CPUT’s Table Tennis team is defending their title at the University Sports South Africa Tournament, which takes place this week.

The team, managed by Llweyln Le Kay scooped first place in last year’s tournament and are positive that they will once again bring home the gold.

“We have a very strong team this year,” says Le Kay.

Taking place at the National Institute of Higher Education in Kimberley, this year’s event has attracted some of South Africa best university table tennis players.

But the CPUT team is well prepared for the week-long event.

The team followed a stringent training programme during the past few weeks, which was overseen by coach and former CPUT table tennis team player, Rudwin Gertze.

Gertze says the team performed well during their recent league games and also in a number of friendly matches.

“I am sure that they will do well this year,” says Gertze.

Team member Kirshwan Stein, who has been playing table tennis for the past 11 years, says the team is looking forward to showing-off their skills at the tournament.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The CPUT ladies basketball team clinched a top spot at the University Sports South African (USSA) Basketball Tournament.

The event, which took place in Port Elizabeth, saw the CPUT team battle it out against basketball teams from universities across South Africa.

Months of hard work and training paid off for the team and saw them clinch second place at the tournament and walk away with CPUT’s first silver medal in basketball.

The team won five of their six pool games and beat the University of Johannesburg in the semi-final. The team lost in the final to a much more experienced Vaal University of Technology team.

However, Coach Kimathi Toboti says the team did an excellent job at their first USSA final game.

Several of the teams’ players also walked away with ALLSTAR recognition- a top accolade at the tournament.

Lungile Mtsweni was voted best shooting guard, Sophy Ngobeni was selected as the best centre while Vuyelwa Gamka was recognised as best point guard.

But it was Sophy Ngobeni, who stole the show, clinching the title of most valuable player of the 2012 tournament.

CPUT Sports Development Officer, Annelie Swarts says she is proud of the team’s achievements.

“It has taken a lot of determination and hard work for us to end in second place at the national Student Championships.”

By Candes Keating

Photo by Keith Pyper

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CPUT’s Charles Keey is leading the University Sport South Africa (USSA) Cycling Tournament.

A  BTech Mechanical Engineering student, Keey’s natural talent for cycling coupled with strong technical skills has seen him clinch the much sought-after Yellow jersey, which he will wear in today’s races.

Keey has clinched top spots this week, including first place in the Nedbank/Old Mutual Challenge Mountain Bike Challenge and the Drakenstein Long Road Stage event, which saw riders complete a route of 124 km.

TOUGH: Cyclists' endurance was put to the test during the Drakenstein Long Road Stage event, which saw them complete a route of 124 km.

Another strong competitor in this year’s USSA Cycling Tournament is Michel Coetze from North West University, who has been leading the female stages.

Coetze, who has been competing in cycling events for the past three years, clinched first place in the female Drakenstein Long Road Stage event as well as the Nedbank/Old Mutual Challenge Mountain Bike Challenge.

After a tough week of hard riding, cyclists will today compete in the last two events of the tournament, which will determine the overall winners.

The first event will test riders’ hill climbing skills as they race up to the well-known Taal Monument in Paarl. A distance of just over 1km, this is a tough challenge.

After a short break the riders will be back on their bicycles as they compete in the final event of the week long USSA tour - the Nedbank/Old Mutual Criterium Event.

This popular event takes place at the Wellington Campus and is the last chance for riders to clinch important sprinter points as well as to secure first place in the team competition.

By Candes Keating

For more photographs of the event see the CPUT Facebook Page

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Months of training for the University Sports South Africa (USSA) Cycling Tournament have paid off as cyclists showed off their skills during the Protea Toyota short road stage and time trial.

VIEW: Routes of this years tournament is set in some of the most beautiful areas of the Western Cape. Here cyclists are in Ladyloch, an area on the outskirts of Wellington.

The short road stage saw male and female cyclists take on a challenging route in the Ladyloch area, just outside of Wellington. The circuit format race required male riders to take on a distance of 82 km, while the female riders had to complete three laps, totaling 54.8 km.

