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US

In a sport that is now a mere sideshow, no one made a better boxing corner-man and trainer than Angelo Dundee. He stood beside some of the greatest fighters and the greatest fights, and leaves the ring a legend. By RICHARD POPLAK.

Angelo Dundee came from a tight-knit Philadelphia family. Immigrant kin that didn't go in for stuff as frivolous as boxing. But he and his two brothers would not be swayed. Born Mirena, they changed their names to Dundee. And under that new, anglicised surname Angelo would enter the canon as one of boxing's greats. He was born in south Philly in 1921, and learned the ropes in New York City, working first as a bucket boy, and then as a cut man for trainers such as Chickie Ferrara, Charlie Goldman and Ray Arcel. This was the 1940s, the sport's heyday,… More

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The recent ODI series against the Sri Lankans saw the Proteas win 3-2. It was also the debut of AB de Villiers’ captaincy. PAUL BERKOWITZ was pleasantly surprised by the flair and innovation that he’s brought to the captaincy.

A conversation I had years ago on the steps of UCT’s Jameson Hall sticks in my mind. Actually, it was more of a monologue, nay, a soliloquy, to which my brilliant friend was subjecting me. The topic of this one-way chat was the lack of imagination in the various South African sporting codes with particular emphasis on Saru and the Springboks. “Paul” (he declaimed) “if Jonah Lomu was born a South African, those morons in coaching and administration would have stuck him in the scrum without a second thought. South African rugby only knows one way to play; breed them… More

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Melbourne, Australia

In the 100th staging of the men’s Australian Open final, tennis fans were treated to a duel of blockbuster proportions as Novak Djokovic continued his monopoly of Grand Slam events. By STYLI CHARALAMBOUS.

The 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5 epic broke several records and had commentators gushing about the possibility of an all-time greatest final. In a time when too many sportsmen are compared to gladiators, this was a contest that belied the hyperbole. The match would last seven minutes short of six hours, making it the longest Grand Slam final in history and the third longest of any tennis match ever played. Going to the final, Rafael Nadal would have felt good about his chances to end the run of six straight defats, including three major finals, to his friend and great… More

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South Africa

In the worst kept secret since George Michael came out the closet, the South African Rugby Union will announce Heynecke Meyer as the new Springbok coach on Friday. By STYLI CHARALAMBOUS.

The speculation over the appointment of the new coach has raged unabated, ever since it became clear Peter de Villiers would not be seeking a second four-year term. A wide range of candidates were tipped to take over the most heated seat in South African sports, only for the rugby rumour mill to move into overdrive with news that former assistant coach, Gert Smal, was finalising the finer points of his contract with Saru executives in early January. As a coach with extensive international experience assisting both the Boks and fairly successful Irish side, Smal is the kind of candidate… More

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Africa

The Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Saturday, and tourists are descending on hosts Gabon and Equatorial Guinea by the handful. If you are one of the lucky few, here’s a handy travel guide you probably shouldn’t rely on completely. By SIMON ALLISON.

Overview: Equatorial Guinea is a small, relatively insignificant Spanish-speaking country on the west coast of Africa. Despite the implication, the equator is actually south of it. It is perhaps the least consequential of the three African Guineas. Guinea-Conakry is at least large enough to be visible on a standard map, and Guinea Bissau has that whole drug thing going for it. Equatorial Guinea, on the other hand, is famous for putting up Africa’s longest-serving dictator. President Teodoro Obiang, take a bow; you truly are a hero to a certain breed of African leader, having outlasted the likes of Mobuto Sese… More

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US

As Muhammad Ali turns 70 on Tuesday, some commentators suggest that the ageing boxer’s career holds little resonance or interest for young people today. REBECCA DAVIS reminds us why the man they called “The Greatest” is one of the most famous people on Earth.

Describing Ali’s birthday party last Saturday – one of five planned parties to happen across the States over the next month – TIME suggested that even at age 70, Ali has “still the most recognisable face on the planet”. A touch of hyperbole? After all, the appeal of boxing has faded in recent years. The “golden age” of boxing is widely construed as stretching from the 20s to the late 70s, with blips in between. Most people who aren’t specifically interested in the sport these days could probably name less than a handful of currently-active professional boxers: maybe America’s Floyd… More

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World

On Friday, after the first day of the third test between Australia and India, several significant questions concerning the future of cricket were answered. Some more surprising than others. By STYLI CHARALAMBOUS.

