Gold for South Africa’s youth
The South African Youth team to the AAAC Southern Region Youth Championships, which was held in Madagascar from 29-30 May, returned home with six medals: four gold, one silver and one bronze.
Gold medals: Elaine du Plessis (9:38.6) 3000m
Thabo Mapogoshi (6:16.8) 2000m steeplechase
Lucas Seleka (1:53.8) 800m
Zanelle Grobler (2:09.3) 800m
Silver medal: Neville Mokere (8:52.7) 3000m
Bronze medal: Peter Legodi (8:53.4) 3000m
Keeping in line with the IAAF’s initiative of introducing Youth Championships (Bydgoszcz, Poland 16-18 July 1999) this was the first time that the AAAC Southern Region has held a Youth Championship event.
Banele Sidani, Secretary-General of Athletics South Africa (ASA), said: "We are very pleased with the performances of our young boys and girls.
"It is competitions like this which contribute to the development of athletics in the AAAC Southern Region countries.
"Youth teams are seen as the foundations on which to build our sport and it is particularly pleasing to see that ASA’s Talent Identification Programme continues to bear fruit."
