EP lighties in SA Junior team

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate publication

Monday February 11, 2013.

Surfing South Africa announces the surfers in the SA Junior Team for the 2013 ISA World Junior Championships

The Board of Directors of Surfing South Africa has ratified the names of the surfers who will represent South Africa in the SANZ Challenge against New Zealand and the 2013 ISA World Junior Championships.

Both events will take place in Nicaragua between June 6th and 16th this year.

There are four new caps in the team which was selected from the results of the U17 Boys & Girls & U15 Boys divisions at the 2012 Hurley SA Junior Championships and from a series of regional trials and a national trial held at Seal Point recently.

South African U17 champion Benji Brand of Western Province earns his third cap as the winner of this division at the SA Junior Championships and is top seed in the U18 boys group for Nicaragua. Gina Smith of Eastern Province earned her place in the team after winning the U17 girls title last October while Matt Mcgillivray of Eastern Province is top seed in the U16 boys group courtesy of his victory in the U15 Division of the 2012 SA Junior Championships.

Joining Brand in the U18 boys division are Dylan Lightfoot of Eastern Province, Josh Smit of KZN Central and Diran Zakarian of Boland. There are no new caps in this group who boast a total of 12 caps between them. The official non travelling reserve is Jason “JJ” Harris of KZN Central.

McGillivray’s team mates in the U16 Boys division are new cap Jordan Maree of Western Province, Steffen Burrows of Boland and new caps Shane Sykes of KZN Central and Simo Mkhize of Southern KZN. Bevan Willis of KZN Central is the official non travelling reserve.

Nicole Pallet of KZN Central joins Smith as the other U18 Girl while Chanelle Botha of Southern KZN and new cap Anoush Zakarian of Boland are the two U16 Girls in the team. Inge Mclaren of Border is the official non travelling reserve for the U18 girls and Crystal Hulett of Eastern Province is the official non travelling U16 Girls reserve.

The full U18 boys team is Benji Brand (who qualified as the 2012 SA U17 Champion), Dylan Lightfoot, Josh Smit and Diran Zakarian. Jason Harris is the official non travelling reserve.

The U18 girls are Gina Smith (who qualified as the 2012 SA U17 Champion ) and Nicole Pallet with Inge Mclaren the official non travelling reserve.

Matthew Mc Gillivray (who qualified as the 2012 SA U15 champion), Jordy Maree, Steff Burrows, Shane Sykes and Simo Mkhize make up the U16 group with Bevan Willis the official non travelling reserve.

The Melkbosstrand based Zakarian siblings,Diran and Anoush, become the first brother and sister to represent South Africa at the ISA World Junior Championships while last year’s U16 Boys Division reserve Simo Mkhize and the U18 Girls reserve in 2012, Gina Smith, have both gone one better and will earn their national colours.

This year history will be made when the SANZ Challenge takes place between the South African and New Zealand juniors for the 10th year in a row. The first SANZ Challenge was held in Durban in 2003 and has been contested between the two nations every year since then. The one day event has become a competitive tradition and although billed as a “friendly” the rivalry is intense. Since 2003 the unique SANZ Trophy, which is made from semi precious New Zealand stone and South African yellow wood, has been won four times by New Zealand and five times by South Africa. South Africa are the current champions.

Over 30 countries from five continents will compete in the 2013 ISA World Junior Championships which are taking place in Nicaragua for the first time.

The annual tournament determines the World Junior Team Champions, the World Junior ISA Aloha Cup Champions and medalists in the Under 18 Boys and Girls and Under 16 Boys divisions.

Surfing South Africa is the recognized governing body for the sport and is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA). All representative South African teams are ratified by the Board of Directors of Surfing South Africa.

Compiled by

Robin de Kock
General Manager
Surfing South Africa