Latest news with #WinterSeries
IOL News
4 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
New water polo franchise series ready to churn up water as driver for change in sport
The South Africa Water Polo Winter Series, a new national franchise tournament, is set to bring the country's top competitors to Nelson Mandela Bay from August 8 to 10. Image: Chris van Lennep / Depositphoto Water polo's new national franchise tournament is set to make a splash after borrowing from the concept of SA20 cricket's draft system, and could also tap into the pool of rugby talent in SA. The inaugural event of the new Winter Series, sponsored by leading automation manufacturer Jendamark, will see 112 of the country's elite senior players drafted into four men's and four women's squads that are set to churn up the water of the Newton Park Indoor Pool in Gqeberha from August 8 to 10. Treading water The franchise system is designed to help level the playing field and offer an alternative to the regional dominance of Western Province and Gauteng teams in inter-provincial competition. It also marks the first national tournament run under the auspices of the newly formed South Africa Water Polo (SAWP), which has successfully challenged Swimming South Africa in court for the rights to promote the interests of this growing sport. Tournament director Siegfried Lokotsch, who also the title sponsor's director of operations, said adding a new franchise event to the national calendar would reinvigorate senior competition and extend the season beyond the traditional autumn finish. 'This franchise format creates a fresh dynamic that's both exciting to watch and allows players to compete strength for strength. Our sport is not going to get stronger if only the top provinces are getting stronger,' he said. Swimming coach Tyra Roozendaal puts participants in the Learn to Polo development programme, which is part of SAWP's plan to grow the sport, through their paces. Image: Supplied Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Leg up With the game gaining traction at top schools countrywide, Lokotsch said it was important to reignite competitive senior water polo, while also promoting grassroots development. Lokotsch said year-round development would be at the heart of SAWP's efforts, with the Nelson Mandela Bay region creating the blueprint of what this could look like. With the help of volunteers like Claudia Charles, a former water polo player whose eldest daughter, Jenna, now represents Eastern Province, the Learn to Polo development programme is introducing children in the northern areas and township schools to swimming and, ultimately, water polo. 'I'm so grateful to them for seeing the need to develop. Water polo has a rich history in the northern areas, and the Gelvandale pool played a big role in getting kids into the sport when I was at school. But with lack of infrastructure and systems support, it fell away,' said Charles. 'The idea is to identify and nurture emerging talent throughout the programme, and possibly get them into water polo-playing schools,' explained Lokotsch. Crossover opportunities 'There is so much rugby talent coming from under-resourced schools, and this is where we are missing a trick. I believe rugby players make the best water polo players, and vice versa. Some of our Springbok stars, like Malcolm Marx, were also great at polo. 'So, there's a real opportunity to unlock that untapped potential. We're best in the world at rugby, we could also be best in the world in the water.' Chapman High School teacher Shari Kemp said the Gelvandale-based school was happy to have been included in the after-school programme. 'It means a lot to the learners. They don't always have the opportunities or the resources. So, for them to be involved in such an amazing programme, with people who know so much about the sport, is a great learning opportunity. They're a bit nervous but excited to learn.' If successful, the new Winter Series format will be expanded to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban next year.
