The World Games 2013 has started and the orienteering events start next week! The World Games is like an ‘Olympics’ for those sporting disciplines not represented at the Olympics. 2013 World Games in Cali, Colombia from 25 July to 4 August. (more…)
The recent Gauteng Orienteering championships were held in faraway Haenertsburg in the Limpopo province. At the GOC champs there were encouraging signs of orienteering beginning to take root in the Polokwane area.
Participating in the championships were, twelve learners from nearby Mphachue Secondary School, their orienteering teacher, Mary Makhobotlwane, and former pupil, Ephraim Chuene. Ever since the SAOF Teachers’ training course held in Polokwane in August 2011, Mary and Mphachue Secondary School have embraced orienteering. Not only is orienteering offered as part of the Life Orientation syllabus as Mphachue, but it is now an official sport at the school.
On the way through to their final controlling visit to Haenertsburg, AR club members Nicholas de Klerk and Garry Morrison picked up Ephraim Chuene in Polokwane. This was an ideal coaching opportunity as the pair confirmed and marked control sites for the GOC championship events.
At the end of the first day of control-site checking in the forests, Nicholas and Garry put on their SAOF hats and presented Ephraim with a laptop computer, loaded with the Starter edition of OCAD 11.
Since his introduction to orienteering at the Teachers’ training course presented by the SAOF in Polokwane in August 2011, Ephraim has taken to the sport like a fish to water. He has shown a particular passion for mapping and has produced some fine hand-drawn maps. Inspired by his attendance at the SAOF Introductory mapping course in December 2012, he has since produced a number of additional hand-drawn orienteering maps. Some examples are reproduced in this post.
Now armed with a laptop loaded with OCAD the SAOF is supporting Ephraim in his mapping efforts.
A selection of Ephraim’s Hand-drawn maps
At the GOC champs prize-giving ceremony the SAOF presented Ephraim with a club starter kit. With this we aim to support Ephraim towards his goal of starting an orienteering club in Seshego. Seshego is a suburb on the outskirts of Polokwane where Ephraim attends college. He has already mapped the college campus, where Nicholas and Garry have already completed a course set on Ephraim’s hand-drawn map at the end of their scouting weekend.
The SAOF is also in the process of providing a club starter kit to Mphachue Secondary School. Their orienteering coach, Mary, is keenly assisted by a number of learners who have now attended both the SA O champs in September 2012 and the GOC champs in 2013. Their enthusiasm and Ephraim’s talent for map-making means that, with the support of the SAOF, we are witnessing the birth of regular orienteering in the Polokwane area.
These initiatives are part of the SAOF’s projects to grow and develop the sport of orienteering more widely within South Africa. The SAOF would like to acknowledge both the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund and the Department of Sports and Recreation South Africa for the financial support that makes these projects possible.
Well done to Bradley Lund on becoming South Africa’s first ever athlete to qualify for an A final at JWOC
SASCOC has announced the Team to represent South Africa at the World Games being held in Cali, Columbia from the 25th July to 4th August 2013.
The SAOF selection committee is pleased to announce the final teams for the upcoming Junior and Senior World Orienteering Championships.
WOC
The following athletes have been selected for the WOC team
Michael Crone and Nicholas Mulder
JWOC
We are pleased to announce the inclusion of Roark Robinson in the JWOC team and to congratulate Richard Lund on his appointment as JWOC Manager.
The full 2013 JWOC team is therefore
Manager: Richard Lund
Athletes: Timothy Chambers, Bradley Lund, Roark Robinson and Salome van Hoepen
We wish the teams all the best in their upcoming competitions
Youth tour
The touring youth team members are Peter Carides and Joshua De Klerk
Glynn de Klerk has agreed to accompany the youth team as Team Leader.
We hope the youth team has a successful and experience filled tour.
Kind regards
Tania Wimberley
Chair -SAOF Selection Committee
The April 2013 issue of Modern Athlete is carrying this article on the annual Orienteering Schools League held in Jo’burg. (more…)
This is an article from an issue of Orienteering World magazine, published in late 2012. (more…)
We’ve had a busy few OSL days with the annual Orienteering Camp this past weekend and the Orienteering Schools League Final on Monday afternoon at the lovely Kloofendal Nature Reserve. (more…)
Every Monday during Schools League rain has threatened but we’ve been very lucky – until yesterday. At the Zoo Lake event the rain hit once all the runners were in; at Heronbridge the storm was to the South and only hit later and at Delta Park it was pouring just to the East of us. Yesterday at Summit College, high up on the hill and looking South towards the northern suburbs we watched the storms rolling over the city – and then over us! (more…)
Delta Park is a true emerald gem in the heart of Johannesburg – yet so many locals don’t even know it exists. As Delta is a lovely open park with big lawns and lots of trees, we were in for an event with lots of running and I was delighted to see many orienteers in full flight. OK, sometimes it wasn’t in the right direction but it was hearty running anyway. (more…)