Sport awards coming up

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s 2018/19 Limpopo Sport and Recreation Awards were officially launched by MEC Thandi Moraka at Protea Hotel Ranch Resort on Tuesday.
The award ceremony that is set for 21 September at Meropa Casino and Entertainment World aims to honour and celebrate athletes, sport photographers and writers, volunteers and administrators who continue to make the province proud in their respective fields. The nominees in the nine categories were announced during the launch while the names of those eligible to receive the 12 MEC Special Awards were reserved for the main event.
According to Moraka, the department budgeted R650 000 for the ceremony. She also indicated that departmental officials had been tasked to bring prominent businesspersons on board to make it possible for her office to reward winners with monetary prizes not less the
R20 000 each. “I don’t want to hand over a cheque of less than R20 000 to a winner. I want to give athletes something that can help them to be economically independent. I would prefer that, instead of wasting the amount received they should rather invest it for educational development and in projects that can help them earn a decent living,” Moraka remarked.
She further said the department had hosted wonderful and successful awards ceremonies in the last three years and reckoned that having such occasions annually would help draw greater numbers of youth into sport.
She added that Limpopo has a long way to go before reaching a goal of ensuring that the majority of people, both young and old, participate in one sport or another. Moraka believes that sports men and women can play a vital role in ensuring that the province achieves its ideal of making sport accessible to all people.
She concluded by saying: “May Limpopo sport go from strength to strength as we strive to build a great South African sporting nation.”
Nominees

Photographer of the Year
• Dovhani Nengovhela.
• Maseo Nethanani.
• Lebogang Makwela.
Sportsman of the Year with Disability
• David Malaka
• Selaelo Sydney Rapholo
• Sello Koos Matsaung
Team of the Year
• Limpopo Maphungubjwe Warriors
• Down Syndrome Futsal Team
• Limpopo Softball Senior (Dinare)

Sportsman of the Year
• Tidima Kekana
• Milton Kekana
• Arnold Akani Phuzi
Volunteer of the Year
• Mokgadi Mswazi
• Gladwin Khosa
• Tlou Sekwaila
Sportswoman of the Year
• Lenize Potgieter
• Tebogo Prudence Sekgodiso
• Anokha van Manen

Sports Administrator of the Year
• Puleng Mmotla
• Phuti Kgomo
• Cecilia Molokwane

Journalist of the Year
• Michael Makungo
• Robert Mathye
• Nyiko Gult Sithole
Newcomer of the Year
• Tebogo Prudence Sekgodiso
• Boitumelo Mahloko
• Tshifhiwa Tshankoma

Story/photos: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za