Latest News
Christabel Nettey (Canada) showing off her Gold medal on the Gold Coast!
Canadian Long Jump Champion, Christabel Nettey, took time out after winning Gold at the Commonwealth Games to share with us what makes a champion, how she got to the top from some previous low points, and what her future holds after taking home a medal!
Listen to the Planet Sport interview below:
Nicole Seekamp (L) and Cayla George (R)- Australia Basketball
By Liam Flint
Being on the Gold Coast, we wanted to grab some home-athlete perspective and so caught up with Cayla George and Nicole Seekamp from the Women's Basketball team, who are romping through the tournament so far and favourites to win Gold!
I asked them how much the home support and opportunity to play in the Aussie backyard was a factor in how well they were doing:
"It's definitely special, it helped us get motivated and we've had some pretty decent wins. It certainly helps having a great crowd. We aim to go out there and jut play and it seems to work out for us, we've got a really good team and a lot of depth."
When asked about what motivates them and where their success comes from, they were both quick to point to their personal faith in Jesus:
Cayla: "I'm not here without God, first and foremost, he has blessed me with the talent and he's blessed me with this platform. So why not use it to shine his light?"
Nicole: "At the end of the day I believe that God has got a plan for all of us and he's leading me down a path."
Both players will be eager to secure Gold for their country and, so far, the stats suggest that they are favourites to do just that!
Stay tuned to upcoming episodes of Planet Sport for full coverage of our interview with George & Seekamp!
Team South Africa 'medal winners' Press Conference
By Liam Flint
Over the past few days Tom and I have been investing a lot of time into securing interviews which will give exclusive access and content to our listeners from around the Commonwealth.
We have seen a real flurry of openings and have had the opportunity to interview some of the biggest names at these Games, about their medal-winning performances and their faith in Jesus.
100m Gold Medalist- Akani Simbine
South Africa's Akani Simbine, is officially the fastest man in the Commonwealth, after pipping the much-fancied Yohan Blake (Jamaica) to the Gold medal. We managed to catch up with Akani the day after his triumph to get some fresh reaction and his thoughts on his huge achievement.
He spoke honestly and openly about how the result, in his eyes, was no surprise and that he always knew he was capable of the Gold. Very early on he stated that it was through his faith in Jesus, that he was given this success and he is passionate about 'shining his light' to others around the world. He was humble in victory and even has the word 'faith' tatooed on his arm.
Ugandan Rugby star- Philip Wokorach
Our most recent interview was with Uganda Rugby Sevens star, Philip Wokorach, a man who is highly regarded in the world game as a world-class talent. We spoke to Philip about how much it means for the country of Uganda to be at the Commonwealth Games. This is a man who has come back to the top of his sport, twice after breaking his leg and he gave all the credit to Jesus, quoting his favourite bible verse as Philippians 4:13. We look forward to watching him as the Rugby Sevens finally gets going over the next few days!
Beach Volleyball- Coolangatta
By Liam Flint
Vision FM
Yesterday we traveled further down the Gold Coast, towards Coolangatta, known for being the home of Beach Volleyball at this Commonwealth Games. This sand-filled sport is making its Games debut and there aren't many better spots around the globe to accommodate for the beach location, the surf and the party atmosphere. Beach Volleyball has a unique atmosphere which sets it apart from other venues and sports, it's a constant feed of music, exhilarating back and forth rallies and crowd participation. All fans who attend a game are expected to get up out of their seats and make some noise, from Mexican waves to 'kiss cam', they will get you!
Robbo and our first Koala sighting
This morning was an early start, as we paid Vision FM a visit, to feature on their Rise and Shine Breakfast show. This was a great opportunity to share about what we are doing over on the Gold Coast and also educate listeners on the Passion For Sport mantra. Hosted by Andrew Robinson aka 'Robbo', a friend of Passion For Sport, we had a great time discussing our Australian experience and even played a quintessentially British game based on Cheese Rolling! Oh the stereotypes!
'Robbo and Friends' game segment
In return we tried to educate Robbo and his audience on the game of 'Conkers' but seeing as there aren't any Horse Chestnut trees in Australia, that was wasted on them. We were then put through our paces in a variation of Cheese Rolling, using 'Cheezels', an Aussie snack. Tom and I had to blow/roll our Cheezel from one end of a table to another and place it in a cup for victory. Long story short, we let England down and slumped to defeat.
By Liam Flint
The last couple of days have seen a sharp rise in activity on the Gold Coast, transport has been maxed out as ticket-holders look to reach venues and the tourist hotspots. Australia's strong start, especially in the pool, has given locals an air of excitement and truly ignited the underlying passion that everyone is feeling towards the Games.
The carnival and festival scene has also really kicked off along the coast, supplying beach-goers on Surfers Paradise with 'voices from the commonwealth' every evening.
Njiel Amos- Botswana
We have done a lot of travelling, up and down the Gold Coast tram link, in our attempts to be in the best spot at the right time. We have been capturing features for our Planet Sport show, soaking up the atmosphere and busily arranging interviews with athletes from around the Commonwealth.
We spoke to Botswana runner Nijel Amos, the Commonwealth Games reigning champion over 800m. He is always a great character and he has a real zest for life, he is always more than happy to talk about his faith, what it means to him and how much God is his motivation for being the best.
Charl Du Toit- South Africa
The Para events are being run alongside the Commonwealth Games schedule at this Games, which is a big step in the right direction for equal coverage and Games reputation. On this note, we spoke to South African runner in the T37 category, Charl Du Toit about this shift in how things are done. He was excited to be in and around the entire Team South Africa and fancies his chances at a medal. He did stress that he wasn't looking as high as Gold though!
