Many outstanding young players were presented in 2021, and they are likely to have the world at their feet in a few years.
2021 featured plenty of dominant sports performances, but this year 2022 could be even better. Sports Corner takes a look at the top 10 rising sports stars who are set for an incredible 2022.
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- Viwe Jingqi
The 17-year-old TuksSport High School sprinter has taken the athletics world by storm. She broke the South African Under-18 100m record thrice at the national junior athletics championships in Potchefstroom in March.
Her time of 11.22 seconds to clinch gold in the final was not only an Under-18 record, but also a new SA Under-20 mark, eclipsing Marcel Winkler’s 11.25, set in 1989.
Jingqi, who is coached by Paul Gorries, is, for now, the fastest under-18 female athlete over 100 metres and 200 metres in the world.
The one thing that can’t be coached is big match temperament. Jingqi has got it. She has proven on multiple occasions.
If her recent records are anything to go by a lot can be expected from Jingqi in 2022 and beyond.
Sprinter Viwe Jingqi is the world’s fastest over 100m and 200m
- Dewald Brevis
Rising South African cricket prodigy, Dewald Brevis is an exciting young talent born on the 29 April 2003 in Johannesburg. Only 18 years old, Dewald already has an exciting future ahead of him.
Brevis, who has been dubbed ‘Baby AB’ in reference to AB de Villiers, was a star performer for the SA under-19 team in the recently completed World Cup in the West Indies.
He broke the record for the highest number of runs scored at the ICC U-19 World Cup scoring 506 runs earlier this year.
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Brevis was roped by five times Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Mumbai Indians for INR 3 crores ( R6m) in IPL 2022 Mega Auction.
In April 6, 2022, Brevis made his IPL debut against Kolkata Knight Riders and scored 29 runs off 19 deliveries which included a couple of sixes.
Having already received praise from cricket greats such as Ben Stoke, Michael Vaughan and Virat Kohli there is a lot to look forward to from the young right-handed batsman.
- Marione Fourie
Marione Fourie has provided the much needed spark to the women’s 100 m hurdles events on South Africa tracks. After matriculating from Hoerskool Driehoek in Vanderbijl Park, Fourie is now studying sports science at the University of Pretoria.
Fourie had a near dream season last year. Winning seven of the ten races she competed in. It meant winning three national titles (SA senior and junior as well as SA students).
She won her heat at the World Junior Championships in Nairobi and finished third in the semifinals. It means she was the ninth-best junior hurdler in the world last year.
Fourie is an exciting prospect for South African athletics at only 19 years old, a lot can be expected from the talented athlete as she sets her sights into world athletics domination.
- Nkosingiphile Ngcobo
Nkosingiphile Ngcobo (born 16 November 1999) is a South African footballer who plays for Kaizer Chiefs.
He played in the 2016 COSAFA U-20 Cup, the 2017 COSAFA U-20 Cup and later the 2019 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations, where he was named to the CAF Best XI.
Ngcobo has been a part of the Kaizer Chiefs junior set up since 2014 and has established himself as a crowd favourite amongst the Chiefs faithful, putting in some remarkable performances for both club and country.
Provided he remains consistent and injury-free, the only way for Ngcobo in 2022 is up.
All this at the age of 22 shows that he possesses prodigious talents. Therefore, he is definitely one to watch out for in the future and 2022.
- Lara Van Niekerk
Up-and-coming breaststroker Lara van Niekerk emerged as the stars of the SA Short Course Championships in Pietermaritzburg recently. The 18-year-old broke Olympic champion Tatjana Schoenmaker’s South African record in the heats of the 50m breaststroke.
Van Niekerk, from Pretoria smashed her own national and continental record in the heats of the 50m breaststroke, beating her previous best of 29.88 with a blistering 29.72 seconds.
Van Niekerk touched the wall in 30.06 seconds to not only better the SA mark but also the African record set by Kenya’s Achieng Ajulu-Bushell in 2009 and then swam a blistering 29.85 in the final to shatter her own record. That also saw the Pretoria swimmer achieving the A qualifying time for the World Short Course Championships in Abu Dhabi this December.
