ATHLETICS.
Our company is probably not one of the best when it comes to athletics. We have had very few good athletes but probably the best two athletes we ever had were Lt F.A. Nel and Lt W. Van Zyl.
Lt Nel was an excellent competitor in the 3 000 m and 10 000 m events. Lt Van Zyl excelled in the 800 m and 1 500 m track events. During the 1986 Sports Day at 3 SAI , these two avid sportsmen walked off with two of the top prizes . Lt Nel was awarded Victor Ludorum, and Lt Van Zyl received the prize for Best Track Athlete. Both these members were selected for the North-West Command team and participated in the S.A. Army Games held in Bloemfontein.
BADMINTON.
Here we had four good players. These four members were selected for the 53 BN Games and the Sector 10 Games. They were good competitors, but none really excelled. The four players were Rfn L. Botha, Rfn M.E. Law, Rfn J.S. Malherbe, and Rfn R.M. Oehely.
BOXING.
The company had many promising boxers, but they did not really get enough opportunities to show their form. In the only opportunity the company had to show its form, only one member managed to reach the finals of the 3 SAI Championships. Rfn B. Peterson had a tough battle against his Charlie Company rival. In the fight which was to be known as the fight of the tournament, Rfn Peterson was beaten by his opponent who had a height advantage over him; but one can still be proud of his good show and on achieving second place. Well done Brian.
CRICKET.
At the beginning of the season, which started in September 1986, the following members were chosen to represent 53 BN Cricket XI. They were : Rfn A.R. Buckley, Rfn I.W. Burnett, Rfn J.B. Smith, and Rfn D.H. Smithers. A strong side was chosen and continued to excel throughout the half-season. Rfn Smithers and Rfn Burnett were both chosen to represent N-SWA at the SWA cricket trials. Rfn Burnett scored an accountable 96 on the second day and was unfortunate not to be chosen for the SWA B-Team (the Kudus). Rfn W.A.C. De Klerk also played two matches.
At the close of the season Rfn Burnett also represented the Sector 10 team, scoring an impressive 61 against Tsumeb. The 53 BN team was top of the Sector 10 league at the close of the half season.
With the resumption of the season in January 1987, the 53 BN team played in the final against 10 Pantser from Oshakati. 53 BN well deserved the win, which they achieved by six wickets. This put them top of the Sector 10 League.
Rfn Buckley, Rfn Burnett, and Rfn Smith represented the Sector 10 side which resoundingly crushed Grootfontein in the N-SWA league final in Oshakati. Sector 10 won by 135 runs. Mention must be made of Rfn Buckley's neat wicket keeping, in taking an astounding catch and a run out. Burnett and Buckley went on to represent N-SWA till the end of the season. Rfn Burnett was chosen as Captain of this side and must be congratulated on his performance. The team went on to defeat Wanderers (the top club in Windhoek) in the final match of the season. The N-SWA side ended up tying for the SWA League trophy.
7 SAI ECHO Company must be proud of their representatives on the cricket field as they performed to the best of their ability, and so kept the company's name high.
RUGBY.
Weens die beperkte tyd wat ons kompanie by hul tuis eenhede (3 SAI en 7 SAI) gespandeer het, het ons rugby spelers nie veel kans gehad om hulle talente in die Republiek ten toon te stel nie.
Tydens ons derde en finale grens fase het hulle egter die geleentheid gekry om aan die Bataljon-spele deel te neem en ECHO-Kompanie te verteenwoordig. Weens die feit dat die spelers nooit van te vore saamgespeel het nie het die span aanvanklik gesukkel met die eerste wedstryd van die Sektor 10 Spele.
Die span het egter gou op draf gekom, kombinasies is gevorm, en het die span onder ander vir 2 SAI van Okalongo geklop met 22-0. Die span wat ook aan akute-onfiksheid gely het, het hulle in die smorige hitte van Oshakati goed gekwyt van hulle taak en vierde geeindig in die toernooi.
Die hoeveelheid talent wat die span besit is bevestig toe ses lede van die span gekies is om die Bataljon te verteenwoordig na afloop van die Bataljon-spele. Die dan ook die meeste spelers wat uit een enkele kompanie gekies is om die bataljon te verteenwoordig. Die ses spelers wat gekies is om die bataljon op die Sektor-spele te verteenwoordig was LT. De Klerk, Kpl. Strydom, O/Kpl. van der Linde, Sktr. du Preez, Sktr. Lourens en Sktr. Z. Smit.
Behalwe vir Kpl. Strydom wat uit peleton 2 kom, kom al die spelers uit een peleton, naamlik peleton 3. Die spelers het toe vir ongeveer 'n maand in Ondangwa agtergebly om saam met die res van die Bataljon-span te oefen vir die Sektor-spele. In die tyd voor die spele het die span liga-bepalings nagekom wat die span gemaklik gewen het en het hulle nie een keer minder as 30 punte aangeteken nie.
