Being a woman is like being in a rollercoaster ride, thrilling, scary, ups and downs moments of laughter and fear. Simply put, woman go through a lot on a daily basis. Zooming in on the challenges: A lady will put in the hours for a position they know they may not get, because a “deserving” male counterpart will be selected. She has to calculate her moves when going to the shops, to avoid another daily dose of cat-calling, or even worse, femicide.
In sport, a woman can be a high-performing, elite athlete, yet still need to work a full-time job to make ends meet. Female athletes are not celebrated as much as they should be, even when they sometimes break boundaries that go beyond gender lines.
For a sporting code to be professionalised, women need to fast, make a sacrifice, and pray to get professionalised. Even that may not be enough.
That is why organisations like gsport, which work tirelessly to promote and advance the women’s game, are so crucial.
Since its inception in 2006, through the gsport Newsroom and its annual Awards, gsport has shone the light on deserving women. On the pitch, in the office as an administrator, or in a newsroom as a media practitioner, a large number of women have had their story told on the platform, or they summited the pinnacle to graced the gsport Awards stage, recognised for being a force and a ground breaker in their own right.
And with this recognition, the world gets to know more about the work and dedication of these fierce women.
This piece shines the light on three winners that have embodied the Power of Recognition on the gsport stage. Momentum gsport Awards winners Lesego Pooe, Itumeleng Banda and Jessica Nkomo have owned the sport broadcasting and marketing and PR space in South Africa and continue to grow as they aim to take their careers to unprecedented heights.
#gsport16 Woman in Social winner, Pooe on the purpose of recognition. “Recognition enhances self-esteem, I’ve seen it with myself and the recognition gsport has awarded me personally. Recognition reinforces a person’s sense of self-worth and confidence. It validates their efforts and skills, which can lead to a more positive image of self which assists in showing up in this world in a better light.
#gsport15 Women in Radio winner Banda has ventured from community and campus radio to stepping onto the big scene on our television screens.
“Since winning the gsport award, I have leveraged the recognition to advance my career by taking on more prominent broadcasting roles within the space. I’ve made many massive moves but just to name a few I joined the SABC and on my debut, I anchored the inaugural African Football League.”
“I’ve had the privilege of covering the COSAFA Tournament 2024 pitch-side, and I have the opportunity of hosting an African football show called “Fut Afrique” every week on SABC which for me is everything because the show has been running for about three years now. There have been many other exciting moments that I’m wholeheartedly grateful for.”
Itumeleng Banda
Pooe, who rightfully calls herself “Lesego Pooe International” on social media, is just that – International. The cricket presenter has grown at a rapid rate and we look forward to see which boundaries she’ll be shattering soon.
“Since my victory, I’ve participated in an international women’s tournament called FairBreak for two seasons. Additionally, I’ve been working as a SuperSport in-field presenter for the Proteas women’s inbound series. Most importantly, I’ve started my podcast called: The Pitchside Podcast (Home of authentic cricket conversations) interviewing female cricketers like the great Shabnim Ishmail and Tumi Sekhukhune to name a few.”
Nkomo, meanwhile, a #gsport17 Woman in Social Media winner is a trailblazer of note. Her women in sport Bokamoso Sports Agency is thriving but so is her own career.
“When I came into the space I was more on the fan and supporter side. With the agency, it’s been more on the PR and sponsorship side, securing endorsement deals and sponsorships for the athletes has been what I was focusing on. But I have been tapping into other spaces, exploring other spaces within the sporting fraternity, and tapped into the space of broadcasting.
“I landed my first job as a football analyst on TV at SABC1 and also landing a full-time broadcasting position at Mamelodi Sundowns as the Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies TV presenter. Outside of that, I’ve been getting some gigs as a public speaker, being an MC for a couple of events here and there. So I’ve just basically expanded my portfolio and my brand into other spaces.”
The three former winners epitomise the PowerOfRecognition. Recognition is incredibly powerful as it allows people to see what they may have been missing. It creates awareness for those that may have thought the world of sports only revolves around men.
