You will need both hands for this. Ten – count them – ten North-West University (NWU) Eagles from the NWU’s athletics club have been included in the South African team that will compete in the CAA Africa Championships that will be held in Mauritius from 8 to 12 June.

 That is excluding long-distance runner Elroy Gelant, who is a staff member of the NWU, but not a member of the athletics club.

In all, 89 South African athletes will compete on the island in the Indian Ocean, the largest contingent from the Republic yet.

The athletes are Tamzin Thomas (200 m and 4x100 m), Marissa Swanepoel (20 km race walking), Joné Kruger (long jump), Karmen Fouché (long jump), Riette Heyns (discus), Marga Cumming (hammer throw), Jo-Ané van Dyk (javelin), Valco van Wyk (pole jumping), Alan Cumming (hammer throw) and Johann Grobler (javelin).

“I think we are definitely going to see a lot of medals in South African hands,” says Terseus Liebenberg, acting athletics manager at the Potchefstroom Campus of the NWU. Liebenberg retired at the end of 2021, but remains as coach for a host of NWU athletes and athletics manager until his post is filled.

“We are expecting some tough opposition. Athletics in Africa is extremely healthy and there are strong nations like Nigeria, Morocco, Ethiopia, Algeria and Egypt, to name but a few, who are competing. It is a top athletics continent with some of the world’s best athletes. The athletics club and the NWU are unbelievably proud of every athlete who is going to represent South Africa. They are true ambassadors of the NWU,” says Liebenberg.