Since the rock ‘n roll inception of the Indian Premier League in 2008, cucumber sandwich eating purists of the game of cricket have been casting a condescending glance over the ghastly creation of 20-over cricket. With flashy fireworks, dazzling pom poms of boundary-parading cheerleaders and stratospheric player salaries, the shorter format and its IPL progression soon had the plums falling from MCC members’ mouths. Initially branded a gimmick that would never catch on, it wasn’t only the jacket-and-tie wearing members of cricket’s governing body that failed to take the format seriously. The first domestic competition was run in England’s county… More

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Australia

To describe the upcoming Australian Open as tantalising would be to introduce Megan Fox as mildly attractive. It really does seem as though men’s tennis is smack in the middle of a golden age, with a series of contenders all worthy of holding aloft the Norman Brookes Challenge cup and a winner’s cheque of almost R20-million. By STYLI CHARALAMBOUS.

As with most major sporting tournaments, the Australian Open at Melbourne Park is steeped in history and titbits of trivia that are sure to come in handy during a pub quiz. Although established in 1905, the tournament was only awarded major status in 1927 and followed a city-rotation policy that saw four different Australian cities host the championships, and even Christchurch and Hastings in New Zealand. In 1972 the meandering was curtailed and the tournament found its permanent home in Melbourne, thanks mainly to the live sport fanatics there. So much so that in 1988, a new stadium was built… More

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South Africa

Dale Steyn is only half-way through his Test bowling career but he’s already one of the greatest players the world has ever seen. How much higher can he go? PAUL BERKOWITZ hazards a guess.

Dale Steyn didn’t have an illustrious start to his career. He debuted in the summer of 2004/2005 against a strong England side in an ill-fated home series the Proteas lost 2-1.  He was drafted in as first / second change bowling cover for a South African attack depleted through injury. He only played in three Tests of the five-Test series, taking eight wickets at an average of 52 and a strike rate of over 75. He wouldn’t play Test cricket for more than a year. He returned to the Test side in 2006, opening the bowling with Makhaya Ntini against… More

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USA

If you’re not an American football follower, you may not be familiar with the name Tim Tebow. But the young quarterback is rapidly becoming as much of a cultural phenomenon in the States as a sportsman. By REBECCA DAVIS.

His nickname is “God’s quarterback”. Football commentators have said of his play that they “have never seen anything like it”. The Huffington Post once said of him that he has “the ability to kill a man with a forearm and get popcorn to pop by staring at kernels”. He is the biggest thing to happen to American sport in a long time. And he exerts a thrilling hold on the American public imagination, with his astonishing ability to turn a game around singlehandedly in the final moments often described in language verging on the religious. “Miraculous”, “mystifying”: these are some… More

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England

It was the dream return to the Emirates that every single fan wanted: Arsenal legend Thierry Henry scored the winner against Leeds United in an otherwise uneventful FA Cup fixture. You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who is unmoved. By our decidedly unbiased SIPHO HLONGWANE.

Seldom has a man’s return to the Premier League received more coverage. Then again, it isn’t often that a living talisman returns to ply his trade. Six years after leaving Arsenal FC to play for Barcelona in Spain, Henry returned to the Emirates Stadium as a player. For some reason, Major League Soccer runs along the calendar year, whereas most leagues in the world start and end in June. The MLS season break is, therefore, in January and February, just as the wear-and-tear of the EPL starts to set in. Not content to sit back, Henry, who plays for the… More

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England

The world's richest sporting competition happens to be the one that is least predictable. Which is why it is also the best sporting competition in the world. By SIPHO HLONGWANE.

It was a sight that nobody had seen for more than 15 years. Sir Alex Ferguson stood transfixed at the edge of a field in the north of England, his face a mixture of barely-contained rage, fatigue and that pasty grey that is peculiar to Scotland. He was completely motionless, except for his jaws that were savaging a piece of gum. The Gaffer was genuinely at a loss as to what to do. Manchester United was on the brink of a second consecutive defeat in the 2010-2011 season, at the hands of the irrepressible Newcastle United Football Club, and there… More

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South Africa

Looking back on an year of two world cups, the hangover of another and excluding some splashes in the swimming pool, 2011 wasn’t very kind to South Africa. STYLI CHARALAMBOUS struggles to digest a year that began with so much sporting promise, but ended in heartburn.