Recognition is a nod to say whatever you’ve been doing in your own little space, as a TV Presenter, or as an athlete, has positively influenced women’s sports. The beauty of an Award won on the gsport stage is that the acknowledgment comes from industry peers, and also a panel of judges that have worked in sports for years.
“Recognition is vital for women in sport because it validates their efforts and highlights their contributions. This boosts their confidence and keeps them motivated to go over and beyond. When women’s achievements are acknowledged, it lifts their spirits, it challenges stereotypes and helps pave the way for future female athletes and professionals.”
Itumeleng Banda
Pooe highlights the impact of gsport: “Organisations like gsport are necessary because they advocate for equal opportunities, resources, and recognition for female athletes locally and internationally and gsport also create a supportive community for women in sports, fostering connections among athletes, coaches and sports professionals.”
Banda shares the same sentiments: “gsport has significantly impacted women in South African sports by elevating their profiles and providing them with a spotlight to showcase their talents.
“The platform has helped raise awareness of women’s sports achievements which in return has led to increased media coverage and support. It has also inspired younger generations of female athletes and sports professionals by demonstrating that their contributions are valued and celebrated. Most importantly though, it’s also created a strong sisterhood amongst females in the industry.”
Aunty Diski – as Nkomo is affectionately – knows says winning on the gsport stage is the perfect boost for a blooming profile. “Winning elevated my brand visibility into spaces amongst other sportswomen and sports names. It’s always an advantage to be an award winner, multi-award winner, it definitely changes your bio, elevates your name and elevates your brand.
Today, in 2024, we still celebrate ‘the first women to …’, which puts us in a corner where you have to celebrate, because it’s an achievement, but you can’t help but wonder if we shouldn’t rather reprimand the gatekeepers on why they’ve held on to everything for so long. Instead of sharing opportunities and levelling the playing field, some men opted for creating all boys clubs thus further alienating women.
Nkomo weighs in: “I think we’ve gone for a couple of years without the recognition from anybody for that matter. We’ve always been looked at as people who are trying to do what men are doing. And in the space that we have been given recognition, it’s been compared to what the males have done or achieved.
“I think it’s very important to really give claps and recognition and celebrate women and highlight them just as a confidence booster as well as motivation to keep going and also to keep motivating others because we looked up to some women in the sports space and now we’ve got youngsters who are looking up to us,” says Jessica Nkomo. “So, if they see that we are being celebrated, and our work doesn’t go unnoticed, it also gives them that extra push. It launches their drive and their passion as well, to know that they could also be recognised for all their efforts and achievements.”
Selfless Aunty Diski speaks of her ambitions, she plans to continue being the force behind other women.
“Really my ambition is just to change every girl’s dream, one day at a time, one signing at a time, one broadcast at a time, just to motivate, to mentor, to cultivate where I can, to see growth amongst youngsters, to see leaders, to motivate others to become like me, to have other agencies opening that focus on women. I don’t want to be the only one in this industry or only one in my space that does what I do. I’d like an expansion, I’d like to see growth in others.”
Jessica Nkomo
“I’d like to build an academy one day for less privileged athletes and I’d like to probably manage a football club one day, but for me it’s basically just continue to work hard, to help a girl’s dream become a reality and help them navigate around the sports spaces and fight for their rights until they know how to fight for themselves.”
With gsport turning 18 years old, Itu Banda has a wish for this premium platform.
“My wish for gsport is for this hun to go global! As this will connect more women within the space, draw more eyeballs which will eventually lead to genuine support.
“I’d love to see more chances for mentorship and development for up-and-coming female athletes and professionals in the space, says Banda. “Basically, I want the sisterhood to keep expanding, and for all the great momentum from the past 18 years to lead to even more incredible changes in the industry”
Miss International, Lesego, shares her wish for gsport. “There is so much I wish for gsport, from gsport podcasts, live, in person gsport masterclasses.”
“Organisations like gsport are necessary because they advocate for equal opportunities, resources, and recognition for female athletes locally and internationally and gsport also creates a supportive community for women in sports, fostering connections among athletes, coaches and sports professionals. I’d like to see a gsport Foundation partnering up with organisations for young female athletes to get scholarships.”
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