The 2016 sport bloopers we'd rather forget

Sunday Times' selects the 13 most unfortunate sports stories of 2016

Gulam Bodi

The India-born former batsman and occasional chinaman bowler's career took a turn for the worse when he and a motley crew of co-conspirators were found guilty of contriving to fix matches in last season's domestic Twenty20 competition.

Bodi, an agent provocateur in his playing days, secured his place in the basement of miscreants in South African sport when he was banned for 20 years by Cricket SA.

Thami Tsolekile Jean Symes, Ethy Mbalathi and Pumelela Matshikwe were also found guilty. Alviro Petersen's loud protestations of innocence still ended in a two-year ban this week.

The Springboks

The Springboks blundered and bungled their way through 2016. They won just four of their 12 tests this year and while they recovered well to win the test series against Ireland, things soon turned from bad to worse.

They reached their nadir at Kings Park when the All Blacks spanked them by a record 57-15 but arguably worse was to come when they lost 20-18 to Italy in Florence on their end-of-year tour. It was the first time since 2002 that they returned home from an end-of-year tour without a win.

Oregan Hoskins

SA Rugby's long-time president stepped aside this year. Well, he met the pavement's acquaintance after falling out with fellow rugby officials over their handling of the Jurie Roux saga. It was a dramatic end to a 10-year rein as the biggest cheese in the domestic game.

His detractors will argue that the problems now afflicting SA Rugby can be traced to his inaction but by that measure others still occupying high office are equally culpable.

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Fikile Mbalula

"Mbaks" was never far from flashing cameras, active microphones or indeed the opening of the metaphorical envelope. The former two-timing one-night stander became embroiled in a Twitter spat with javelin thrower Sunettte Viljoen when the athlete demanded to be paid R70,000 for the silver medal she won at the Rio Olympic Games. Earlier in the year, Mbalula claimed his Twitter account was hacked after a picture of a nude woman briefly appeared on his timeline.

Sascoc

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee took the strongest team of the post-isolation era to the Rio Games, and they dressed them up like clowns in oversized tracksuits. The team won 10 medals - South Africa's best haul since the 1920 Antwerp Games - and the medallists had to stand on the podium draped in clothing that almost appeared designed to fit fat cats.

Thandani Ntshumayelo

In life-orientation, pupils are taught about the dangers of recreational drugs and this is hammered into professionals. Clearly "Bibo" did not attend these classes nor take heed of the warnings given out by the respective anti-doping agencies. How a professional footballer in this day and age puts an illegal substance up his nose beggars belief, especially with the stringency and random nature of drug testing.

It is a pity the palooka tag belongs to another publication, but this brainless act that has destroyed what looked like a decent career deserves a different tag. What a waste of a player but hey, he will serve as an example of how soul-destroying drugs can be.

Olympic golfers

By Olympic golfers we actually mean the non-Olympic golfers. Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace all decided against representing their country at the Rio Games, citing busy schedules and the Zika virus. We understand the Olympics isn't high on the agendas of golfers, but Olympic medals are important for nations. As for the Zika excuse, the less said the better.

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Chad le Clos

He was looking to retain his Olympic 200m butterfly crown and bury American legend Michael Phelps once and for all. Le Clos won the 200m freestyle silver in Rio and then he sweetly out-shadow-boxed Phelps in the call room before the 200m 'fly semifinal. Unfortunately, Le Clos wasn't as slick in the pool the next night, finishing a tame fourth. The kid with the strong kick got kicked down a few notches, and it hurt.

Blitzboks

The much-vaunted SA Sevens rugby team was supposed to challenge for the Olympic gold. They should have beaten Great Britain, a composite team that was far less practised and drilled than they were in the semifinal. But they lost, getting relegated into the bronze medal playoff against Japan. Luckily, they didn't emulate the Boks in that match.

Athletics SA

First they failed to organise sufficient opportunities for the South African men's 4x100m relay team to qualify for the Olympics, a crying shame considering that at full strength, this outfit has serious medal potential. But then ASA omitted high-flying Akani Simbine from the 200m, throwing away a great chance of a medal. Hopefully the federation has learned from its mistakes.

Muhsin Ertugral

Drama kings come in different shapes and sizes. It's also safe to say the volatile Turk belongs in this category with his touchline antics and his unnecessarily sharp tongue. His schoolmaster approach was never going to work at Orlando Pirates and on November 1 the players showed him the proverbial middle finger with the 6-1 defeat to SuperSport United.

There have been examples of player revolutions playing themselves but the manner in which the Pirates players decided to throw in the towel was unprecedented. It was sad and spectacular at the same time but the live TV resignation was the cherry on top. It was an Oscar-winning performance worthy of the Dirty Dozen.

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Ephraim 'Shakes' Mashaba

Proverbs 29:11 reads: "Fools give full vent to their rage but the wise bring calm in the end." This is a Bible verse the hot-headed former Bafana Bafana head coach could have taken heed of before his inexplicable meltdown in the aftermath of his team's excellent 2-1 win against Senegal in Polokwane. Toddlers throwing tantrums have been better behaved, even though Mashaba has a history of blowing his gasket and throwing the book at his employers.

It doesn't often work like that in the corporate world but Mashaba's known to rail against the grain. He could have and should have known better, but as the saying goes: Maturity is optional and common sense is not always common.

Bobby Motaung

There's a lot wrong with Kaizer Chiefs and Motaung has to shoulder some responsibility. He's the football manager and he calls the shots, which have been aimless for the better part of the past two seasons. Head coach Steve Komphela has to take the blame for the on-field malaise that has seen Chiefs descend to mediocrity associated with the likes of Maritzburg United and Polokwane City. 

However, it's the "Bobsteak" who pulls the purse strings and until such time he decides to stop being a spendthrift, Chiefs will have to look on as Orlando Pirates, Bidvest Wits and Mamelodi Sundowns boss the transfer playground.