Cameron rediscovers the love

Cameron van der Burgh emerged from the Glasgow pool as champion on Monday night, but he spoke like a beaten man.

He had just edged Adam Peaty by two-hundredths of a second to retain his Commonwealth Games 50m breaststroke crown and avenge his 100m breaststroke defeat two days earlier.

The 26-year-old veteran had slapped down the latest challenge by the 19-year-old Englishman.

Van der Burgh was relieved but there was no joie de vivre as he spoke about his pain and how he had needed the win to rediscover his love for the sport.

"It was one of the hardest races I ever had to win," he said after clocking a Games record of 26.76sec. Just the mental victory is worth more than any gold medal . The last 48 hours [have] been really difficult for me.

"Coming into the competition I had to reassess the love that I have for the sport and I think after the final of the 100m I walked out there and had no motivation.

"And I lost that killer instinct and those two boys [Peaty and Scotland's bronze medallist, Ross Murdoch] reminded me what I used to be. Mentally, it's been so emotional for me. Just to come out and win was one of the most priceless medals I'll ever earn.

"It sounds stupid but in London I reckon it came too easily - we beat the field by quite a margin and this race was a real tough battle."

Van der Burgh believes the victory will feed him for at least the next year, presumably until the 2015 World Championships.

"I know physically I still have it . but when you lose the mental part of it, that's what puts it all together. It's the most important part.

"And now it's just finding that love again. If you don't love the sport, you've got to walk away.

"At least tonight I got a bit of that back. Now it's another 12 months [in which] I can work on it. I'm motivated again," he said.

• Three East London fighters will today bid to claim South Africa's first Commonwealth Games boxing medals in eight years.

Welterweight Tulz Mbenge, middleweight Siphiwe Lusizi and bantamweight Ayabonga Sonjica compete in quarterfinal clashes - and victory will secure them silverware. Boxing's losing semifinalists are guaranteed bronze medals.

Yesterday, super-heavyweight Paul Schafer lost his quarterfinal contest on a cuts stoppage in the second round.

South Africa's two long-jumpers, Rushwahl Samaai and Zarck Visser, qualified second and third in the men's long jump, behind favourite Greg Rutherford of England, the Olympic champion.

Samaai, 22, jumped an impressive 8.03m, while Visser went 7.99m.

Rutherford registered 8.05m.

Games Action Today

Athletics

Men's discus throw qualification (11.40am) - SA's hope is Victor Hogan

Men's long jump final (7.45pm) - SA's hopes are Zarck Visser and Rushwahl Samaai

Women's javelin final (9.15pm) - SA's hope is Sunette Viljoen

Men's 400m final (9.45pm) - SA's hope is Wayde van Niekerk

Men's 800m semifinals (9.55pm) - SA's hope is Andre Olivier

Lawn bowls

Women's pairs, round robin match (12.45pm) - SA vs Scotland

Men's singles (4.45pm) - Bobby Donnelly (SA) vs Darren Burnett (Scot)

Hockey

Women's round robin match (5pm) - SA vs India

Boxing

Quarterfinals (from 2pm; winners here are guaranteed medals)

Bantamweight - Ayabonga Sonjica (SA) vs Sean McGoldrick (Wales)

Welterweight - Tulz Mbenge (SA) vs Eon Bancroft (Guyana)

Middleweight - Siphiwe Lusizi (SA) vs Connor Coyle (N Ireland)

Netball

SA vs Australia (10.30am)