This year reminded me so much of 1999. It began with the eager anticipation of my two favourite World Cups, with both the Proteas and Springboks holding better-than-good chances of victory. And just as in ’99, the anger and frustration that spewed forth after South Africa’s ungracious exits were once again dished out in healthy portions to long-suffering cricket and rugby fans.  Back then, I remember struggling through two sets of honours exams during the ’99 edition of those World Cups, with five-minute study breaks somehow evolving into entire afternoon sessions, or longer. With the university and ICC conspiring to… More

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South Africa

Sri Lanka are touring South Africa for the first time in almost a decade. The visitors are in disarray: their young squad is riddled with injuries and lacks experience, apart from a strong middle order. South Africa are expected to win the first Test at Centurion. By PAUL BERKOWITZ.

Sri Lanka’s tour of South Africa begins on Thursday at Centurion with a three-match Test series. It’s been a paltry nine years and change since they last played Test cricket here in 2002 in a two-Test series that South Africa won 2-0. (I find it difficult to speak of a “whitewash” for such a short series. Maybe an “off-whitewash”? “Beigewash?” “Eggshellwash?”) Since that series, South Africa have toured Sri Lanka twice, in 2004 and 2006, and played two two-Test series, which Sri Lanka won 1-0 and 2-0 respectively. Test cricket between the two countries has been thin on the ground… More

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USA

After 749 days without a win as a professional golfer, Tiger Woods ended his drought in swashbuckling fashion on Sunday. But while golf may have been a little less exciting since his fall from grace, the former number one is still a long way from “being back”. After all, he won his own tournament – not even a major. By KEVIN BLOOM.

In early November 2009, a few weeks before the respectable world of professional golf would be rocked to its core by his actions, Tiger Woods was well on track to becoming the greatest golfer in history. At the time, he had the highest career earnings and lowest scoring average of any pro golfer, he was one of only five players – along with Gary Player, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Gene Sarazen – to have completed the major grand slam (he was also the youngest player to do so), and he had spent so long atop the world rankings nobody… More

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South Africa

The Australian team stood firm and won the final Test at the Wanderers, sharing the spoils of the series with the Proteas. PAUL BERKOWITZ looks back on a magical, all-too-brief fortnight.

“What an exciting and eventful time the last two weeks has been for cricket lovers everywhere”, I imagine the archived newsreel might say of the Test tour between South Africa and Australia. Scratch that – it’s been an emotionally fraught time that has left those of us at the epicentre of all the madness a bit shattered. We’ve witnessed two classic Test matches between South Africa and Australia, the suicide and subsequent scandal of a giant of cricket commentary, and the death of a South African legend who had a glittering international career for England but never played a Test… More

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Johannesburg

As soon as the Test series between South Africa and Australia began, it is about to be concluded in the second and final Test at the Wanderers. PAUL BERKOWITZ writes from the steam cooker of Johannesburg, a city sluggish under an oppressive heatwave, and wonderers which team will be hardened by the heat and which one will crack.

Johannesburg has been slowly throttled by a heatwave these last two weeks. This mad, bad city has a fever that has not yet broken. Heavy cloud, but no rain. A few stray claps of thunder have teased but there’s been no relief in sight, and the natives are growing even more restless and irritable than usual, your humble narrator included. Relief is on the way, with rain forecast for the second Test match between South Africa and Australia. Thursday looks to be best for batting, with more sun and less cloud, while Friday and Saturday are expected to be overcast… More

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Newlands, Cape Town

The second day of the first SA – Australia Test was so bizarre and unearthly that it’s hard to believe it actually happened. During a day when voicemail messages lasted longer than some batsmen at the crease, PAUL BERKOWITZ tried to make sense of it all.

What exactly happened at Newlands on Thursday? More accurately, why did the bizarre events of the day unfold as they did? We can describe what happened in the language of Test cricket, in the alchemy of statistics posted and records broken, but the day itself seems a bit unworldly, as if we fell down the rabbit-hole, passed through the looking-glass, went off-grid and disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle of cricket. It IS Test cricket, Jim, but not as we know it. Various culprits have been fingered for 23-wicket carnage that was the second day of the SA – Australia Test.… More

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USA

Joe Frazier, the sweet science's epic rival to Muhammad Ali, passed away at 67 from liver cancer. Frazier beat Ali in that legendary fight in Madison Square Garden in 1971. It took him years to come to terms with Ali's taunts, both in the ring and outside it, but before he died, Frazier told the world he had forgiven Ali. Way to go, Smokin’ Joe. By J BROOKS SPECTOR.

