7th annual Gauteng Sports Awards sees Wits shine
JOBURG – The 7th annual Gauteng Sports Awards was held at the Silverstar Casino in Krugersdorp on 1 October and featured a number of nominees from Wits and Caxton.
The 7th annual Gauteng Sports Awards was held at the Silverstar Casino in Krugersdorp on 1 October and featured a number of nominees from Wits and Caxton.
Caxton’s Alex News was pipped by Jozi FM in the Community Media of the Year category, while Mbali Mokoko edged out Caxton’s Tshepiso Mametela and Zipporah Lusunye of Alex FM to win the Sports Journalist of the Year.
Wits were in the running in the categories of Sportswoman of the Year (Tanita Ramburuth-Hurt), Sportsman of the Year (Kim Lucas), Most Promising Athlete (Madimetja Malebana and Nthabeleng Maine), Sports Team of the Year (Wits Tang Soo Do), Coach of the Year (Kelsey White and Johannes Mongalo) and Disabled Sportswoman of the Year (Maria Combrink).
Lady Luck, however, was with Ramburuth-Hurt and Combrink who walked away the most decorated athletes on the night. Ramburuth-Hurt scooped the prized Sportswoman of the Year award while Combrink claimed the Disabled Sportswoman of the Year gong.
“I was definitely shocked,” said Ramburuth-Hurt, unable to contain her excitement. “I was not expecting to win at all [since] I was up against some really incredible sportswomen, women who’ve made names for themselves in their respective sporting codes.”
In addition, her feats this year have proven illustrious as she achieved three gold medals at the 2017 South African Tang Soo Do Championships and another at the 2017 Arnold Classic National All-Styles martial arts tournament, to go with the six medals she bagged at the 10th World Martial Arts Games in October last year.
Combrink, who was selected for the national team to compete at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London, made a name for herself at the 2017 Nedbank National Championships for the Physically Disabled. There, Combrink claimed gold in the women’s F44 discus and F44 shotput events.
