1977 — Hugh Baiocchi becomes the first South African to win the British Match Play Championship as he downs Ryder Cup player Brian Huggett of Wales 6&5 in the final at Stoke Poges. Baiocchi almost didn’t make the final, fighting back from four down after 10 holes in his semifinal against Irishman Christy O’Connor to win six of the next seven holes for a 2&1 victory.
1983 — Former Wits University goalie Gary Bailey, playing for Manchester United, makes a critical save in the dying moments of the FA Cup final at a packed Wembley stadium in London against Brighton and forces a replay. Bailey smothered Gordon Smith’s effort with 10 seconds of the match remaining, keeping the score 2-2. “It was the most important save of my life but I confess it was pure instinct,” said Bailey, whose team won the replay 4-0.
1989 — Oscar Chalupsky wins his seventh straight Molokai Challenge in Hawaii, a 30-mile unofficial world championship ocean race from Molokai to Oahu. In the process he beat American Greg Barton, the reign Olympic K1 and K2 1,000m champion. Chalupsky was banned from competing there after that because of sanctions against apartheid South Africa. He had always competed for an Hawaiian kayak club, although everybody had known he was South African. Chalupsky’s canoeist father Paul had given up his German passport to compete for South Africa, only to miss out on the Olympics when South Africa was barred from the Games, starting with Tokyo 1964.
1994 — Jaji Sibali becomes the first South African boxer to compete in a world title fight in the new South Africa, but he loses on a ninth-round stoppage defeat to Mexico’s Julio Cesar Borboa for the IBF junior-bantamweight title at the Carousel casino, north of Pretoria.
1995 — Brothers Oscar and Herman Chalupsky score the only dead heat in the history of the Molokai Challenge, holding on to each other’s kayaks as they cross the finish line together. They had agreed to finish together after racing neck and neck for most of the 30-mile ocean contest.
1998 — Jacques Kallis scores 62 to steer the Proteas, needing 224, to a three-wicket victory over England in the first ODI at The Oval. Captain Hansie Cronje made 40 and Jonty Rhodes an unbeaten 39.
2006 — Durban-based 21-year-old Clint Pretorius edges defending champion and compatriot Oscar Chalupsky by 28 seconds to win the 30-mile Molokai Challenge in Hawaii.
2017 — Sune Luus scores 55 as the South African women are bowled out for 156 on their way to losing the quadrangular series final against India in Potchefstroom by eight wickets.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.