Nelson Mandela Day: Madiba and his connection to sport

This story was originally published on 18 July 2018, on what would have been Madiba’s 100th birthday, and has been updated.

South African icon Nelson Mandela, who was born 101 years ago today, was well known for his love of boxing, but he was a fan of anything that brought sports fans together.

There are many photos of him grinning from ear to ear, with obvious joy, as he celebrated the triumphs and the efforts of sportspeople and teams he met, even when he eventually had to remain seated due to old age.

Madiba, as he is still known, passed away at age 95 in 2013, and every year the country celebrates Mandela Day on 18 July, which gives us an opportunity to look back on his sporting moments.

One of the most memorable, and emotional, moments came in 1995 when South Africa won the Rugby World Cup, on home soil, just one year after the country’s first democratic elections.

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