Latest news with #Region5Games
The Citizen
24-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Tongaat teen volleyballer claims silver medal in national debut
Tongaat teenager Shridhaan Lahldas made his national volleyball debut at the Region 5 Games, returning with silver for South Africa. The South African U19 men's volleyball team delivered a spirited performance at the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Games, held from July 4 to 13 in Namibia. South Africa progressed to the final after edging out Malawi in a tense five-set semi-final (3-2), but were ultimately outplayed by a dominant Zimbabwean side, who secured gold with a straight-sets victory (3-0). The AUSC Region 5 Games saw 10 southern African nations compete across various sporting codes, with the volleyball matches held in Windhoek. Lahldas (17), a Grade 11 pupil at Seatides Combined School and player for Anglers Volleyball Club juniors, described the tournament as a dream come true. 'There are no words to describe the feeling of representing my country for the first time,' he said. Despite falling short in the final, Lahldas said the experience was invaluable. 'Playing against different countries meant adapting to new styles and tactics. There were lots of small variables to adjust to.' He praised Zimbabwe's strength and noted South Africa had suffered several injuries ahead of the final. 'Their power hitters came at us with brutal force. They flew through the air and sped around the court, it was intense. We had some injuries but not enough time to recover on the day.' His father, Ryaan Lahldas, a former Proteas volleyball player who represented South Africa for 14 years, said the family was extremely proud of Shridhaan's achievement. 'He was bound to take up the sport, it runs in the family and is one of the main sports in Tongaat.' Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here, or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below.
The Citizen
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Hoërskool Marais Viljoen High School's Ashlynn Norman clinches gold medal in Namibia
Hoërskool Marais Viljoen High School's Ashlynn Norman (17) was part of South Africa's athletics team and stars that performed incredibly well at the 11th African Union Sport Council (AUSC) Region 5 Youth Games in Swakopmund, Namibia. AUSC is a specialised technical office of the African Union (AU) responsible for sports. It was established through the endorsement of the Statute of AUSC by the Assembly of African Heads of States and Governments in 2016. Part of AUSC's mandate is to co-ordinate African sports action between Member States for the promotion and development of sports and development through sport in Africa. Norman was part of 198 athletes across 13 different sporting codes who topped the medals table. She opened and closed her event with a jump of 5.38m. She reportedly showed nerves at first but went on to finish strong, clinching gold for Team SA in long jump. She also powered her team to victory in relay in the 4x100m category, earning herself a second gold medal. 'We are incredibly proud of Ashlynn Norman, who represented South Africa at the Region 5 Games in Swakopmund and walked away with not one, but two gold medals. Ashlynn is a hardworking and talented athlete, and above all, a proud learner of Marais Viljoen. Her passion is unstoppable. Congratulations, Ashlynn, you have made your school and your country proud,' said HS Viljoen in a statement. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
16-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Shridhaan Lahldas continues family volleyball legacy at Region 5 Games
Shridhaan Lahldas got his first taste of international competition at the Region 5 Games in Namibia, where the SA U19 team lost in the final. Teenager Shridhaan Lahldas from Tongaat was one of the youngest players in the SA Under-19 volleyball squad that made it to the recent final at the Region 5 Games in Namibia, continuing the family legacy in the sport. The 16-year-old specialist setter is the son of former national team star Ryaan 'Spits' Lahldas, who led SA to many great conquests on the continental stage. Olympic participation is one of the few omissions of his stellar career. Smashing time Shridhaan got his first taste of the continental stage at the Region 5 Games, and it left him wanting more. 'Region 5 this year was my first international experience. The level of volleyball is quite significant compared to volleyball in South Africa. It taught everyone a lot of new things and how competitive the sport could really be,' the Grade 11 pupil at Seatides Combined School told POST on his return. 'In the semi-finals we faced off with Malawi. In the first two sets we were down and then came one of the best comebacks in Region 5 as we ended up beating them 3-2 in a five-set thriller. 'The next day we ended up playing Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, it was a sad loss because most of our main players had injuries due to that long game, so we ended up losing three straight games.' One of the surprises for the teenage star was also the continued recognition of the Lahldas name long after dad Ryaan has stepped away from the court. 'I was shocked and amazed by how many people actually knew my father there. Some way or the other people found that I was Spits's laaitie, which is what they called me there. They started speaking about him. Some of the guys also said to me that I'm developing hands like his slowly, just give me a couple of years and I'll be on the same level as him.' And his father could not be more proud of his son's achievement.