The last few hundred meters of the race saw riders sprinting out of the pack in order to claim the top prizes.

Michel Coetze, from North West University crossed the finish line first, clinching her second win for the week. Earlier this week this top cyclist took first place in the Nedbank/ Old Mutual Mountain Bike Challenge. Taking first place in the men's’ race was University of Pretoria student, Kevin Patten.

The time trial saw riders sprint over a 6.4 km distance and this year University of Stellenbosch (US) students dominated this stage, with Timothy Butler clinching the first prize in the male event and Ashleigh Blackwell taking the top spot in the female event.

Today cyclists’ endurance will be tested as they compete in the Drakenstein Long Road Stage. This challenging route will see male cyclists complete a 124 km course.

By Candes Keating

Photographs by Clive Galant

Visit the CPUT Facebook page for more pictures of the event.

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CPUT came out tops at this year's Nedbank/ Old Mutual Mountain Bike Challenge, clinching both first and second places.

The race, which is part of the University Sports South Africa (USSA) Cycling Tournament saw riders from universities across the country compete in the men's and women's mountain bike challenges.

ACHIEVEMENT: The winners of the women's Mountain Bike Challenge.

The race saw riders take on several laps of 6.2 kilometers each through Welvanpas, a mountainous terrain just outside of Wellington. This challenging course tested riders’ technical skills as they negotiated the rugged terrain.

The men's event saw riders complete six laps, totaling 37.8km, while the women completed 4 laps, totaling 25.2km.

First across the finish line in the men's event was CPUT student Charles Key, followed by his team-mate Adrian Louw, while UCT’s Dave Morison took third place.

Michel Coetze from North West University won the women’s event, while Emily Clarke from UCT took second place and Anja van Zyl from Stellenbosch University clinched third place.

Winners of the Nedbank/ Old Mutual Mountain Bike Challenge walked away with sponsored entries to the Ride the Rhino race, which takes place later this year.

The challenge is one of several that students will take on during this week. At the end of the week, the university champions will be crowned.

Meanwhile, in Johannesburg, the CPUT Ruby Team won their first match at the USSA Rugby Tournament. The team played Walter Sisulu University Ibika Campus rugby team, winning the game 75-0.

By Candes Keating

Photographs:  Clive Galant

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The University Sport South Africa (USSA) Cycling Tournament is in full swing at the CPUT Wellington campus.

Today, cyclists’ skills will be put to the test as they participate in the Nedbank/Old Mutual Mountain Bike Challenge, which is the first event of the week-long tournament.

This event will see students take on a challenging 6.2 km route in Welvanpas, a mountainous area situated just outside of Wellington.

USSA cycling chairperson and event organiser, Etienne Joubert says today’s winners will not only be crowned the mountain bike champions, but walk away with top prizes.

Winners of the male and female challenge will each be awarded sponsored entries into the Resolution Health Ride - Rhino Mountain Bike Challenge.

Taking place in October, this challenge aims to raise awareness around the poaching of rhinos as well as the endangered Renosterveld species.

Heidi Eloff from Renosterveld Events who is organising the event, says the USSA mountain bike winners will get entry into the Black Rhino section of this particular challenge.

The race will see the two students, along with other cyclists take on a three-day route from Langebaan on the West Coast to Durbanville.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

South Africa’s top university cyclists have descended on the Wellington Campus for the University Sport South Africa (USSA) Cycling Tournament.

Hosted by CPUT, this five-day event will see students compete in a number of challenges that will put their cycling skills to the test.

Tomorrow students will participate in the Nedbank/Old Mutual Mountain Bike Challenge, which will see them negotiate a route of just over 6 km in Welvanpas, situated outside of Wellington.

Cyclists will compete in the Protea Toyota Short Stage and Time Trial events on Wednesday and on Thursday their endurance will be put to the test as they take on the 125 km Drakenstein Long Stage event.

