Young runner Mpho Katiso aims for significant personal best at Absa Run Your City Tshwane 10K race

Mpho Katiso, an emerging star, plans to set a major personal record at the Absa Run Your City Tshwane 10K race, which will take place on Sunday, August 23, 2026. This race provides an opportunity for young female distance runners in South Africa to gain public attention. Among athletes like Glenrosa Xaba and Thyla Kavanagh, Katiso aims to seize this chance.

At 19 years old, Mpho Katiso is not yet ready to challenge strong competitors such as Glenrosa Xaba and Thyla Kavanagh, but the Absa Run Your City Tshwane 10K race on August 23 serves as an ideal platform for her to test her abilities against the country's elite athletes.

Katiso shared that she has never participated in the Absa Run Your City series before and expressed a desire to experience the immense energy of a large event on a fast track, as well as to test herself against leading runners.

Currently, Katiso studies at Tshwane University of Technology and has intensified her training by joining a high-profile training group led by coaches Violet and Kaster Semenya. Among her strong teammates is national record holder Xaba, who took the rising star under her wing during intensive training blocks.

Katiso noted that participating in the group of coaches Kaster and Violet is a challenging yet deeply inspiring experience, as she receives mentorship, focus, discipline, and learns to believe in herself. She emphasized that she is growing as a person, not just as an athlete, and that Glenrosa, Karabo More, and Karabo Mailula are like sisters to her, supporting each other in every training session.

Although Katiso's current 10k personal best is 36:52, which is significantly behind Xaba's impressive national record of 31:12, gradual and thoughtful progress is important at this stage of her career. Her goal at the Absa Run Your City Tshwane 10K race is to start by challenging herself and expanding her limits, with the main aspiration being to achieve a significant personal record.

olhardigital.com.brAugust 10, 19:47

Esports World Cup 2026: Four Brazilian teams will compete for $2 million in Counter-Strike 2

The Esports World Cup 2026 will kick off another of its major competitions this Wednesday, the 12th. This edition will focus on Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), which will bring together 32 teams in Paris, France, in a battle for a total prize pool of $2 million.

Brazil will be represented by four organizations: FURIA, paiN Gaming, MIBR, and Legacy. The tournament will run until August 23rd, when the grand final will take place at the Accor Arena. In addition to the individual prize money, the performance of these organizations will influence the overall ranking of the EWC Club Championship.

Competition Structure and Phases

The competition will be structured into two distinct phases. The group stage will take place from August 12th to 16th, followed by the playoffs, scheduled from August 19th to 23rd. The 32 teams were distributed into four groups, each containing eight participants. The first stage will use the GSL double elimination format, meaning that one loss does not result in immediate elimination.

The top four teams from each group will advance to the playoffs, forming a total of 16 participants. All matches in the group stage will be played in best-of-three (BO3) series. However, the format changes in the playoffs to single elimination, keeping the series at BO3, except for the grand final, which will be contested in best-of-five maps (BO5). There will also be a match dedicated to third place.

Distribution of Brazilian Teams

The Brazilian teams are spread across three of the four groups. MIBR and Legacy will compete together in Group B, which also includes Falcons, K27, Astralis, BetBoom, FaZe, and NIP. paiN Gaming is allocated to Group D, alongside FURIA, along with NAVI, 3DMAX, magic, The MongolZ, 9z, and Wildcard.

Detailed Groups

Group A features Spirit, JiJieHao, Luminosity, GamerLegion, G2, M80, BIG, and Aurora. Group B brings together Falcons, K27, MIBR, Astralis, BetBoom, FaZe, NIP, and Legacy. Group C has Vitality, 100 Thieves, Parivision, B8, FUT, TYLOO, Lynn Vision, and MOUZ. Finally, Group D presents NAVI, 3DMAX, magic, The MongolZ, 9z, paiN, Wildcard, and FURIA.

Of the 32 registered teams, 27 obtained their invitation through the Valve Regional Standings (VRS). Lynn Vision secured its spot via the Asian Champions League, while BIG, 100 Thieves, JiJieHao, and K27 earned the last spots through the Last Chance Qualifier.

