Oh!SixSeven Sport Stars

Endurance Riding:  13-Year-Old Impresses at Fauresmith 

Twelve Namibian riders competed individually at the gruelling 205 km Faure-smith endurance ride in South Africa’s Free State last week – widely considered the toughest event of its kind on the calendar.

Out of more than 280 starters, only 149 horses completed the full distance. 

Six Namibian riders were among the successful finishers. The standout performance came from 13-year-old Jacobus Potgieter, who placed third  n the child riders’ division. 

His horse, Jabula Pikkewyn,  also claimed the award for the best  conditioned horse in the same category.  Other Namibian results inclu-ded Vune Robberts (11th) and Elbé Potgieter (12th) in the junior division.  In the adult categories, Maya Janbey placed 16th in the lightweight division, while Steven Goawab (20th) and Hannelie Coetzee (41st) finished in the standard weight class.

Rugby: Wanderers Lift Inaugural JSB Trophy 

FNB Wanderers Trophy FNB Wanderers were crowned the first-ever JSB Club Championship winners with a gritty 8–3 victory over FNB Grootfontein in the final played this past weekend.  

Grootfontein opened the scoring with an early penalty, but Wanderers responded with a try and a crucial penalty kick to seal the low-scoring, physical contest.  The final showcased solid defence and strong fitness, with both teams pushing to the limit. Wanderers took home N$25 000 in prize money, while Grootfontein earned N$15 000 as runners-up.

Wanderers’ captain, Andre Augustyn, credited his team’s resilience, while Grootfontein reached the final by defeating Trustco United 19–12 in the in the final played this past weekend.   Grootfontein opened the scoring with an early penalty, but Wanderers responded with a try and a crucial penalty kick to seal the low-scoring, physical contest. 

The final showcased solid defence and strong fitness, with both teams pushing to the limit.

Wanderers took home N$25 000 in prize money, while Grootfontein earned N$15 000 as runners-up. Wanderers’ captain, Andre Augustyn, credited his team’s resilience, while Grootfontein reached the final by defeating Trustco United 19–12 in the  semi-finals. Wanderers booked their place with a narrow 7–5 win over  FNB UNAM. 

Despite missing out on the final, Trustco United topped the round-robin standings with 27 points, followed by Wanderers (25), FNB UNAM (18), Grootfontein (12), FNB Dolphin (8), and FNB Western Suburbs (3).

Gymnastics: Tsumeb Club Rebuilds with Passion

Tsumeb Gymnastics, one of Namibia’s oldest gymnastics clubs founded in 1988, is undergoing a strong revival - all happening under a new coaching team and committee. The club currently trains 16 gymnasts across Levels 1 to 3, offering artistic, rhythmic, and recreational gymnastics.

Coaches Mandy Puleston, Heleen Steyn and Zenobia Hill are leading the team. 

Gymnast numbers are in-creasing and there has been notable performances at national events – including a silver medal in the Level 2 group dance at nationals during last year.