KZN’s top sports stars celebrated at awards
The much anticipated 2018 KZN Sport Awards was held at a glittering ceremony at Durban’s ICC last night (Wednesday, 25 September).
While about 80 nominees were shortlisted across 24 categories, top achievers in the province’s sporting landscape for the period 1 August 2017 to 31 July 2018 were acknowledged at the sixth KZN Sport Awards.
The awards seek to recognise and reward the exceptional performances and accomplishments of athletes, administrators, coaches, teams and sports media personnel from KZN, on and off the field.
Netball star Bongiwe Msomi disproved the old adage that ‘lightning never strikes the same place twice’ when she bagged the prestigious Sportswoman of the Year title for the second year in a row. International swimmer Henri Schoeman was declared Sportsman of the Year.
The Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability award went to Melisa Ann O’Neil, while Aaron Alois Putz was chosen Sportsman of the Year with a Disability.
The event was attended by KZN Premier Willies Mchunu, National Minister of Sport and Recreation, Thokozile Xasa and her provincial counterpart, Bongi Sithole-Moloi.
The Premier said: “In the past, sport was used as a dividing factor in communities and now it is what brings people together. Transformation based on merit remains fundamental for the progression of sport in South Africa. We want to ensure young people grow up displaying their talent in sport freely. We acknowledge the role the media has played in popularising sport in the province.
“KZN plays host to internationally recognised sporting events like the Comrades Marathon which has in turn made way for the Mandela Marathon. We need to promote marathons in townships to promote sport development.
“We support you in opposing policies that seek to discriminate against athletes like Caster Semenya.”
Msomi, 30, who hails from Hammarsdale, west of Durban, is a South African netball star. The ace wing attack and centre is the fifth of eight children. She started playing netball at high school in 2004 at the age of 16.
She has captained the SPAR Proteas national netball team for the 2017 and 2018 Quad Series in Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa, and led her team to their first ever Quad Series victory against the England Roses at Invercargill, New Zealand in 2017, beating them 54-51. This industrious player was awarded ‘best team player’ in a vote by players and coaching staff for Adelaide Thunderbirds in 2018. She also represented the Spar Proteas team in the Test Series in Fiji in 2017.
At just 26, Schoeman is arguably one of the strongest and most consistent swimmers in the international professional triathlon circuit. A product of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport and Recreation’s elite athlete development programme, he started 2018 with a bang when he won the World Triathlon Abu Dhabi Race in thrilling fashion by becoming only the second athlete to lead in the three legs of swimming, cycling and running.
He ran to a phenomenal victory in the 2018 Commonwealth Games held in the Gold Coast, Australia where he claimed the first of South Africa’s 13 gold medals. Schoeman stands 7th currently on the World Triathlon Series ranking and continues to make both KZN and the country proud as he competes on the international elite men’s circuit. He was also placed second in the 2018 ITU Triathlon World Cup in Cape Town and 9th in the current ITU world ranking.
O’ Neil represented South Africa at the 2017 International Federation for Intellectual Impairment Sport (INAS) World Swimming Championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico where she won six medals – two gold, three silver and one bronze – and broke two South African and African records for the 50m and 100m breaststroke long course.
At the 2018 ninth DSISO World Swimming Championships in Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada for swimmers with Down syndrome, she won eight medals – three gold, four silver and one bronze. She equaled the world record in the 400m individual medley and set five new African records. O’ Neil is ranked the top South African female swimmer with Down syndrome.
Putz represented South Africa at the 2017 INAS World Swimming Championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico where he won gold in the 200m backstroke, winning a total of five individual and two relay medals. At the 2018 aQuellé Midmar Mile, he won gold in the male disability category. Putz participated in the 2018 SA Sports Association for the Intellectually Impaired National Swimming Championships in Pretoria, where he won 12 gold medals and emerged as the top male swimmer of the championship. He is ranked as the number one SA male swimmer with a disability in the intellectually impaired (S14) class.
The Department of Sport and Recreation’s vision is to enable an active and winning province through sport and recreation.
In her address, MEC for Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation, Bongi Sithole-Moloi, said: “In KZN, the popularity of professional and mass sport is growing, especially among young people. In addition, increasing numbers of individuals are choosing healthier lifestyles, seeking to regain harmony between body and spirit. Preserving the health of the nation is of paramount importance to the state and our indisputable priority.
“We have a rich sporting culture in KZN and the passion and commitment of those who have contributed to our great sporting past give our young aspiring athletes inspiration for the future.
In recognition of some notable achievements of athletes and administrators, seven special recognition awards were bestowed by the MEC upon individuals who excelled in 2017/18.
Veteran runner Blanche Moila received a lifetime achievement award; late football star and coach, Bheka Phakathi, the posthumous award; international canoeing star, Hank McGregor the special honour award and triathlete, Mhlengi Gwala bagged the award for achievement against all odds.
Zinhle Ndawonde was chosen as the Sports Personality of the Year. The public cast their votes based on a list of 12 sports stars shortlisted by an independent panel of judges.
Sponsors of the 2018 KZN Sport Awards are acknowledged for their generosity and support – Tourvest, Selaki Sports & Leisure, Amathole Funerals, Solly-M Sports, Coastlands, Chippas Bus Service, Margate Sports School, Tsogo Sun, UBAC, World Outdoor Fitness, Ladysmith Motel, Cosmic Transport and Subban and Subban Insurance Group.
