1978 — Pierre Mans is beaten 25-18 in the world snooker championship final by five-times title-holder Ray “Dracula” Reardon of Wales in Sheffield, England. The best-of-49-frame final was a hard-fought battle in the early stages, with “Perrie” Mans trailing just 17-18 on the final day before Reardon surged ahead. That remains SA’s best performance at the world championships.

1979 — World champion Kork Ballington and Jon Ekerold give SA a one-two finish in the 350cc race at the Austrian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Salzburgring. Ballington set a 1 min 25.29 sec lap record as he averaged 176,52 kmph to win the race in 50:37.06, 22 seconds ahead of Ekerold. 

1995 — Mbulelo Botile wins the IBF bantamweight title when he knocks out Colombian Harold Mestre in the second round at Soccer City in Johannesburg. The win makes Mzi Mnguni’s gym in East London the first in the country to boast two reigning world champions. The other is stablemate Vuyani Bungu, who successfully defends his IBF junior-featherweight crown on the same bill, outpointing Victor Llerena, also of Colombia...