The final day of the tournament is sure to be the highlight as cyclists take to the hills during the Primi Piatti Paarl Hill Climb at the Taal Monument.  The week ends with the most popular race, the Nedbank/Old Mutual Criterium, which takes place in the streets of Wellington.

Event Organiser and USSA Cycling Chairperson, Etienne Joubert says cyclists can expect a top-class event this year.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Next week thousands of students will gather at universities across the county to compete in the University Sport South Africa (USSA) winter tournament.

The USSA Winter Tournament is the top sporting event in the higher education sector and it is where the champions are crowned.

And this year, CPUT athletes have their eyes set on gold.

Sports Coordinator at the Cape Town campus, Annelie Swarts says a large number of CPUT students are participating in next week’s events.

The rugby teams’ skills will be put to test on the fields at the University of Witwatersrand, while the hockey team will play their matches at the University of Johannesburg.

Students will also show-off their surfing skills at Victoria Bay near George, while the Cats basketball team will compete in Port Elizabeth at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Closer to home, the netball team will play their matches at Stellenbosch University while our cyclists will have home advantage with CPUT hosting the USSA Cycling Tournament at the Wellington Campus.

But this year all eyes are on the CPUT rugby team. The team’s performance at the tournament will be a key factor in determining whether they will qualify to compete in the 2013 Varsity Cup.

Sports Coordinator at the Wellington Campus Tyrone Africa says the team is well prepared for next week’s event and plan to come out tops.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In four weeks time the streets of Wellington will be abuzz with hundreds of cyclist as they compete for the prestigious title of SA Champion.

The University Sports South African (USSA) National Cycling Tournament is the most prestigious student cycling event and this year the CPUT Wellington Campus will play host.

Taking place from 2-6 July, the cyclists will compete in several road and off-road challenges in and around Wellington.

Event organizer, Etienne Joubert says more than 200 cyclists from universities across the country have already registered to participate in the week-long event.

And this year students can expect a first-class tournament.

Joubert says the local organizing committee that is made up of CPUT staff members from various departments, is already hard at work.

“Everything is on track for the event,” he says.

For more information on the event see the Event Calendar.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CPUT teams played well in the recent University Sports South Africa (USSA) Games with the netball team being crowned this year’s champions for the B Division and the rugby boys finishing third.

The ladies were unbeaten in the eight games they played during the tournament and their Goal Attacker Merita Steenkamp was selected onto the USSA Netball Dream Team 2019. Merita, a third- year BEd Senior Phase and FET student, is a versatile attacking player who showed consistency in scoring as well as support in attack throughout the tournament.

“The Dream Team is a selection of players identified by the tournament selectors as the best players in each position at the tournament [but] they do not play in any further competition as a dream team,” said Sport Development Officer, Mohammed Ally. “For CPUT to have any representation on the Dream Team is a huge honour as it shows that our players are among the best student Netball players in the country.”

Having won the B section last year, this was the rugby 15s team’s debut in the A2 section of the USSA tournament held recently at Stellenbosch University.

The CPUT boys were underdogs as they would come up against teams that play in the Varsity Cup Competition, but in the same breath every team would be looking to put one past the newly-crowned Varsity Shield Champs.

The team won 45 – 10 against Varsity College in the opening match and went on to lose 5 – 34 to Central University of Technology before ending the tournament on a high with a 45 – 36 win against the North West University (Vaal).

The Ladies’ Basketball team ended 7th in the tournament and therefore qualified for Varsity Sports in 2020.

Written by Kwanele Butana

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A former Tourism Management student, who plays for a National First Division soccer team, says Varsity Football played a huge role towards him becoming a professional football player.

Bizana Pondo Chiefs player, Bravo Maseti, played in the CPUT first team which made it to the national finals of the University Sports South Africa (USSA) tournament in 2012 and 2014. In 2014 he was the team captain under coach Phila Mabesi.  

Maseti was born in Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape but grew up in Plettenberg Bay.

