BY MBALI TEBELE
The return of the 16th annual South African Sports Awards saw the country’s top athletes and sports administrators and members of the media being celebrated last night, 25 March 2023 at the Sun City Superbowl in North West, for continually putting their hearts into the field.
Amongst all of them, Banyana Banyana and Mamelodi Sundowns shot-stopper, Andile Dlamini landed herself the title, of SA Sport Star of the Year 2023 where she was nominated alongside equally deserving swimming sensation Mathew Sates and golf star Ashleigh Buhai, had a stellar 2022.
As the Star of the year the 30-year-old took home an amount of R500 000 and she was one of the players who played a crucial role in Banyana winning their first Women’s African Cup of Nations (Wafcon).
Andile also received the Minster's Excellence Award together with Buhai.
Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana star Themba Zwane was also voted for by the public to take home the award that comes with a R500 000 cash prize, swimming star Lara van Niekerk was crowned Sportswoman of the Year while fellow swimmer and teenager Pieter Coetzee won the Sportsman of the Year award.
Van Niekerk also received the Minster's Excellence Award.
Team of the Year went to the Springbok Sevens while the Coach of the Year award was taken home by swimming coach Rocco Meiring.
Others who received the Minster's Excellence Award were Phiwokuhle Mnguni, Damien Bonhage-Koen, Christopher Baxter, Nkosinathi Hlatshwayo, Charl Du Toit and Andy Birkett.
The Steve Tshwete Lifetime Achiever was awarded to Dr Malumbete Ralethe, the late Cheryl Roberts, Louis Nel, Elizabeth May Ann Smith, and former Sascoc president Gideon Sam.
SA Sports Award winners are:
Sport Administrator of the Year: Portia Dimu
Sportsman of the Year: Pieter Coetzee
Sportsman of the Year with a disability: Jonathan Ntutu
Sportswoman of the Year: Lara van Niekerk
Sportswoman of the Year with a disability: Minkie Janse van Rensburg
Team of the Year: Rugby 7's — Men
Newcomer of the Year: Simnikiwe Bongco
Coach of the Year: Rocco Meiring — Swimming
Volunteer of the Year: Zizo Popu — Eastern Cape
Indigenous games team of the year: Limpopo — Ncuva — Male team
National Federation of the Year: Cricket South Africa
Recreation body of the Year: Waves for Change
School team of the Year: St Benedicts Rowing
Developing school of the Year: Helen Frans Special School Wheelchair Tennis
Sports Star of the Year: Andile Dlamini
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