Tydens die Sektor-spele vanaf 22 Mei - 24 Mei 1987 het die span hulle weereens goed van hulle taak gekwyt en aan die einde van die spele is hulle beloon met die plaat-trofee, vir al hulle harde oefening. Ons kompanie se spelers het dan ook 'n groot aandeel gehad in die verowering van die trofee deurdat Lt de Klerk kaptein was van die span tydens die spele en Sktr. du Preez en Kpl. Strydom elk drie gedruk het tydens die spele.
Ons kompanie se rugby spelers het hulle dus met onderskeidings van hulle taak gekwyt al was die geleenthede beperk weens die "nomadiese" aard van hulle diensplig, dwarsoor die RSA en SWA.
SOCCER.
Our company has never really had the time to show its form. Every match played was unpractised and there was not enough time for the team players to get used to their specific positions. In the few matches played, the team had plenty of spirit and showed good control of the ball, but this was not enough to give them a win. Nevertheless BRAVO-ECHO Company had many enthusiastic players, namely : Lt Kruger, L/Cpl Zeeman, L/Cpl Booysen, Rfn Gatto, Rfn Murphy, Rfn Cizlak, Rfn Mack, Rfn Abrantes, Rfn Correia, Rfn Kennedy, Rfn Winchester, Rfn Wolfaardt, Rfn Duffield, Rfn Peterson, Rfn J.B. Smith and Rfn A. Allen.
STOEI.
Die stoei seisoen het vroeg in September 1985 begin. Sktr. J.J. Posthumus en Sktr. A. Viljoen het vir die Weermagproewe ingeskryf. Na afloop van die proewe het hulle die volgende plekke behaal : Sktr. Posthumus 4de plek en Sktr. Viljoen 6de plek in die 66 - 70kg afdeling. Die stoei aktiwiteite is gestaak weens die vertrek van die kompanie na een van die onlus gebiede. In Februarie 1986 is die stoei program weer voortgesit. Kpl. B. Olivier en Sktr. P.D. Viljoen het by die stoei span aangesluit. Die vier lede is uitgenooi na 'n toernooi in Pretoria. Hier het ons manne goed gevaar. Sktr. Posthumus het 2de plek, en Sktr. A. Viljoen 3rde plek in die 66 - 70kg afdeling behaal. Sktr. P.D. Viljoen het 'n 2de plek behaal in die 78 - 82kg afdeling en Kpl. Olivier het 'n 3rde plek behaal in die 74 - 78kg gewigsafdeling.
Daarna het hulle in die Wes-Transvaal proewe te Klerksdorp deel geneem. Sktr Posthumus het 'n tweede plek in sy afdeling gehaal terwyl Kpl Olivier 'n derde plek en Sktr A. Viljoen 'n derde plek in hulle eie afdelings behaal het. Sktr Posthumus en Sktr P.D. Viljoen is vir die B-Span gekies om in die S.A. proewe te gaan deelneem. In Mei 1986 het Sktr J.J. Posthumus 'n vyfde plek behaal in die S.A. Weermag Span.
TENNIS.
Unfortunately ECHO Company does not have many tennis players; however, the few that do play have managed to put up a good display whenever they have played. Tennis only really came to life on our second border trip with Rfn Higgs, Rfn Morris, and L/Cpl Webster playing for the Sector 10 side. The team managed a second position against a strong Windhoek side. Rfn T. Higgs went on to play in the SWA Defence Force League where he fared very well.
The above-mentioned players, plus Cpl G. Coetzee and Rfn A. Buckley formed the top half of the 53 BN tennis side, which also participated in the Sector 10 Games. All in all, the standard of tennis has been quite high and it is a pity that chances to play did not present themselves earlier in ECHO Company's two year service.
TOUTREK.
Gedurende die eerste grens besoek het drie van ons lede, naamlik Sktr W.A.C. De Klerk, Sktr S.J. Van Der Schyf en Sktr R.J. Pool by die 53 BN Toutrek span aangesluit. Na baie ure se harde oefening is hulle uitgenooi na die Grootfontein skou waar hulle 'n tweede plek behaal het teen TCL (Tsumeb Ko-Op) en 61 Meg. Die 53 BN span wen op die Sektor-spele en is Walvisbaai toe om teen WP Polisie, Pretoria Polisie, Rundu en TCL te trek. In die toernooi het die span 'n vierde plek behaal. Gedurende die Bataljonspele in April 1987 het 7 SAI toutrek span in al twee gewigsafdelings 'n eerste plek behaal, maar het nie so goed gevaar op die Sektor-spele te Oshakati.
GENERAL.
Apart from the above sports we had many representatives in various other sports such as : volleyball, squash, baseball, pistol shooting, hockey, jukskei, and golf. Other non-Olympic sports practiced were : darts, snooker, pool, chess, bridge, Backgammon, Risk, and Monopoly.
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