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SOUTH African university sport has returned to action after a near two-year hiatus, with six in-person championships and four virtual events.
Karate in kata, chess, e-sport and cycling were all held virtually before the in-person competitions.
The University Sports South Africa (USSA) Netball Championships took place at North-West University in Potchefstroom and the USSA Basketball Championship was hosted by the Nelson Mandela University over five days.
Yoliswa Lumka, Director of Sport at Nelson Mandela University, said: “The championship went well.
“A lot of the challenges were related to COVID regulations and how we would be able to deliver a tournament while maintaining strict protocols, but we had a great team to be as prepared as we could be to deliver.
“I am excited that the tournament went well and that we got to see some good basketball which shows that universities are still good breeding grounds for future stars.
“I’m really excited that we are back offering sport programmes after almost two years of no university sport, so we have proved that with a lot of communication and planning, we can re-integrate sport into the university sector.”
Other events included the USSA Rowing Championships at the University of Pretoria, the USSA Rowing Championships, and the USSA Swimming Championships, also held in Pretoria.
The USSA Cross Country Championships held earlier this month in Bloemfontein followed.
“It’s amazing to be back and see the vibe, and [it’s] encouraging to see how the athletes have been preparing and how hungry they were to participate,” said winner of the women’s 3×4 kilometres relay Tholoana Peu from the Tshwane University of Technology.
“We were all so excited and it was amazing to be back.”
* InsidetheGames