Commonwealth Games champions among winners at SA Sport Awards
Swimmers Pieter Coetze and Lara van Niekerk have been named sportsman and woman of the year at the SA Sport Awards organised by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC).
The Awards at the Sun City Superbowl recognised achievements from 2022, in which Coetze picked up three medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The 18-year-old competed in the men’s backstroke events in the British city where he won gold, silver, and bronze in the 100 metres, 50m, and 200m races, respectively.
Another teenager, 18-year-old Van Niekerk, was also credited for her performances.
She claimed women’s 50m and 100m breaststroke golds at Birmingham 2022, and also took the domestic titles in the discipline.
Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability went to Minke Janse van Rensburg, who secured four all-age world records while also qualifying for the Down Syndrome World Championships.
Sprinter Jonathan Ntutu won the Sportsman of the Year with a Disability award after clinching the gold medal at the Winelands International event in the mixed 100m with a time of 10.94sec.
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Footballer Andile Dlamini was named Sports Star of the Year for her heroic performances as she won best goalkeeper at the tournament at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The 30-year-old was a crucial part of South Africa’s-winning squad, the country’s first triumph at the event and which was secured when they beat the hosts 2-1 in the final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat before a crowd of 51,000.
Cricket South Africa was awarded the National Federation of the Year as it continues to increase the percentage of black players, with the required amount in national teams increasing to 63 per cent.
Simnikiwe Bongco was named Newcomer of the Year.
The promising 21-year-old boxer won bronze in the Commonwealth Games, gold in the African Zone 4 Games and bronze in the African Games.
Springbok Sevens scooped up the Team of the Year award following their gold medal at Birmingham 2022 and second place in the World Rugby Sevens Series 2022.