The Herald
18-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald
Top-flight water polo returns to Nelson Mandela Bay
Top-flight water polo is set for a resurgence in SA with the kickoff of a new national franchise tournament that is set to bring more than 150 players, coaches, referees and support staff to Nelson Mandela Bay in August. Sponsored by leading automation manufacturer Jendamark, the inaugural event of the SA Water Polo Winter Series will see 112 of the country's elite senior players drafted into four men's and four women's squads that are set to churn up the water of the Newton Park Indoor Pool from August 8 to 10. The new Winter Series is similar in concept to the SA20 cricketing format, introducing a franchise system to help level the playing field and offer an alternative to the regional dominance of Western Province and Gauteng teams in interprovincial competition. It also marks the first national tournament run under the auspices of the newly formed SA Water Polo, which has successfully challenged Swimming SA in court for the rights to promote the interests of this growing sport. Tournament director Siegfried Lokotsch, who is also the title sponsor's director of operations, said adding a new franchise event to the national calendar would reinvigorate senior competition and extend the season beyond the traditional autumn finish. 'This franchise format creates a fresh dynamic that's both exciting to watch and allows players to compete strength for strength. 'Our sport is not going to get stronger if only the top provinces are getting stronger.' With the game gaining traction at top schools countrywide, Lokotsch said it was important to reignite competitive senior water polo, while also promoting grassroots development. 'For SA Water Polo, it's really about the broader development of the game and being more inclusive. We want to create opportunities that give young athletes from all backgrounds something to strive for.' Lokotsch said year-round development would be at the heart of SA Water Polo's efforts, with the Nelson Mandela Bay region creating the blueprint of what this could look like. With the help of volunteers such as Claudia Charles, a former water polo player whose eldest daughter, Jenna, now represents Eastern Province, the Learn to Polo development programme is introducing children in the northern areas and township schools to swimming and, ultimately, water polo. 'I'm so grateful to them for seeing the need to develop,' Charles said. 'Water polo has a rich history in the northern areas, and the Gelvandale pool played a big role in getting kids into the sport when I was at school. But with lack of infrastructure and systems support, it fell away. 'It's a great privilege to be part of this, especially with that pool reopening again, it's a light of hope, and I'm so grateful to Siegfried and his team for putting in some serious support and investing in these children.' The after-school programme, which is already under way, started with an assessment of the children's swimming abilities, followed by twice-weekly training sessions with a qualified swimming coach to develop fitness and strength before introducing them to the basics of water polo. Chapman High teacher Shari Kemp said the Gelvandale school was happy to have been included in the programme. 'It means a lot to the learners. They don't always have the opportunities or the resources.' ' Transport to and from the heated Newton Park Indoor Pool is covered by SA Water Polo's regional structure, with further plans to introduce a summer programme, led by a professional coach, at the Gelvandale pool. 'The idea is to identify and nurture emerging talent throughout the programme, and possibly get them into water polo-playing schools,' Lokotsch said. 'There is so much rugby talent coming from under-resourced schools, and this is where we are missing a trick. 'I believe rugby players make the best water polo players, and vice versa. Some of our Springbok stars, like Malcolm Marx, were also great at polo. 'We're best in the world at rugby; we could also be best in the world in the water.' A development clinic for players, coaches and referees will be an anchor element of the Winter Series schedule and proceeds from the weekend tournament will be used to fund the schools programme. — Jendamark
The Citizen
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Fire Attack rekindles at the Big T
There will be plenty of hangover from the Durban July, but punters will be right back at it at Turffontein on Sunday. Stragglers from Durban July afterparties have barely made their way out of Greyville racecourse as flags are unfurled up-county at Turffontein ahead of a full Sunday race meeting. The handful of participants and spectators in Joburg will be swapping war stories about the Durban action but will soon switch attention to the next race. Always the next race. Yet a whiff of the July remains in the air because the main race at the Big T is the 4Racing Sea Cottage Stakes (Grade 3) – honouring the great horse of the 1960s whose saga of shooting and dead-heating lifted July mythology to a whole new level. July connections Some runners in Sunday's Sea Cottage – third leg of a new Highveld Winter Series – have connections to the July, too, in that they were early entries for the big race and/or have collateral form with some that ran in the July. Top weight Fire Attack was at one stage an ante-post favourite for the July. Trainer Alec Laird scratched the colt due to a minor training setback but has since patched him up well enough to take on a decent field at this lower level. Fire Attack does look a cut above this opposition and is weighted to win easily. The only question is posed by his 99-day rest period, but Laird has commented that he believes the horse will run well. The other runner occupying punters' thoughts will be Erico Verdonese-trained Choisaanada, who will be trying to complete a Winter Series sweep after having won the first two legs, the Secretariat Stakes and the Egoli Mile. If he does complete the hat-trick, he'll win a R500,000 bonus for the connections. Punters can stay on the right side of that incentive by including Choisaanada in all bets. SELECTION 1 Fire Attack, 3 Choisaanada, 6 Pumpkin Pie, 2 Musical Score