He says that Varsity Football afforded him an opportunity to play competitive soccer. “We used to play USSA qualifications with other Varsities in the province. When you qualified for [the] USSA national tournament, you play [in] a national tournament which is more competitive and organised.”

The soccer star adds that playing in the national finals of the tournament is where players have to prove that they belong in a professional set-up as the tournament is very tough.

He says he has vivid memories of when he played in the USSA national finals in 2012 at the University of the Western Cape where the CPUT team managed to qualify for the Varsity Cup.

“And in 2014 when we were coached by Phila Mabesi and I was the captain of the team, we managed to qualify for the USSA nationals which where hosted by the Durban University of Technology. I was also selected for a national team.”

He currently plays for Bizana Pondo Chiefs which at the beginning of the 2020/2021 season was promoted to the GladAfrica Championship, the second tier of South African soccer.

Besides playing soccer, Maseti runs coaching clinics and is studying towards a coaching qualification. He is also a personal trainer.

“It is the talent in me that motivated me to play soccer. A talent that I was given by God and I use it to praise Him.”

He adds that the challenges of playing the sport include being nervous before the commencement of games and stressing over the opponents’ match tactics.

Maseti sees himself coaching a team in the next five years, whether in the GladAfrica Championship or the Premier Soccer League, the topflight of national soccer.

Written by Kwanele Butana
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CPUT Table Tennis coach, Mfundo Marasi, was recently elected as the chairperson of University Sports South Africa (USSA) Table Tennis.

Marasi, who hails from Ezibeleni, Komani, in the Eastern Cape, said he felt humbled and honoured to be nominated for the position and to be representing CPUT at national level.

“I won my first gold medal in 1999 at the SASSU (SA Student Sports Union) Games and ever since then I've been a coach/manager/mentor for CPUT Table Tennis on a voluntary basis until I was formally appointed last year.”

His role as USSA table tennis chairperson will be to lead and manage all table tennis activities at university level.

Marasi said the role would also include ensuring that the status of table tennis is elevated from being a recreational sport to being a competitive sport that produces champions to represent the country at national, continental and international level.

Furthermore, his role would be to assemble, manage and prepare a team that will represent South Africa at the World Student Games in 2023.

“Our role at university level is to nurture and develop table tennis to be a sport of choice and [for it to be] treated on the same level as popular sports like football, rugby, soccer and netball. My role is to develop a sport-orientated university community that shows interest in table tennis and balance their time wisely with their academic commitment. We encourage more women participation and involvement in the sport.”

He said strong bonds needed to be formed with local table tennis clubs and federations and good relationships had to be established with the South African Table Tennis Board (SATTB).

“Table Tennis is a great sport that helps and contributes to one's health. It should be played at school, at work, in churches and at all recreational facilities. Creating a healthy sporting nation, will help decrease the level of crime, take kids out of drugs, decrease the high teenage pregnancy rate and also helps kids at school with a healthy body and mind. Only then, academic excellency will be guaranteed.”

Marasi is a father of two daughters, Kamo and Uzuko and describes himself as a change agent.

“I’m a mentor, leader, an optimist by birth, a traditional healer, who is proud of his Xhosa culture. I'm a multi-talented child of God who plays and manages the following sports: rugby, football, athletics, hiking, table tennis and karate. I'm an international volunteer who prides himself about encouraging and promoting the spirit of giving back to my community without expectations.” He said he would give his all to his new role.

“Many thanks and appreciation to Mr Siyabulela Mkhwalo and Mr Mohamed Ally for their support thus far and ensuring CPUT management endorsed and supported my nomination He said he would give his best to represent my CPUT and serve all institutions with humility, pride and distinction.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The CPUT supa-pool women’s team clinched the gold medal after three days of facing up to tough challenges from the other four women’s teams. CPUT supa-pool women’s and men’s teams recently competed at the University Sport South Africa (USSA) national championships in East London.

