Nicolaas de Lange wrestles his way to Commonwealth Games silver as SA boxer makes history

South Africa's Nicolaas de Lange in action against Canada's Nishan Randhawa during their gold medal match. Picture: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters

South Africa's Nicolaas de Lange in action against Canada's Nishan Randhawa during their gold medal match. Picture: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters

Published Aug 7, 2022

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Cape Town - After a difficult start on the athletics track earlier in the day, Team South Africa boosted their medal haul to 26 with a silver and three bronze at the Commonwealth Games on Saturday.

The first gong of the day came in the boxing ring, where Simnikiwe Bongco was up against Australian Callum Peters in an over 71kg-75kg middleweight semi-final at the NEC Hall 4 in Birmingham.

The 21-year-old from Duncan Village township near East London would've entered the bout full of confidence after recording two consecutive 5-0 wins in the round of 16 and quarter-final.

But Peters was just too good on the day, pulling off a 5-0 victory after prevailing in all three rounds on each of the five judges' scorecards.

However, with every losing semi-finalist in boxing guaranteed a bronze, Bongco received his medal.

It was a similar scenario for Phiwokuhle Mnguni in her semi-final in the women's featherweight division (over 54kg-57kg).

Northern Ireland's Michaela Walsh was also on top in all three rounds to clinch a 5-0 victory, but it was an historic moment for the 21-year-old Mnguni - who hails from Dundee in KwaZulu-Natal - as she became the first South African woman to claim a boxing medal at the Commonwealth Games.

The third bronze medallist for Mzansi on Saturday was achieved in athletics, where Zeney van der Walt finished third in the women's 400m hurdles final at Alexander Stadium.

The 22-year-old former world junior champion produced the outstanding performance of her career as she set a new personal best of 54.47 seconds, which beat her previous mark of 54.81.

But Van der Walt was unlucky as she missed out on a silver medal by two-thousandths of a second (54.464) to Jamaica's Shiann Salmon (54.462).

Another Jamaican, Janieve Russell, grabbed the gold with a time of 54.14.

Team SA saved the best for last on Saturday, with Nicolaas de Lange earning a silver medal in the men's freestyle 97kg wrestling final.

The 21-year-old De Lange was up against Canada's Nishan Randhawa for the title at the Coventry Arena.

The grappler from Polokwane made a solid start in the first period, trailing just 3-2.

But the 24-year-old Randhawa dominated the second period 6-1 to secure a 9-3 triumph.

South Africa are now in eighth position on the overall medal standings on 26, with seven gold, eight silver and 11 bronze.