The best of varsity athletics
The best of varsity athletics
Front row right to left: Thabiso Mokoena (Team manager), Tankiso Mokatsanyane (Assistant), Thato Leeto , Joseph Diale (Coach)
Mid row right to left: Adeleide Tebele, Ayabonga Mntonga, Teboho Tau, Tshepiso Kabi, Lehlogonolo Sebola
Back row right to left: Itumeleng Dikoko, Phemelo Sefolo, Lehlogonolo More
Absent: Zandile Godwana, Israel Tlhapolosa, Koketso Mogapi (Head Coach)
Tankiso Mokatsanyane
Varsity Sport hosted its last instalment of Varsity Athletics at the Bestmed Tuks Athletics Stadium in Pretoria on 2 March. Coach Koketso Mogapi of Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Athletics, who is still an athlete himself, had his first experience as a coach in a major meeting.
He said: “Our team showed a lot of resilience as it managed to salvage second place behind UCT (University of Cape Town) which was crowned champion in our category. The category also had the likes of UL (University of Limpopo), UKZN (University of Kwa-Zulu Natal) and CUT (Central University of Technology).”
Tshepiso Kabi came second in the men’s 200m, Lehlogonolo Sebola was third in the men’s 400m and Ayabonga Mntonga came third in the women’s shot-put.
Coach Mogapi said he was extremely pleased with the team’s performance but believes it can perform better than it did. He said he used this meeting to identify the areas where his athletes need to improve and he believes they will win the next Varsity Athletics meeting on 23 March.
He said that his first major meeting was not as easy as he thought it would be, but he managed to push and motivate the athletes to do their best.
“Athletics is not only about winning; it is about having fun and no one has ever won anything without having fun,” he said.
Meanwhile, athletes Israel Tlhapolosa, Itumeleng Dikoko, Lehlogonolo Sebola, Teboho Tau, Tshepiso Kabi and Kgosi Mohlala have been selected to represent the Vaal Triangle Athletics Team at the South African Seniors Championships which will be held at the Bestmed Tuks Athletics Stadium from 15-17 March.