Athletes Excited As CGA Host It's 1st Track And Field Of The Season.


By Phumzile Mavimbela

Athletes excited as CGA host its 1st Track and Field of the season Central Gauteng Athletics Track and Field season hits the ground with a bang on Saturday 20 February 2021 at Boksburg Stadium. This time CGA Track and Field attracts all athletes across neighboring provinces including 7 international athletes from Qatar and Italy respectively. Qatar was the host of the 2019 World Athletics (IAAF) Championships that saw great performances despite the humid weather conditions.

In following the Covid19 regulations, there were no spectators allowed at the stadium to experience these great performances. CGA had partnered with Backtrack and Fitgen to bring this exciting action through live streaming. The full competition will be also available on Central Gauteng Athletics You Tube. The day started well for South African long-distance runner Irvette van Zyl of Nedbank AGN secure a first position in the 5000m Senior Women category clocking 16:55.10.  Van Zyl displayed her strength from the start of 100m taking a lead from her teammate Stella Marais who secure the second position in the time of 17:29.80 after a very
competitive battle with Cornelia Joubert settled for the third potion in the time of 18:20.

The event of the day has to be the 5000m Senior Men category, which was classified as a do or die event among the two training partners Precious Mashele and Desmond Mokgobu from the training group of the renowned athlete Hendrick Ramaala. Mashele
accelerated from Mokgobu in the 8 laps and maintained the pace without looking back with an exceptional performance of 14:11.40. Mokgobu did not disappoint in giving Mashele hard times as he settled in the second position clocking 14:34.90, while the focus

was on two training partners Marco Bucarizza appeared unanticipated towards the finish
line clocking 4:56.60. Another stunning performance was long jump senior men that showcased the battle of Gauteng Universities ( UJ and Tuks), which saw UJ athlete Johnson Cheswell, Pretorious Fredriech of Tuks and Schultz Christiaan of UJ battling it out for the top position. Fredriech’s strategy paid off in the 3 rd attempt which was exceptional to secure the second position for him in the distance of 6.88m. Christiaan of who is in fine form claimed the third position in 5.68m. Cheswell claimed the first position with 8.18m following his early 3 rd position in the senior men 100m in the time of 10.89.

Lythe Pillay closed the day with the 400m senior men event in style, as he confirmed during the warm-up session that today’s event will be filled with excitement “you gonna see a show”. He was faced with the likes of Ibrahim Ismail of Qatar who took the event by the storm, leading the race up to the first 250m marks. Pillay’s face was tense and full of determination as he closed the gap in the last 150m to the finish line clocking 45.74. Ismail was left with disbelief to settle for the second position in the time of 47.17.

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