World leader over 800m and SA record breaker, Caster Semenya, Comrades marathon winner, Charne Bosman and SPAR Proteas netball international, Karla Mostert lead a stellar list of finalists for the 2016 SPAR gsport Awards, announced today at the Awards new home, The Venue, Melrose Arch.
It is now over to the public to cast their votes at gsport.co.za until 21 August, to help the judges decide the overall winners in each category.
SPAR has confirmed it will partner gsport for the fifth year running as title sponsor of the gsport Awards.
For the second year running, the Awards is endorsed and supported by Sport and Recreation South Africa. SRSA’s mandate in supporting these Awards drives the agenda of creating opportunities and providing platforms to identify, develop and nurture key talent of South African women in sport.
Women’s cricket has four finalists in the 2016 SPAR gsport Awards shortlist, with the Momentum Proteas women’s team, Sune Luus, Laura Wolvaardt and Mignon du Preez all shortlisted across their respective categories.
Junior wheelchair tennis ace, Nokwanda Hlongwane is a double-finalist, as is netball coach, Dumisane Chauke, and radio sports journalist Dikeledi Letsiri.
Channel Africa sports presenter Rachel Makhura is the only triple finalist, gaining the judges’ nod across Style, Social Media and Radio.
Anna Botha, coach of Men’s 400m sensation Wayde van Niekerk is a finalist in the Coach of the Year category which includes Chauke, and also features Free State Crinums coach, Burta de Kock, who will be pleased to see her team shortlisted for Team of the Year.
In Supporter of the Year, well-known football supporters, Mama Joy Chauke, Zama K Ngcobo and Fefe Sonti, will battle it out for top honours.
Woman in Media Print features Sunday Tribune’s Sheetal Cross, Daily Maverick’s Antoinette Muller and former category winner, Busisiwe Mokwena from the Daily Sun.
Capricorn FM’s Keabetswe Motlokwa, Rachel Makhura and Dikeledi Letsiri are shortlisted in the Woman in Media Radio category.
The Awards is scheduled for Saturday, 27 August 2016 and is the 11th edition of the event first held on 1 August 2006, when Atlanta double-gold medallist Penny Heyns was inducted as the inaugural gsport Hall of Fame recipient alongside the launch of the gsport4girls initiative.
Full List of 2016 SPAR gsport Awards Finalists:
Athlete of the Year:
Charne Bosman | Karla Mostert | Caster Semenya
Athlete of the Year with Disability:
KG Montjane | Justine Asher | Louzanne Coetzee
Junior Athlete of the Year:
Tamzin Thomas | Nokwanda Hlongwane | Sune Luus
School Sports Star of the Year:
Simonay Weitsz | Laura Wolvaardt | Nokwanda Hlongwane
Team of the Year:
Free State Crinums Netball Team | Momentum Proteas | SA Women’s Sevens Team
Coach of the Year:
Anna “Tannie Ans” Botha | Burta de Kock | Dumisani Chauke
Style Star:
Mapaseka Makhanya | Mignon du Preez | Rachel Makhura
Supporter of the Year:
Mama Joy Chauke | Zama K Ngcobo | Fefe Sonti
Volunteer of the Year:
Zelda Hansen | Busisiwe Sijora | Faith Sibeko
Woman in Media Television:
Julia Stuart | Vaylen Kirtley | Motshidisi Mohono
Woman in Media Radio:
Rachel Makhura | Keabetswe Motlokwa | Dikeledi Letsiri
Woman in Media Social Media:
Rachel Makhura | Lee-Ann Mpofu | Dikeledi Letsiri
Woman in Media Print:
Busisiwe Mokwena |Antoinette Muller | Sheetal Cross
Woman of the Year:
Dumisani Chauke| Karen Losch | Faith Sibeko
Video caption: The announcement of Finalists for the 2016 SPAR gsport Awards, at The Venue at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg, on 1 August, 2016. Video: gsport