Van Niekerk has now qualified for this year’s Fina World Championships, as well as the Commonwealth Games, already a proven winner the rising star will be one of the athletes to look out for in 2022.
- Aphelele Fassi
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Blessed with blistering pace and effortless running with ball in hand. Aphelele Fassi, was recently unveiled as the South African Young Player of the Year for 2021, seeing off competition from Jaden Hendrikse, Elrigh Louw, Evan Roos and Jordan Hendrikse.
2021 saw Fassi enjoy a memorable international debut against Georgia for the Springboks which included a try with his first touch of the ball.
While he also impressed in his second Springbok appearance against Argentina.
2022 looms large and is set up to be the year in which Fassi could stake a fierce claim to be a regular in the Springbok 15 jersey.
- Isabella Kruger
Isabella Kruger (born 1 January 2005) is a tennis player who competes internationally for South Africa. She is ranked no. 676 on the WTA Rankings Singles.
Kruger upset the tournament top seed Tessah Andrianjafitrimo to earn her first semi-final spot at an ITF $25,000 level tournament at Ilana Kloss International recently.
The 16-year-old ousted the French world No. 151, 6-3, 7-5, needing just 1 hour and 47 minutes to end Andrianjafitrimo’s campaign.
Kruger, the youngest daughter of the late Free State and Springbok great, Ruben Kruger.
The ability she displayed in this match really shows what she is capable of at only 16 years of age. With her abilities on the court and incredible match temperament a lot can expected from Kruger in 2022.
- Daniel Bennett
Daniel Bennett, 16 years old, is an excellent Golfer and is now both the South African U17 Champion and the Dimension Data 2021 Junior (U19) Champion after winning two competitions in a week in 2021.
Daniel, whose Grandfather David Bennett is an Old Boy (Class of 1967) at Durban High School, joined DHS in January 2021 after returning to South Africa from Canada.
He played in 26 Golf Tournaments in 2021, winning 4, placing 2nd in 5, 3rd in two, 4th in two and 5th in three. Before arriving in SA, Daniel, who started playing golf at the age of 10, played in many tournament, scoring 52 wins and representing British Columbia vs the USA.
Daniel’s local and World Golf rankings are:
SA Amateur Open (Men) – 13th, SA U19 – 2nd, SA U17 – 1st, KZN Open (Men) – 2nd, KZN U19 – 1st, WORLD Amateur Open (Men) – 298th, WORLD Amateur U17 – 5th.
It won’t be long before Daniel’s name appears among the world’s top golfers, assuming he maintains his incredible winning streaks.
- Thabang Mahlasi
Thabang Mahlasi made his mark for the Valke at the U18 Craven Week in 2018. After joining the Free State academy, he progressed through the Cheetahs’ junior ranks while also producing a series of industrious performances for FNB Shimlas.
Mahlasi is a lanky, galloping lock and captain of FNB Shimlas in the Varsity Cup he has proven to be a real talisman for his team this season.
His outstanding performances in the Varsity Cup this year have now earned him a professional contract with the Cheetahs.
The Vereeniging-born Mahlasi, who is studying a BCom in Investment Management and Banking, can play at both lock or as a loose-forward.
Looking to establish himself as a regular in the Cheetahs team under the watchful eye of coach Franco Smith. Mahlasi is definitely one of the stars to watch out for in 2022.
- Arno Van Zyl
Tuks’s Arno van Zijl achieved something few South African wrestlers have been able to do, and that is to win gold two years consecutively at the African Championships in 2021.
At the junior and Cadet Championships held in Algeria, he won all four his fights to ensure he is crowned the junior under-74kg champion (under-20). During last year’s championships, he won gold as a cadet (under-18). In 2017 he won a bronze medal.
For a 19-year-old to have his sights set at competing at the Commonwealth Games might sound slightly arrogant, but the Tuks wrestler got an old head on young shoulders.
Already a proven winner with his performances, the Tuks based wrestler is one to look out for in 2022. As he aims for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and World Junior Championships.