Tournament Expectations and Importance

Among the national representatives, FURIA is seen as a team with great potential to achieve prominent positions. However, the favoritism is shared with other major international organizations, such as Falcons, Vitality, and Spirit. MOUZ also arrives in good form after winning the BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 2 and may fight for the title.

The tournament holds additional relevance for teams looking to improve their standing in the VRS. Positive performances in Paris can help the organizations in the race for spots in future international events, such as the PGL Singapore Major. The Esports World Cup will distribute $2 million among CS2 participants, with the champion taking home $600,000, in addition to benefits linked to the Club Championship score, which evaluates the overall performance of the organizations across all event modes.

Although much of the event takes place at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, the final decision will be made at the Accor Arena, a traditional venue for esports competitions in Paris. Broadcasts will be available on the official Esports World Cup channels on YouTube and Twitch, as well as DAZN. The schedule is: group stage from August 12th to 16th, followed by playoffs from August 19th to 23rd, culminating in the grand final on August 23rd.

iol.co.zaAugust 10, 18:59

Early exit of Kaizer Chiefs from MTN8 signals need for club restructuring

Following their defeat in the MTN8 quarter-finals on Sunday, Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz came under immediate pressure. It is often said that the beginning determines the end, and Kaizer Chiefs must heed this wisdom to correct their early exit from MTN8 and finish the season on a high note.

The team lost to Golden Arrows 0-1 in the Wafa Wafa Cup quarter-final match on Saturday evening, thus failing to secure the first trophy of the season. This was a difficult moment for Amakhosi fans, who had previously watched their rivals Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns reach the semi-finals.

The club is currently undergoing a phase of reconstruction. A new coach, Fernando Da Cruz, was recently appointed, and he, along with an updated technical team and new players such as Langelihle Phili, Thabo Moloisane, Faiz Abrahams, and Adolf Mtasingwa Bitegeko, signed during the transfer window, is working to improve the situation.

Although Da Cruz returned to the club after a month working as Nasreddin Nabi's assistant, his integration with the team was expected to bear fruit from the start, especially in MTN8. The camp in Marbella, Spain, was supposed not only to integrate Moloisane, the only new player who traveled with the team, but also to establish Da Cruz's philosophy.

The 54-year-old coach emphasized his commitment to attacking football, so his players must focus on playing with ball possession combined with the explosive power needed to reach the final third of the pitch more quickly. However, this is not yet visible in the team's structure. The attacking line is struggling in the final third, as Luke Bartman and Mfundo Vilakazi have yet to capitalize on the opportunities given to them since the start of the season.

The team's slow start and reliance on young players have already increased the pressure on Da Cruz as they try to balance development with results. Nevertheless, the situation is not hopeless. Following complaints about a lack of attacking personnel to execute the required explosive play, the club appears to have reacted. Amakhosi signed Phili and Abraham on permanent and loan deals from Stellenbosch, redirecting transfer funds for Ashley Du Prez and Given Msimango.

Recognizing that the duo will require time to adapt at Amakhosi, it is expected that their joint play at Stellies will help them reach full potential once settled. Perhaps this is what Da Cruz needed: an exit from MTN8 to ensure an impressive campaign that challenges the reigning champions Pirates and multiple-time winners Sundowns for the league title.

While Pirates and Sundowns have momentum, Chiefs have good chances to make adjustments. Their rivals do not expect much from them, and they have a relatively young squad with a strong desire to win trophies. Although winning MTN8 sets the tone for the entire season, the league title remains the main goal in domestic football for any club.

Chiefs have not won the league title since 2015, but the fact that they achieved it under the new coach, Stuart Baxter, proves it is possible. Furthermore, in that season, they also had an early exit from MTN8 after losing to Sundowns. With improved play in the remainder of the campaign, Chiefs can ensure an impressive conclusion in the CAF Confederation Cup, which could bring renewed attention to the club.

Thus, Chiefs must acknowledge that they had a disappointing start to the season. But they must not let this define their destiny; they must take it as a signal to awaken and ensure a strong finish to the season—perhaps surpassing the success of 2015.