By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
SA’s ‘Undertaker’ Nicolaas de Lange wins silver in the men’s freestyle 97kg gold medal wrestling match at Commonwealth Games.
De Lange lost by points 9-3 to Canada’s Nishan Randhawa.
“A silver medal is the worst medal that you can have,” said the emotional De Lange after losing the gold-medal match 9-3 to Canada’s Nishan Randhawa.
“I had a really strong start to the day. Two matches by superiority and I came into this last round and clearly I wasn’t good enough, but I’ll have to be on top of my game the next time I appear,” he said.
“I didn’t do what I set out to do in my head. He’s a quick guy, a good wrestler – I’ll give him that – but next time I’m coming for him,” added De Lange who removed his silver medal immediately after the medal ceremony.
“I’m more interested in refocusing and next time getting the gold medal,” added the 20-year-old whose focus now shifts to the Under-23 World Championships in Spain in October.
Phiwokuhle Mnguni claimed South Africa’s second boxing bronze medal of the day. She went down to two-time Commonwealth Games silver medallist Michaela Walsh of Northern Ireland in her featherweight semifinal but nevertheless secured the country’s first ever Games medal for a South African woman.
Meanwhile South Africa lost their semi-final in the men’s hockey against India on Saturday.
Ryan Julius and Mustapha Cassiem scored for SA, but third-ranked India held their nerve to seal a late goal and clinch the match 3-2.
South Africa will play a bronze medal match on Sunday against either Australia or England.
Elsewhere South Africa’s Zeney van der Walt surges through the final 50m to deny Jamaica a full sweep in the women’s 400m hurdles final at the Commonwealth Games.
Van der Walt ran a personal best of 54.47 as she pushed through in the final stretch to snatch bronze for South Africa – nearly grabbing silver after dipping her head at the finish line.
It takes South Africa’s medal tally to 24.
Jamaica’s Janieve Russel took gold in 54.14 and fellow countryman Shiann Salmon took silver in 54.47.