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gsport… for Girls! editor Kass Naidoo has called on South Africans to continue their efforts in raising the profile of women’s sport. Speaking as the country celebrated National Women’s Day on Sunday, Naidoo said: “There have been many notable successes since unity but the road is long and there is much to do before we can really celebrate.

“There is such richness in women’s sport, we just need to shine a light on these successes and support the efforts of our female athletes who proudly fly the South African flag around the world.”

She commended companies who are supporting women’s sport and challenged other companies to get involved. “It is heartwarming to see the efforts of Sasol who have invested significantly in women’s soccer, SPAR, who are long-time supporters of women’s hockey and netball and MTN, who have shown that our female cyclists can succeed with the right backing.”

Naidoo launched the gsport initiative in August 2006 with her husband, Ryk Meiring, to raise the profile of women in sport significantly to encourage Corporate South Africa would back our female athletes, and gsport celebrated its 4th Annual Awards on 30 July 2009 at the prestigious Wanderers Club in Johannesburg, attended by influential women across sport, business and entertainment,

The Awards is held annually to celebrate the best of South African women and laud the contributions of individuals who promote women in sport.

Former Banyana Banyana captain and 2010 FIFA World Cup ambassador Desiree Ellis was inducted into the gsport Hall of Fame the breakfast. Ellis joined the illustrious trio of Penny Heyns, Hazel Gumede and Elana Meyer in the gsport Hall of Fame.

There was double reason to celebrate for women’s boxing when Mbali Zantsi, South Africa’s first female boxing promoter, won the gsport Woman of the Year Award while Noni Tenge, the country’s first-ever women’s professional boxer, was crowned gSTAR (Sportswoman) of the Year.

Beverly Maphangwa, producer of the award-winning Discovery Sports Centre on Metro FM won the gsport Woman in Media award while socialite and businesswoman, Uyanda Mbuli, won the 2009 gsport Style Star Award.

KwaZulu-Natal sports science final year student, Lunga Ntuli walked away with the gsport Volunteer of the Year award for his promotion of women’s sport in his community while South Africa’s first-ever woman racer in the Wesbank series, Clare Vale, won the Clinique Personal Account Writer award for using sport to change her life.