While it is true that Frazier's pugilistic career is forever tied to that of his great rival, it is just as true that “The Greatest” will always remain linked to the exploits and the presence of Smokin' Joe. Frazier commented that he’d heard he would never have been who he was without Ali, but he reminded his interlocutors that Ali would never have been who he was without him either. On hearing of Frazier's passing, Muhammad Ali told the media "I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration". Throughout their careers, the two men fought three times - twice… More

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The interewebs

One of the moments of the past Rugby World Cup that the New Zealand side would rather we forgot was the famous Twitter ban that was imposed on its players. It was soon lifted, of course, but did make the managers look like Luddites. A Mexican football club is looking at Twitter rather differently. Instead of player names, the new Los Jaguares kit will feature the players’ Twitter handles. By SIPHO HLONGWANE.

It was Spanish football side Valencia that lead the way with Twitter – while they search for a new sponsor, they have put the club’s official Twitter account on the front of player kits. Mexican Primera Division side Club de Futbol Jaguares de Chiapas (Los Jaguares) replaced player names that normally appear between the shoulder blades with Twitter handles. Except this club puts the name/handle below the big number on the back. No matter. “Conscious of the age we live in, where we can all stay in touch through the internet no matter how distant, Jaguar launched a campaign and… More

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Pakistan and UK

On Tuesday Pakistani cricketers Mohammad Amir, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were found guilty of plotting to cheat and to take bribes in a match against England last year. The verdict is another crushing blow to Pakistani cricket, but it serves also as an indictment of the modern game. By KHADIJA PATEL.

They were three of world cricket’s most promising players but on Wednesday they wait to hear if they will spend time in prison. Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif face time up to seven years in prison, while Mohammad Amir, who pleaded guilty to the same charges of conspiring to cheat, may escape with a softer sentence. Amir’s guilty plea had been unreported before as the court had barred the press from reporting it until the jury had reached their verdict on Butt and Asif, for fear of influencing the deliberations. The players were accused of spot fixing, which involves deliberately… More

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Europe

The IRB has named the officials in charge for the upcoming Six Nations Championship, and a certain New Zealander’s name is nowhere to be seen. By STYLI CHARALAMBOUS.

The appointments for the Northern Hemisphere tournament were made by the IRB Referees Selection Committee, following a thorough review of World Cup and major test match performances. And to nobody’s surprise, Bryce Lawrence, he of South Africa’s quarterfinal calamity fame, was not selected to officiate in any matches. Lawrence, a member of the Rugby World Cup 2011 match official team, has been “rested” following a busy year of international and domestic fixtures, and is expected to return for the June 2012 tests. Code-speak for “You royally messed up, mate. Take a break.” The IRB has done itself no favours by… More

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New Zealand

With the seventh edition of the Rugby World Cup now done and dusted, the new champions crowned in front of a packed Eden Park, STYLI CHARALAMBOUS takes look a back at the highs, the lows and the mixed bag of what was RWC 2011.

THE HIGHS People & country of New Zealand When New Zealand was awarded the rights to host their second Rugby World Cup – on their own – back in 2005, sceptics questioned how the island nation of 4 million people would cope with the modern requirements of hosting the third-largest sporting tournament in the world. Accommodation shortfalls, smaller-capacity stadiums and a location at the far end of the Earth were just some of the concerns raised by rugby tourists. And when disaster in the form of a devastating earthquake hit the host city of Christchurch, rendering the stadium unusable, just… More

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New Zealand

World Cup finals hardly ever become the try-scoring fests of earlier parts of the tournament. This one was no different as the All Blacks scraped home by 8-7, in front of a sold-out Eden Park. By STYLI CHARALAMBOUS.

The home team went into this match as overwhelming favourites, having trounced the French in the pool stages 37-17 and their opponents having defied the odds, and themselves, to reach the final. The World Cup campaign for the home team was “A team of 4 million”, an effort to get the entire nation behind the All Blacks as they attempted to lift the cup for a second time on home soil. Not that New Zealanders need extra motivation to support the All Blacks, mind you. The biggest question going into the final was, which French team would arrive for the… More

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Auckland, New Zealand

He knows he should be a better man, accept fate and swallow that bitter-tasting medicine of defeat. But he just can’t. Rather than achingly anticipating a splendid spectacle of World Cup final rugby, STYLI CHARALAMBOUS previews the acrimonious match that is sans his beloved Springboks.

