Limpopo Baobab team brag with team of the year award
Rose Mamabolo, the general manager of Limpopo Baobabs said they are happy for the team and the coach scooping the main awards at the ceremony.
POLOKWANE – The Limpopo Baobabs Netball team were the big winners of the Limpopo Women in Sports Awards after they were crowned team of the year.
The Baobabs made history in June after clinching their maiden Telkom Netball League Division 2 title after thrashing the Western Cape Tornados 65-40 in the finals played at the Heartfelt Arena Pretoria.
Another notable winner was Emily Mathosa, the coach of Limpopo Baobabs who won the coach of the year award for her achievements with the Baobabs and for helping the Netball South Africa junior team win a silver medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games recently held in Trinidad and Tobago.
Rose Mamabolo, the general manager of Limpopo Baobabs said they are happy for the team and the coach scooping the main awards at the ceremony.
“Emily is an upcoming coach and she has been doing well. She also represented us on the international stage and our wish is to see her in the senior team.”
Nakedi Kekaka, the MEC for Sport said with the awards they wanted to empower women competitors.
“These awards are dedicated to many young women who are pioneers in sport and who could not win anything because they were born on the wrong side of time. We have women who are in boxing, bomagogo who play soccer, young women who ply their trade in soccer and many sporting activities that may not have been covered here tonight. We celebrate all of them. We should understand that when we have women competing in sport, we bring about a sense of empowerment among them, while at the same time, aiding them build confidence in their abilities and break gender stereotypes.”
Kekana paid tribute to football stalward and administrator Ria Ledwaba for organising the awards.
“We are proud of the sports confederation and pioneer women such as Mama Ria Ledwaba. She and other women for the past years dreamt and envisioned a time like tonight, a time when women would walk the stage without men ogling them. At times women will ululate themselves without deep voices in the background. A time like tonight. We know that the exceptional women who are nominated for these prestigious awards have gone through great lengths to challenge societal norms, while experiencing personal growth and achievement.
“We are immensely proud of all these more than capable women. We know that they will be more assertive and confident in society and can support the fight against discrimination and gender-based violence,” concluded Kekana.
