Latest news with #AfricanGames
IOL News
01-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Sam Ramsamy celebrates Kirsty Coventry's historic IOC presidency: A milestone for gender equality in sport
Sam Ramsamy in a recent interaction with newly appointed IOC head, Kirsty Coventry and the former head of the organisation, Thomas Bach SAM Ramsamy, South Africa's life honorary member and former executive board member of the International Olympic Committee, was present for the changing of the guard when Kirsty Coventry became the first woman IOC president. Coventry's statement-making appointment for gender equality in sports leadership happened in Lausanne, Switzerland, last week. She is a two-time Olympic gold medal winner in swimming and a previous Zimbabwean Youth, Sports Arts and Recreation minister, who has also become the first African to take up the IOC's top position. The 41-year-old Coventry's 8-year reign began on June 23, on the 131st birthday of the Olympic movement, has a total of seven Olympic medals (2 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze) to her name. She took over from German Thomas Bach, who led the IOC since 2013. Given his long association with Coventry, Ramsamy was certain that the IOC's running will go swimmingly with her at the helm. 'Having served as Minister of Sport in Zimbabwe, I am certain that it has given her the opportunity of being aware of the political landscape, which is so necessary in today's sports-political scenario.' Ramsamy was also convinced that her time competing at the highest levels will also be to the benefit of the organisation and the participants. 'No doubt Kirsty (Coventry) will pursue looking after the well-being of athletes while ensuring the fluent administration of the IOC, its activities, constituencies and affiliated Federations,' said Ramsamy. He got to know Coventry when she was still a junior swimmer. 'Having known Kirsty since her competitive days, we always acted cordially. Our friendship continues to this day. 'She took part in the African Games in Johannesburg in 1999 and won silver in the 100m backstroke. The gold medal went to Charlene Wittstock, now Princess Charlene of Monaco. 'Kirsty was also a member of the gold medal Zimbabwe 4 x 100m relay team.' He said her determination to succeed continued and in 2004, at the Athens Olympic Games, she bagged three medals (gold, silver and bronze). 'Of course, we as Africans were extremely proud. 'After her extraordinary performances, we organised a victory celebration at the South African Hospitality Centre for Kirsty and the Zimbabwe Olympic Team'. Ramsamy said she became an IOC Member in 2012. And served as IOC Board member on two different sessions. Ramsamy also had a close association with Bach. 'Thomas (Bach) always interacted with anyone who wished to chat with, especially athletes. 'Because of our personal relationship, he would openly discuss issues affecting sport at a political level. 'He went out of his way to explain the demise of apartheid and the role sport played.' Ramsamy said their friendship began long before they were elected to the IOC as members, well before the 1990s. DAILY NEWS
The Citizen
29-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Local Judoka is chasing his Olympic dream
To say that Timothy Meuwsen loves judo is perhaps an understatement. He is crazy about it. This dedicated judoka's big dream, which he has cherished for years, is to represent South Africa at the Olympic Games. He knows that achieving this will require hard work and great sacrifices, but this does not deter him. It has become the norm for the member of the Tuks Judo club to practice thrice daily for six days. The hard work is paying off. Meuwsen won a bronze medal in the under-81kg category at the recent African Judo Championships in Abidjan. This has led to him being ranked in the top 100 in his weight division for the first time. He is currently ranked 85th internationally. Meuwsen describes himself as a sports fanatic. 'Many times at school, when I was sitting in the classroom writing a test, I wished I could be on the sports field instead. Rugby was my first great love. I also played cricket, but I was not that good at it. But everything changed when a friend invited me to a judo practice with him. I can't explain it, but I kept returning to the judo classes. The more I went, the more I loved doing judo. The sport grew on me. Judo has changed my love,' he explained his passion. The one thing that keeps him going is the people around him. There were times when he had no money to participate in a tournament, but every time, some people took the risk of helping him. Since joining Tuks' judo club, Meuwsen has also won a bronze medal at the African Junior Championship and last year's African Games. His big highlight was the gold he won at the African Open in Yaounde in 2022. 'It took a lot of effort to raise the money to participate. After everything was paid, I did not have much pocket money left. But I did not lack motivation. That gold medal will always remain special,' he commented. Meuwsen is under no illusions about where he will fall short if he wants to realise his dream of competing in the Games. 'I lack international experience. I am very grateful for the opportunities I get to compete in Africa. However, the reality is that African judo is very different from Europe and Asia. That is why it is important to compete more internationally. Now, all I can do to gain experience is to compete in the heavier weight divisions, such as under 90 kg and 100kg,' Meuwsen, who was last beaten in his weight division in South Africa four years ago, remarked. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
CairoScene
13-04-2025
- Sport
- CairoScene
Bassant Hemida Sets New Egyptian Record at Botswana Golden Grand Prix
Egyptian sprinter Bassant Hemida clocked 50.77 seconds in the women's 400m at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix. Apr 13, 2025 Egyptian sprinter Bassant Hemida has set a new national record in the women's 400-metre race, finishing with a time of 50.77 seconds at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix held in Gaborone. The competition is part of the World Athletics Continental Tour and regularly features international athletes. Hemida already held Egypt's national records in the 100 metres (11.02 seconds) and 200 metres (22.41 seconds). This win adds a 400-metre record to her name and highlights her development as a multi-distance sprinter. The 50.77-second finish places Hemida among the fastest athletes in the region for this event and signals growing momentum ahead of this year's international athletics calendar. Hemida's participation in the Botswana meet comes amid broader efforts by Egyptian athletes to compete in high-level international competitions in preparation for the 2025 World Championships and the 2026 African Games.
