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

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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

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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

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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

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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
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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
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