Like a David Byrne-inspired verse, I’ve been asking myself: how did we get here? A team that has lost twice in a World Cup is facing up to another that has yet to be challenged in any form on the rugby field, contesting for the principal honour in the sport of rugby.  It shouldn’t have happened. And, if rugby is to achieve its goal of a becoming a truly global sport, it must never be allowed to happen again. I’ve spent the better part of ten days commiserating with fellow Bok fans who share my feelings of being violated by… More

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Switzerland

On Monday, 17 October 2011, something happened in the world of tennis that was last seen in July 2003. For the first time in just over eight years, the number four appeared beside the name of Roger Federer on the ATP World Rankings list, prompting his detractors to predict the end of an era, and the single-handed backhand. By STYLI CHARALAMBOUS.

Roger Federer’s breakthrough year was in 2003, when, as a temper-prone 22-year-old, he overcame Mark Philippoussis in straight sets for the first of his 16 Grand Slam titles.  It didn’t take long for the form of 2003 to propel his rapid rise up the rankings even further, attaining the coveted World Number One ranking just seven months later, in February 2004. A ranking he would go onto keep firmly in his western-style grip for an astonishing 237 consecutive weeks, surpassing Jimmy Connors’ previous record of 160 weeks. There are not enough superlatives in the English lexicon to list all Roger… More

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Johannesburg

PAUL BERKOWITZ leaves the cricket traditionalists behind and joins the ADHD generation for the second T20 between South Africa and Australia on Sunday.

A funny thing happened to me on the way to the Cricket Purists’ Secret Convocation. I ended up at a T20 cricket game between South Africa and Australia. You can judge me in your own time, but first listen to my tale of confusion. I wouldn’t normally attend one of these hits-and-giggles affairs, but I happened to buy a season ticket to the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium a month ago, allowing me access to all international T20, ODI and Test matches for the summer season, plus all domestic matches involving the Highveld Lions, plus many other forbidden pleasures. So it was… More

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New Zealand

In a highly physical encounter that saw several New Zealanders spilling blood for their cause, the All Blacks marched imperiously into their third World Cup final after a 20-6 triumph in Auckland. By STYLI CHARALAMBOUS

For every Bok supporter the image of a team in gold jerseys facing up to the Haka was a bitter pill to swallow after the carnage of emotions experienced during the heart-breaking quarterfinal loss of last week. Those Springbok fans in the stadium that made the trip in hopes of watching their team take on the mighty All Blacks, joined the locals in a showing their vociferous support for the home team. Things went awry for Australia right from the kick-off, when under-fire flyhalf Quade Cooper, launched the starting kick straight into touch in what would epitomise the Australian performance… More

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Auckland

When Tonga beat this French team in the final group match of Pool A, few would have believed that the Tricolours would make it much further in the tournament, let alone their third RWC final. STYLI CHARALAMBOUS reviews the drama of the first semi-final at Eden Park, Auckland.

The 9-8 victory over the Welsh Dragons was a nail-biting affair. RWC 2011 New Zealand has had its fair share of drama, and this encounter was no exception. While the quality of rugby in this match won’t be recounted by future generations, several tipping-point incidents ensured there were more twists and turns than an amusement park rollercoaster. The Welsh team were dominant in the opening phases of the match enjoying most of the territory and possession, and opened the scoring with an 8th min penalty by stand-in flyhalf James Hook. The first crucial moment of the match came as early… More

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South Africa

The international cricket season is upon us again, and the Australian tour of South Africa is about to start, but PAUL BERKOWITZ is really grumpy, and he’s blaming it on Cricket South Africa for hogging headlines with issues that have zilch to do with the sport.

Not that you’d know it, since Cricket South Africa (CSA) has selfishly hogged the sports headlines for all the wrong, non-sports-related reasons. It’s been a horror movie of a year for CSA with The Bonus Scandal That Would Not Die as its working title.   The scandal has left a bitter taste in most cricket fans’ mouths and could still result in lower turnouts for some of the upcoming international matches. It’s already hurting CSA commercially as potential sponsors shun the national team on the eve of the 2011/12 Australian tour to South Africa. CSA has decided to award sponsorship rights… More

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