Daily Maverick
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Swimming South Africa accused of bullying following alleged threatening messages by operations manager
A Swimming South Africa (SSA) employee who is associated with a member from South Africa Water Polo has been threatened with disciplinary action just over a week after SSA lost its court case to the new federation. Swimming South Africa (SSA) has been accused of 'emotional blackmail' and bullying following alleged threats to a swimming coach from Gqeberha. Quinton Uren, group managing director of Jendamark Automation, sent an email to SSA lodging an official complaint and requesting an apology from the governing body of the sport for 'completely unacceptable' remarks by its operations manager. Jendamark Automation sponsors several water polo and swimming initiatives in the Nelson Mandela Bay area, such as Learn to Polo — which introduces underprivileged children to water polo and swimming — as well as the newly launched water polo Winter Series, in conjunction with South Africa Water Polo. Mafata Modutoane — the operations manager at SSA — allegedly sent a WhatsApp message to a coach at Infinity Swimming Academy warning of possible disciplinary action against another swimming coach for associating with Jendamark and its members. Modutoane stated they were not a part of SSA. 'That man his [sic] not a member of SSA, and their water polo affiliation [as] such,' the message from Modutoane read, of which Daily Maverick has seen a screenshot copy. 'That man' Modutoane is referring to is Siegfried Lokotsch, the operations director at Jendamark and a member of South Africa Water Polo, whom SSA recently failed to take down in a court battle. This all stems from an article published in Daily Maverick — celebrating the launch of the Winter Series and a swimming development initiative — earlier this month in which in the lead picture, the coach, Deshaan Pillay, and Lokotsch pose for a picture alongside aspiring water polo athletes. 'My friend, you need to have a chat with your coach to be aware of being used. This might bring him up for disciplinary action upon himself,' the first part of Modutoane alleged WhatsApp message read. Pillay is an employee at Jendamark Automation as well as a swimming coach. Jendamark financially supports various swimming and water polo initiatives through the Nelson Mandela Bay Schools Water Polo programme. But SSA and Modutoane's vexation is seemingly with Lokotsch, who is the chairperson of Nelson Mandela Bay Water Polo, and who, while recognising SSA, is not associated with them. Instead, their association lies with South Africa Water Polo. ' Unprofessional' Jendamark managing director Uren called the message by Modutoane 'both unprofessional and completely unacceptable', in an email to SSA on 24 June 2025. 'Let me be absolutely clear: this coach is employed by Jendamark. He is not under the jurisdiction of Swim [sic] South Africa,' the email read. 'The development work he is doing aligns fully with our values as a company and our commitment to meaningful transformation. 'Mafata Modutoane's actions in this instance — threatening an employee of a private company via indirect channels — amount to emotional blackmail and are, quite frankly, tantamount to bullying.' Jendamark Automation go on to outline their work in supporting grassroots sport, which includes being the title sponsor of Jendamark United Cricket Club, one of the most popular cricket clubs in the Eastern Cape. 'It is disgraceful that a representative of Swim [sic] South Africa would try to intimidate one of our employees for participating in a development programme that is making a measurable difference,' Uren stated. He formally requested the following from SSA: A formal apology from Swim [sic] South Africa for this incident. Immediate clarification of SSA's position on external development partnerships and employee rights. A formal internal investigation into Mafata Modutoane's conduct and use of threatening communications in this matter. SSA's response SSA's response to the accusation was, unsurprisingly, denial. 'Swimming South Africa wishes to unequivocally distance itself from the recent allegations concerning interactions with the individual in question,' Modutoane said to Daily Maverick in an email. 'We would like to clarify that none of our staff members have had any form of contact with this person, nor have there been any threats of disciplinary action made against him. 'We take any allegations seriously and are committed to transparency and integrity in all our operations. It is vital to note that these claims do not reflect the values of Swimming South Africa or the conduct we uphold within our organisation. 