The men’s team missed a bronze medal by finishing in fourth place out of ten competing universities. The gold medal was a reward for all the hard work that went into preparing both teams over a period of three months. The CPUT supa-pool teams were selected at trials held at Bellville campus after which the team gathered every Saturday to be put through their paces by coach, Beauren Simon and team manager, Ricardo Geduld.

The team also played a friendly match against their counterparts from Western Province Supa-pool to prepare them for the level of competition at the national event. Four of CPUT women finished in the top five out of 25 competitors. “This achievement should not be underestimated as supa-pool is a relatively new code of sport at CPUT which needed to be revived after the covid-19 pandemic which put a stop to its re-launch in 2019,” said sports administrator, Quinton Summers. He said CPUT and UWC [University of the Western Cape] are planning to host the 2024 edition of the USSA tournament, and “we hope to scale even greater heights next year”.

For more information on supa-pool at CPUT contact sports administrator, Quinton Summers at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Netball player, Danika Odendaal, who is currently representing CPUT at the University Sport South Africa (USSA) National Tournament, is hoping to follow in her Springbok grandmother, Delorese Ordendaal’s, footsteps.

The tournament at Camp Discovery in the North West Province started on 20 September and will finish on 25 September.

The second-year Foundation Phase student says: “My dream is to play for South Africa one day. It would be a huge honour and a privilege.” Danika was born in Kwazulu-Natal, but her family moved to Saldanha Bay, Western Cape when she was three years old.  

Netball became her focus in sport and during her school days she completed her first umpiring course. Danika would like to further her qualifications in this field and help other young girls to develop their talents and skills.

“I also had the privilege to coach the U/16 E & F girls netball team at Paarl Gymnasium this year and hope to continue in the years to come.” Her eldest sister Anushka is her biggest motivator as she is also very actively involved in netball development in schools and with CPUT.

The 20-year-old is “honoured and blessed” to be chosen as part of the USSA Netball team. “We have all worked hard in preparing ourselves for this tournament and when I heard my name being called, I was ecstatic. For me, it is a dream come true. I hope to make CPUT proud!”

Sport has always played a big part in her family life and Danika’s parents always encouraged them to try everything.  Because her grandmother was a Springbok netball player, netball became the focal point in both her sister and her life paths. During her time at high school, her coach played a big role in her life and motivated and coached Danika with such enthusiasm that she could not help but fall in love with netball. During her high school years, Danika had the privilege to go on a netball tour to Hong Kong where she played against strong teams from other countries. “It was an amazing experience,” Danika continues.

“I am not sure if it’s the ball, the tarmac, or the friends I have made, or maybe it’s just in my blood, but I love netball.”

Reflecting on her challenges, Danika mentions funding as always being, a challenge, but with her parents, friends, teachers and coach, Annemarie Bester, “they helped to make it all possible”. “I am very grateful for all they have done for me.” In Grade 11 she also had an injury where she tore her ligaments in her foot and that put Danika out for a season. But she had a great physiotherapist that helped her with a speedy recovery and motivated Danika to move forward.

God is Danika’s motivator in life.  “We did not grow up rich, but even though we did not always get what we wanted, we always got what we needed.”

Danika would like to further her education so that “I could help special or mentally challenged children. It is so satisfying being able to help and develop these amazing children”. One of her dreams is to help, motivate and coach young girls at school level to play netball.

She believes that: “Once you become fearless, life becomes limitless.”

Danika hopes to make CPUT proud. “And for everybody out there…No challenge is too big. Be positive, have faith and believe in yourself. You can do it.”  

She hopes this opportunity is the start of many more things to come. “We are a fantastic team and I believe that we can go all the way.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

It's a significant period for the CPUT Boxing Team, ranked number four by the University Sports South Africa (USSA).

The team put in “blood, sweat, and tears” in preparation to take on boxers from universities across the country at the University of Mpumalanga at the end of April.

“We have already started with our programme and participated in two tournaments already – one in Durbanville on 26 February and another in Dunoon on 5 March.  On the 12th of March, we will be fighting in Khayelitsha,” said Mvemve Mdingi, the team manager.

