Friday, December 27, 2024

FEATURES

Shattering cultural bonds: the 16-year-old woman striker.

Cameroonians take pride in football as a source of national unity but women have not always been included in the equation. 16-year-old footballer Lamine Mana is shifting that narrative. By Leocadia Bongben, bird story agency "When I gave her my first...

A teen soccer sensation brings a plan with his game

It's not often that young football players think beyond their immediate team responsibilities - and schoolwork. But Bill Antonio is no ordinary teenager - and the dazzling winger's personal horizon seems to know no bounds. By Tafadzwa Dzenga, bird story...

When a successful sporting event becomes Africa’s best brand advertising

By Stephen Granger The dust has settled on Ultra-trail Cape Town (UTCT) trails and most of the international athletes who participated have found sufficient gaps in flight bans to depart our shores, following an exceptional Ultra-trail Cape Town event which...

Live action another winner at UTCT

By Stephen Granger Jim Walmsley and Courtney Dauwalter blazed to impressive victories on Table Mountain trails in last week’s Ultra-trail Cape Town (UTCT) 100km, but there was an impressive ‘behind the scenes’ alternate ‘relay run’ over the challenging course with...

To redefine the art of trail – just throw away the rule book

By Stephen Granger They’re bold, brave and ballsy and stirring up a storm in trail running circles. And they’re in Cape Town to compete in the country’s premier trail running event – Ultra-trail Cape Town (UTCT). Courtney Dauwalter and Mathieu Blanchard...

Running’s role championing conservation

By Stephen Granger The environment and trail running are two sides of the same coin and while challenges remain to be solved, the partnership between SANParks and the trail-running community in South Africa is strengthening conservation and becoming a global...

Western Europe’s highest mountain woos Africa’s trail runners (part 2)

By Stephen Granger While the full circumnavigation around Mont Blanc in the form of the Ultra-trail Mont Blanc 100 miler is undoubtedly the showpiece of this week’s running festival at the French Alpine town of Chamonix, the shorter-distance faces have...

Sportspeople can pivot too – the story of a rugby player turned ultra-distance runner

By Stephen Granger Two years ago, a re-wired former South African provincial rugby player signalled his arrival on the ultra-trail scene with a convincing win in the 50km Bastille Day Trail Run. Last weekend, Matt Healy reminded the local trail...

Educating footballers

Former Nigerian international, Waidi Akanni is on a mission to prevent young footballers from sacrificing their education for a career on the pitch. This will help Nigeria, he says. by Humprehy Njoku Waidi Akanni comes from the generation of Nigerian football...

Trail Running: Tragedy in China elicits pause, even in Africa

The tragic outcome of the recent Yellow Stone Forest 100km in China has left trail runners and organisers around the world with much to ponder in respect of the potential dangers of a sport, where the “edge and adventure”...