Akani Simbine and Henricho Bruintjies are undoubtedly one of the major drawcards in the men’s 100m at the 3rd and final Liquid Telecom Athletix Grand Prix Series Meeting at the Dal Josaphat Stadium, Paarl this coming Thursday, 22 March 2018.
For Simbine, it’s a final test before departing to the Gold Coast, Australia for the Commonwealth Games, while for Bruintjies it is a home coming and an opportunity to race in front of his home crowd (Paarl) where he will gun for the scalp of his friend, Simbine.
The much expected duel between the two did not materialise at the national championships, with Simbine withdrawing after the first round as a precaution. Simbine had complained of a tight hamstring and after consulting with his coach, withdrew from the race. Bruintjies went on to win the bronze medal.
Now the two will go head-to-head at the final Grand Prix Meeting in Paarl. Bruintjies grew up in Paarl, so for him to be able to race in front of what is still his hometown, has special meaning.
“I’m looking forward to running at home,” said Bruintjies. “Moving up to Tshwane was the right decision for my athletics career, but being able to run at what I still see as home, is a big deal for me.”
Bruintjies is the last man to beat Simbine on South African soil in the 100m after he edged the South African record holder at the 2016 ASA Senior Championships in Stellenbosch, a stone’s throw from where Bruintjies grew up.
Simbine put all fears to rest after withdrawing saying he was healthy, ready and eager to race in Paarl. “I felt a tightness in my hamstring and after discussing it with my coach, we opted to withdraw from the championships. This was one of the hardest decisions that I have made, as the national title means a lot to me and I enjoy running in front of my home crowd. It is important to me to be able to do that as they always support me, so I feel it is my responsibility to reciprocate by racing at Tuks. But I had to make the hard decision.”
Included in the 100m field are: the national champion in the 100m, Simon Magakwe, the 200m SA champion, Luxolo Adams as well as Roscoe Engel who finished 4th at the national championships and Retshiditswe Mlenga, the 18-year-old World Youth Champion who finished 5th at the national championships in the 100m final.
EVENT INFORMATION: Liquid Telecom Athletix Grand Prix Series
The Liquid Telecom Athletix Grand Prix is more than just a show, it enables athletes the opportunity to compete against South African and global talent; for them to be nurtured and invested in, so that they have the potential of becoming green and gold medalists.
Dates, Venue and Start Times:
| Thursday, 22 March 2018 | Dal Josaphat Stadium, Paarl |
| Time: | +- 16:45 – 17:30 / Pre Programme |
| Time: | 17:45 – 19:00 / Main Programme |
Ticket Prices:
Main Pavilion Tickets
| Standard Ticket: | R 100 each |
| Children under 16 years of age: | R 50 each |
Open Stand/Grass Banks
| Standard Ticket: | R 50 each |
| Children under 16 years of age: | R 50 each |
ONLINE TICKET SALES are open and can be purchased via www.webtickets.co.za
Tickets can also be purchased at the gate on event day.
Visit the event’s Facebook page for daily announcements!
Facebook: AthletixGrandPrix
Twitter: @AthletixGP
Website: www.athletixgrandprix.com
ABOUT LIQUID TELECOM
Liquid Telecom is a leading communications services and solutions provider across 13 countries in Eastern, central and Southern Africa that serves carrier, enterprise and retail customerswith high-speed, reliable connectivity and digital services.
It has built Africa’s largest independent fibre network, spanning over 50,000km, and operates state-of-the-art data centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Nairobi, with a combined 6,800 square meters of rack space.
This is in addition to leading cloud-based services, such as Microsoft Office365 and Microsoft Azure, and innovative digital content provision, including Netflix, NBA, TED and Kwese Play.
Through this combined offering, Liquid Telecom is enhancing customers’ experience on their digital journey.
About Athletics South Africa:
Athletics South Africa (ASA) is the national governing body for the sport of athletics (including Track and Field, Cross Country, Road Running and Race Walking) in South Africa, which is a member of the IAAF, and the Confederation of African Athletics. The association is based in Johannesburg.