'We encourage open dialogue and are committed to ensuring a respectful and supportive environment for all involved in the sport. Should any further information come to light, we are prepared to address it promptly and appropriately to uphold our commitment to the integrity of our organisation and the sport of swimming,' read the message that sounded eerily like it was written by AI. Ongoing battle After SSA's court loss to South Africa Water Polo earlier this month, it issued a statement acknowledging its disappointment in the outcome, but also reaffirming its position as the sole governing body of water polo in the country. '[South Africa Water Polo] is not affiliated to Swimming South Africa, nor is it authorised to organise competitions under our name,' its statement read. The inaugural edition water polo Winter Series, set to commence from 8 to 11 August 8 at the Newton Park Swimming Pool, is also not affiliated with SSA, but South Africa Water Polo instead. Uren, who interpreted Modutoane's message as a threat, stated that his company would not tread lightly over what he called 'red tape'. 'Jendamark will not tolerate this kind of behaviour, and we will not be intimidated,' he said. 'We will continue to support transformative sport and education programmes — whether or not we have the approval of outdated governing bodies — because we believe in real, on-the-ground impact, not red tape.' DM
Daily Maverick
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Talent pool — water polo's grassroots revival kicks off in Nelson Mandela Bay
Organisers hope the new tournament will become the SA20 of water polo as it seeks to rebuild the sport from the bottom up. On a winter's day this week in Nelson Mandela Bay, a group of kids from across the metro – some of whom only recently learnt to swim – clamber into the Newton Park Indoor Pool. They're here for water polo, a sport long associated with elite schools but now being reimagined for everyone. From August 8 to 11 the very same pool will host some of the country's top water polo players in what organisers hope will become the SA20 of water polo – a fast-paced, high-energy tournament designed not just to thrill spectators, but to rebuild the sport from the bottom up. 'We want to put another event in the calendar which gives people more competitive water polo,' says Duncan Woods, a former national water polo player and one of South Africa Water Polo's (SAWP) founding committee members. At the heart of it is the SAWP Winter Series, powered by Jendamark – the first official tournament launched under the newly formed SAWP banner – a breakaway body that's challenging Swimming South Africa's long-standing grip on aquatic sports in the country. The formation of SAWP – and this inaugural Winter Series – marks the beginning of a new chapter for the sport, and potentially a new economic and sporting opportunity for Nelson Mandela Bay. The new tournament – with four men's and four women's teams – introduces a national draft system designed to level the playing field. These teams won't be regionally bound, but blended – deliberately so. The teams were selected through a position-by-position draft aimed at ensuring equal strength across the board. For each position – such as goalkeeper – players were ranked according to their highest level of representation, and then distributed evenly among the teams. 'You only get one chance to have your first one, and if we make a splash here and we really ignite something, I really think we are going to see… the start of potentially some serious growth,' says Siegfried Lokotsch, chairperson of Nelson Mandela Bay Water Polo and director of the Winter Series. But this tournament isn't only about national players and coaching strategy. It's also about building from the ground up – in schools and communities where water polo has never been an option. One of the most compelling aspects of the Winter Series is what's happening off the scoreboard: the series is tied to a broader, year-round development programme called Learn to Polo, which introduces kids from Northern Areas and township schools to swimming and water polo. With support from local schools and driven by passionate volunteers like Claudia Charles, the initiative includes swim training, transport support and monthly outings to the Eco Pool in Seaview. The programme has already begun – bringing in kids from under-resourced communities and teaching them how to swim, then how to play. The programme starts with swimming. From there, they are taught the basics of water polo. Nolan Kemp, a regional committee member involved with development, echoes the sentiment, saying they want water polo 'to be available to everyone'. 'I spend a lot of time presenting at schools in the northern areas, so the kids know the opportunity is there for them,' he said. The hope is that, in a few years, the next generation of South African water polo players won't just be coming from elite schools but from a broader, more diverse talent pool. 'For me, it's not just about the performance. I want everybody to be able to have access to it and be able to play. If I can get one player out of it, then we've done our jobs,' Lokotsch says. A coaching development component has also been added to the tournament. Lokotsch says the idea is to run the Winter Series in a way that showcases elite play while still making space for younger players and aspirant coaches to be part of the experience. 'Every franchise will have shadow coaches, and every kid playing at the development clinic will be exposed to seeing the top players in the country,' he says. SAWP has also partnered with the Elevate programme to offer free online coaching accreditation to aspiring coaches in the region – nearly 90 people, from school leavers to parents, have already signed up. The scale of the event will be unprecedented for Nelson Mandela Bay water polo. With 160 players and 16 coaches involved – plus referees, administrators and fans – the numbers quickly add up. 'If each person has one person coming to support them, or two people, you've now got 600 people coming,' Lokotsch says. 'I've been in the game a long time, and there's never been so much to be optimistic about as right now,' Woods adds. DM
