Sport News South Africa

Mokoena back in action at the Yellow Pages Stellenbosch

Athletics South Africa (ASA) announced today that Khotso Mokoena, South Africa's silver medalist at the Beijing Olympic Games will make his second appearance in this year's Yellow Pages Series at the meeting in Stellenbosch this Friday.

Mokoena will be in action in the long jump and will be out to achieve another world class performance. In his first outing in the Series at Potchefstroom Mokoena achieved the IAAF A qualification standard for the IAAF World Championships in Berlin in August when he jumped 8,15m.

Following that performance he represented a star studded Commonwealth team at an indoor meeting in Glasgow and since his return has been preparing for the last two Yellow Pages meetings.

His last visit to Stellenbosch last year at the Yellow Pages SA Senior Championships was not a happy one when he was defeated by Keenan Watson in the long jump and he wants to make amends for that mishap. Watson unfortunately had to withdraw from Friday's meeting on medical grounds.

Another feature of the meeting will be in the relays when South Africa's men's 4x100m and 4x400m and women's 4x400m teams will take on teams from Mauritius and Kenya in an effort to set qualifying times for the World Championships. The IAAF has granted permission that the Stellenbosch meeting can host these qualifying races.

Several of the country's top athletes will be in action. Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and Juan van Deventer who both starred in Durban in the 1500m will renew their rivalry while Janus Robberts and Ross Jordaan( shot put), Robert Oosthuizen and Hardus Pienaar (javelin), Elizna Naude and Hannes Hopley( discus), Thabo Mathibedi, Thuso Mpuang, Kagiso Kumbane, Janice Josephs and Isabel le Roux( all in the sprints) and Ruben Ramolefi ( 3000m steeplechase) will all be hoping for good performances.

The meeting will start at 18:00 with the women's pole vault already starting at 17:00.

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