The South African
23-06-2025
- Sport
- The South African
South Africa to defend U20 crown at Region 5 Games in Windhoek
South Africa's Amajita will compete at the Region 5 Games 2025 in Windhoek, Namibia, as defending champions in the men's Under-20 tournament. The tournament will run from 4-13 July. Moreover, they lifted the title in Mozambique last year, building momentum for the season ahead. In May 2025, they made history by winning the African U20 Championship in Egypt, their first continental title. The team will kick off their campaign against Zambia on 5 July. They will then face Botswana on 7 July and Eswatini on 9 July in their final group match. South Africa has won the regional U20 tournament a remarkable nine times, first triumphing in 2000. They also hosted the event for 11 straight years from 1999 to 2009. In addition, the country has qualified for the Africa U20 Championship nine times, earning gold in 2023 and silver in 1997. TOURNAMENT HISTORY AND RECENT FORM In 2016, South Africa reached the COSAFA U20 final on home soil but narrowly lost 2-1 to Zambia. However, the team bounced back in 2017, winning the title after topping their group with nine points and defeating Egypt 1-0 in the semi-finals, before edging Lesotho 2-1 in the final. They retained their crown in 2018 by winning their group and edging Angola 1-0 in the semi-final before a penalty shootout win (4-3) over Zimbabwe in the final after a 1-1 draw. However, their 2019 campaign ended in disappointment with a 3-0 defeat to Zambia in the final. In 2020, they were eliminated in the group stage despite a commanding 7-0 win over Lesotho. A third-place finish followed in 2022. Fortunately, in 2024 they bounced back strongly, defeating Malawi (5-0), Lesotho (6-0), Comoros (2-0), Angola (1-0) in the semi-final, and Zambia (2-0) in the final. 1999: Runners-up 2000: Winners 2001: Fourth place 2002: Third place 2003: Third place 2004: Winners 2005: Fourth place 2006: Winners 2007: Runners-up 2008: Winners 2009: Winners 2010: Group stage exit 2011: Group stage exit 2013: Winners 2016: Runners-up 2017: Winners 2018: Winners 2019: Runners-up 2020: Group stage exit 2022: Third place 2024: Winners Basetsana set their sights on gold as they return to the Region 5 Games, aiming to reclaim their U20 crown in Windhoek. Image: COSAFA Media South Africa's women's Under-20 team, known as Basetsana, will compete at the Region 5 Games in Windhoek. The tournament runs from 4–13 July 2025. They won all three Region 5 Games women's U20 events between 2014 and 2018. Their earlier dominance was on full display in 2014 (wins over Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Namibia), 2016 (beating Namibia in the final), and 2018 (a 1-0 final win over hosts Botswana). Key Banyana Banyana stars like Linda Motlhalo featured in those early triumphs. In the 2019 COSAFA U20 Women's Championship, they finished third. Where they topped their group with wins over Zimbabwe (3-0), Namibia (1-0), and Mozambique (3-1). Nevertheless, they lost 2-0 to eventual champions Tanzania in the semi-finals. They edged Zimbabwe 4-3 on penalties to secure third place. Furthermore in the 2024 edition, they claimed silver. South Africa beat Mozambique (4-0), Lesotho (3-0), and Botswana (3-0). However they lost 3-0 to Zambia in a decisive round-robin match. Despite their consistent efforts over the years, South Africa's women's U20 side have still not managed to qualify for the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup. They have fallen short at the final hurdle on five occasions. The Region 5 Games will help prepare the team for their next challenge a CAF U20 Women's World Cup qualifier against Eswatini in September 2025. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
