The Maimane Alexandra Development Foundation was not lucky enough at the glittering night of the Gauteng Sports Awards on 29 September.
The foundation has been at the forefront of football development in the township for the past 19 years and was among the three nominees in line for a prestigious award but missed the winning cut when the winner of the Best Community Sports Programme of the Year was announced.
The award went to the Vuka Rugby Programme which is a rugby development initiative that has taken off like wildfire.
The foundation was founded by Alex football icon Maimane Alfred Phiri who played for the likes of Jomo Cosmos, Ajax Cape Town, Moroka Swallows and SuperSport United. He was also the midfield kingpin of Bafana Bafana and also plied his trade in Turkey with Genclerbirligi, Samsunspor and Vanspor.
At one time Phiri owned his own club, FC Alexandra, which plied its trade in the ABC Motsepe League and gave birth to the likes of Kaizer Chiefs star Lebogang Manyama and others.
His foundation runs the annual Maimane Alfred Phiri Games(Map Games) which is a football development tournament of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association and also runs a seniors tournament which has attracted teams from far afield as KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga playing for the coveted prize of R200 000 for the winner.
The most outstanding winner of the night was eight-year-old Minintle Miya, chess master of note from Randfontein who has played in 68 chess competitions and won 64 of them. She was crowned winner in the Most Promising Player of the Year category.
Other winners were:
Community Media of the Year
· Mapapeza Community Newspaper
Community-Based Sport and Recreation Programme of the Year
· Vuka Rugby Programme
School Sport Athlete of the Year
· Fernando Booysen
Sports Journalist of the Year
· Busisiwe Mokwena
Most Promising Team of the Year
· Kathorus United
Most Promising Player of the Year
· Minentle Miya
Administrator of the Year
· Lydia Mahlabela
Technical Official of the Year
· Thapelo Motloutse
Coach of the Year
· Thabiso Enoch Nkwe
Sports Team with a Disability
· Gauteng Disability Darts
Sportsman with a Disability
· Ofentse Matisitse
Sportswoman with a Disability
· Kgohthatso Montjane
Sports Team of the Year
· Bizhub Lions
Sportswoman of the Year
· Tatjana Schoenmaker
Sportsman of the Year
· Akani Simbine
MEC Special Awards
· Ria Ledwaba of Safa
The following categories were determined through public voting:
Sports Fan of the Year
· Mamello Constance Makha
Sports Programme of the year
· The Score Line
Sports Personality of the Year
· Caster Semenya
Car Winner: (for most SMS votes cast)
· Mable Molefe from Randburg, a self-employed mother.
Related Article:
https://northeasterntribune.co.za/236626/call-to-enter-gauteng-sport-awards/
