Priscah Jeptoo Prays, Runs and Wins
Kenyan athlete Priscah Jeptoo is soft-spoken about her accomplishments, but she’s not shy about publicly proclaiming her faith. After being the first woman to cross the finish line in Sunday’s London Marathon, with a winning time of 2:20:15, the 28-year-old Jeptoo immediately knelt and prayed. The fans in London saw a similar scene last year […]
Shining the Light after Boston Marathon Tragedy
I run for a lot of different reasons – some physical, some emotional, some social, some spiritual and some psychological. Fellow runner and sports journalist Mike Wise, writing in Tuesday’s Washington Post newspaper, says, “I know there are things worked out in your head on a run that cannot be worked out in a therapist’s […]
Dieng Returns To Final Four
Gorgui Dieng (pronounced GOR-gee Jeng) says one of his personal goals at the University of Louisville is to win a national college basketball championship, and for the second year in a row, the tall center from Senegal has a great shot at lifting the trophy. Dieng and the Cardinals of Louisville have once again advanced […]
Kenyan Marathoner Erick Mose says, “Vamanos!”
While many top Kenyan distance runners train at home to prepare for big international races, Erick Mose took a different tact in winning the recent Asics Los Angeles Marathon in southern California. The 26-year-old Mose set a personal best of 2:09:44, breaking away in the final two miles from his friend Julius Keter, the grandson […]
Luis Figo Football Academy in South Sudan
Here’s a Sonny Side of Sports salute for Luis Figo, the former Portuguese soccer star who says he’s planning to open a football academy in South Sudan, Africa’s newest country. At a news conference in the capital, Juba, the 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year said the academy will focus on education as much […]
The Turbaned Tornado
Here’s a Sonny Side of Sports salute for Fauja Singh, the 101-year-old Turbaned Tornado who has stormed through the record books with his late in life running exploits. Singh announced in Hong Kong February 24 that he’s done with competitive races, but he’s not done with running. “I will not lose confidence,” Singh said through […]
South Africa’s Fallen Blade Runner
Where there was once joy and smiles on the track, there are now bowed heads and tears in a Pretoria courtroom. The last time I blogged about Oscar Pistorius, South Africa’s “Blade Runner,” was on July 4, 2012, the Independence Day holiday in the United States. Pistorius described that day as one of the proudest […]
African Nations Cup Football Fans
Attendance at the 29th Africa Cup of Nations football tournament in South Africa has been disappointing, with many empty seats seen on the TV broadcasts, but a few fans have caught my eye with their face paint, colorful attire and joyous spirit. South African fans and Nations Cup organizers were happy to see the home […]
Nations Cup Mascot Takuma the Hippo
Reaction to Takuma the Hippo, the official mascot of the 29th Africa Cup of Nations football tournament in South Africa, has been generally favorable, judging by my mailbag. Dominic Esifa, writing from Katsina, Nigeria, describes Takuma as “very South African in nature.” The huge hippopotamus is found in South Africa and other parts of sub-Saharan […]
Ethiopia Returns to Nations Cup After 31-Year Absence
Ethiopian football fans are excited to see their national team return to the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in South Africa after a 31-year absence. The Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia are in Group C for the African football fiesta, along with Nigeria, Burkina Faso and defending Nations Cup champion Zambia. Ethiopia will play Zambia January […]