Mdingi, also the Faculty of Education Senior Phase Lecturer and Further Education and Training write-out Co-ordinator, said they welcome every student interested in becoming a world champion one day and accept both starters and experienced boxers.

“We would like to welcome all students, both males and females, to join our sport of boxing. Boxing is one of the sporting codes that encourages discipline and self-determination. It is good for self-defence and fitness. Let us help you learn how to be a champion. This year, we have a very busy calendar, and our boxers participate in district, provincial, and national SANABO [South African National Boxing Organisation] championships. Some of our boxers have been selected to participate in the Western Cape Open Boxing Champions League from 21 March 2022 until 17 December 2022.” 

The team trains from Monday to Friday from 17:00 to 19:00 at the Bellville campus Stadium Club House.

The team performed very well in the USSA 2021 games held in December in Richards Bay, coming home with nine medals, one gold, five silver and three bronze. Lumka Mswelanto received the medal for Best Female Coach of the Tournament, while Aphiwe Ntluzwana was elected as USSA's national executive.

Mdingi boasted that a B Ed (Intermediate Phase Teaching) student, Likho Nxele competed in the SANABO National Youth and Elite Championships and received a gold medal.  “She then went on to represent South Africa in the international African Union Sports Council Region 5 Games held in Lesotho, where she received a silver medal.”

AUSC is composed of 10 African Countries in the SADC region.  Mdingi added: “There is a great potential that she will be going to England to compete in the Commonwealth Games in July this year. Mdingi expressed his gratitude for the support given to boxing by the Head of the Sports Department, Siyabulela Mkhwalo.

“CPUT has great potential and talent, and once the COVID-19 pandemic lets go of us, a lot can be achieved. The plan is to grow boxing into other campuses like Mowbray and District Six in 2022 to increase competition,” Mdingi continued.

“Boxing is one of the best sports in helping anger management which is one of the reasons that we have lots of people in prisons. Boxing also teaches students the importance of practising and preparing to achieve goals.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A former captain of the CPUT Ladies’ Rugby team has been co-opted to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of University Sport South Africa (USSA).

Lusapho Hlatshaneni grew up in the Eastern Cape and said while her father and uncle played rugby, she never imagined following in their footsteps.

She initially enrolled for the Diploma in Clothing Management and “reluctantly” joined the CPUT women's team in 2017 when she was recruited by former coach, Siyabonga Hani.

“He had seen me running a couple of times when they had practice and thought I would make a good addition to the team.”

Lusapho would soon become captain and one of her highlights was a match they won against UWC in the USSA Rugby 7’s tournament.

“I became captain in 2018 and one and the highlight came when we played in the USSA Rugby 7's tournament, hosted by Wits, and CPUT played UWC in our Plate Final and won. Before that game we had lost every game to UWC. We came third in the overall tournament but our team morale was at its peak.”

She has learnt many lessons from participating in rugby.

“The comradery that comes with playing rugby is unmatched. I’ve learnt to cheer for my team, even if I am on the bench and that every member of the team is important. It helped me build new relationships, taught me endurance on and off the field and most importantly to fight for what is right.”

This included fighting for a level playing field for the women’s team.

“I do not think I would have ended up as a sports administrator had it not been how my journey in rugby started.”

She joined the USSA Student Forum in 2018 when she was asked by the former manager of Sport and Culture, Siyabulela Mkwalo, to represent CPUT.

She gave birth to her son in 2019 and took a gap year whereafter she enrolled for the new qualification in Clothing and Textile Technology.

Upon her return in 2020, she was elected as the student forum national working committee secretary.

“I learnt a lot about the background of sport and the administrative work, especially the advocacy for student athletes. I am honoured to be serving university sport at both national and international level, this is a big deal for both myself and CPUT and I am grateful that CPUT has always given me the support.”

She said she was co-opted into the USSA NEC when two seats had become vacant and needed to be replaced by students.

“The vetting process was long, it started last year in October 2022 and I was one of many students from various member institutions who were nominated.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.