Persistence and dedication towards perfecting one’s craft was rewarded on May 27, at the fourth annual Ekurhuleni Sport Awards, held at the Alberton Civic Centre.
Legends, amateurs and sports fanatics were awed at the prestigious event, aimed at appreciating their skills in their different sporting codes.
The most distinct award of the evening was the MMC’s Special Merit Award, which went to Molefe Mika, Thamsanqa Innocent Mayoyo and Frith van der Merwe respectively, for their contribution to the development, transformation and growth of sports within the metro.
The metro’s MMC for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (SRAC), Clr Dorah Mlambo, thanked the sports stars for the effort they put into unearthing their God-given talents.
“The enthusiasm and self-discipline you display on the fields of your different sporting codes is what pushes us, as the municipality, to want to invest more in the growth and development of sports within the metro,” she said.
“Sport is a unique phenomenon, it has a unifying effect and it is for this reason that we continue to support it and continue to encourage all citizens to affiliate themselves to any sporting code.”
The current International Boxing Organisation (IBO) World Champion in the bantamweight division, Mxolisi Nombewu from Tsakane, was crowned the sportsman of the year at the dazzling ceremony.
“When I enter the boxing ring I switch on my winning spirit and I always tell my opponents that you can knock me down, but you can never knock me out,” said the victorious Nombewu upon receiving his award from Clr Mlambo.
Other awards were:
- Outstanding sport administrator – Fran Hilton-Smith.
- Team of the Year – Ekurhuleni Karate Kata team.
- Sports Federation of the Year – Ekurhuleni Basketball Association.
- Primary Sport School of the Year – Laerskool Rynfield.
- Secondary Sport School of the Year – Hoërskool Kempton Park.
- Coach of the Year – Celia Opperman.
- Sportsman of the year (people with disability) – Gerald George Rex.
- Sportswoman of the Year (people with disability) – Mbali Celukuthula Madondo.
- Junior Sportsman of the Year – Kyle James McClatchie.
- Junior Sportswoman of the Year – Shianne Addinall.
- Sportswoman of the Year – Mpho Madi.
- Mbali Madondo (far right) receives her Sportswoman of the Year (people with disability) award from the chairperson of Ekurhuleni’s SRAC oversight committee, Clr Dimakatso Sebiloane. Joining them on stage is Zandile Nhlapho (far left) and Lyzette Uys, who were nominees in the same category.
- Overwhelmed: An overjoyed Mxolisi Nombewu (left) receives his Sportsman of the Year award and Certificate of Achievement from Clr Dorah Mlambo.
