toward enhancing sport in Boksburg, Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen unveiled the Bateleurs Multisport Centre, which blends sport and recreation, on April 8.
Situated in the heart of the school, the indoor facility was donated by the Bateleurs NPO, a group of Boksburg businessmen who have joined forces to erect infrastructure in the community and the school.
'A huge word of thanks to the Bateleurs. They want to enhance schools in Boksburg, especially EG Jansen so that our children won't have to leave Ekurhuleni to get schooling in other areas,' said cricket director Andrew Nel.
While the facility will mainly be used for cricket development, with one-on-one and net sessions with professional coaches, its importance to the school is underlined by its multipurpose function.
'It will also host cultural and social functions. It's also a netball court which we can use in case of bad weather. For hockey, the idea is to add an Astro in the future,' explained Nel.
Also Read: Woodlands embarks on R25m sport facility project
Cricket academy
Nel dreams of the school and Bateleurs Centre becoming a cricket hub for Boksburg to enhance the sport in the community and develop players from pre-school to high school.
'We are building a cricket programme and this centre is the pinnacle point of that programme to give cricket an injection within the broader community. EG Jansen is already involved in outreach programmes with communities like Geluksdal on the cricketing side. We want to become a hub for Boksburg and Ekurhuleni,' Nel said.
Nel previously served as the cricket head at Hoërskool Marais Viljoen in Alberton. Under his guidance, the school produced U19 junior internationals Dewan Marais and Ashleigh van Wyk, who represented SA at the ICC U19 World Cup and ICC Women's T20 World Cup, respectively.
'We want to enhance cricket in Boksburg. From 16:00 to 20:00, it will be opened to the whole community to get involved.'
Also Read: Batting coach praises school's new indoor facility
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Support Boksburg Advertiser's ‘Be a Sport' Mandela Month Drive.
There's still time for the community to get behind the Boksburg Advertiser's Be a Sport initiative this Mandela Month. Residents are encouraged to donate new or gently used sporting equipment to help uplift under-resourced clubs, schools, and NPOs in the community. Donation boxes are located at: Caxton Local Media, 20 Sydney Road, Ravenswood; Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen (Die Kragstasie) and Laerskool Concordia (security gate). If your club, school, or organisation would like to benefit from the items collected, send an email to taylas@ Also Read: #BeASport: Get those donations of sports equipment in! Also Read: Be a Sport! We need all that sports equipment you no longer use! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The South African
27-05-2025
- The South African
South African Rayno Nel makes history as 'World's Strongest Man'
South Africa has a new sporting hero. Rayno Nel, a 30-year-old former rugby player from Bloemfontein, has just been crowned the World's Strongest Man. This victory marks a historic first—not only for South Africa but for the entire African continent and the southern hemisphere. Nel's triumph in Sacramento stunned the strongman world. In his debut at the World's Strongest Man final, he edged out defending champion Tom Stoltman by a razor-thin margin of just 0.5 points. The final event, the legendary Atlas Stones, saw Nel load the fourth stone mere fractions of a second ahead of his rivals, according to Good Things Guy. This clutch performance sealed his victory with a final score of 47 to Stoltman's 46.5. Canada's Mitchell Hooper finished third with 43.5 points. Nel's journey to global dominance is nothing short of remarkable. Born in Upington and raised in the rugby heartland of Bloemfontein, he played rugby for the Central University of Technology and the Free State Cheetahs. After retiring from rugby in 2019 to work as an electrical engineer, Nel discovered strongman competitions in 2023. He quickly made his mark, winning South Africa's Strongest Man twice and claiming Africa's Strongest Man titles in 2023 and 2024. He also dominated the 2024 Strongman Champions League season, becoming the world series champion. At the 2025 World's Strongest Man finals, Nel wasted no time making his presence felt. On Day 1, he won the opening KNAACK Carry & Hoist and placed second in both the 18-inch deadlift and the Hercules Hold. These results gave him a commanding lead of roughly seven points going into Day 2. Although Stoltman fought back with wins in the later events, Nel's early cushion proved decisive. Nel said, 'To represent South Africa in any way whatsoever feels surreal. We're a small country with many struggles, so this means so much to my people.' He added with a smile, 'I couldn't enjoy my favourite Black Label lager here in California, so I'll have to try American beer tonight.' The reaction back home was electric. South Africans from Cape Town to Johannesburg flooded social media with pride. The official South African Government Twitter account congratulated Nel, tweeting: 'HISTORY MADE! Congratulations to Rayno Nel, Africa's first-ever World's Strongest Man champion!' Nel's win is more than just a personal achievement. It's a beacon of hope and a symbol of possibility for South Africa's 'rainbow nation.' He is proof that with determination and hard work, even the strongest titles in sport are within reach. Nel remains humble and hungry. 'My strength came up fast, and I'm still improving,' he said. South Africa can now celebrate not just a champion, but a legend in the making. The world has taken notice—and so has the whole of Mzansi. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
eNCA
22-05-2025
- eNCA
World's strongest man champion aims to grow strength sport in SA
JOHANNESBURG - The world's strongest man is back on home soil and says he now wants to use all his power to help grow the sport in South Africa. Rayno Nel arrived back in the country, after he became the first South African to claim this world title. The 30-year old, originally from Upington in the Northern Cape, shocked friend and foe alike when he won the World Strongest Man-competition in California. What makes the former rugby player's achievement even more significant is that he only started competing in the sport in the last two years. And this past weekend he had to compete against the world's top strongmen. Before focusing on his next move in the sport Nel wants to spend some quality time with his new wife - he got married just two months ago. By: Percivale Young
