There seems to be nothing that can stop Thembi Kgatlana as the Banyana Banyana international has continued to pile on the plaudits. On Thursday evening, 17 October 2019, the sports athlete was honoured at the annual Feather Awards ceremony where she was named the Sports Personality of the Year.
One thing for sure, Kgatlana’s personality both on and off the field has caught the attention of many as she continues to rise in her already glittering career. At just 23-years of age, the striker has set the world of women’s football alight.
She might have only burst onto the football scene a mere three years ago but the feats that the South African footballer has achieved in a short space of time is commendable as it was mostly thanks to her goals that afforded Banyana Banyana an opportunity to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France for the very first time and it was the pint-sized forward who netted the country’s first goal of the tournament on the world stage.
Currently contracted to Chinese club Beijing BG Phoenix, Kgatlana opted to join a growing league that has attracted many Africans for both the female and male side of the game. So far, she has managed to worm her way into the hearts of the Chinese football faithful and has continued to be a star for her club.
Kgatlana’s List of Achievements Continue to Boil Over
The reigning African Women’s Player of the Year was nominated by the Ministry of Sports as one of the best athletes in the country and had double joy at the 2019 Momentum gsport Awards in August where she was named the Momentum Athlete of the Year and Banyana Banyana winning the Big Five Duty Free Team of the Year.
To end the year off, Kgatlana will be looking to add in another award as she has been nominated in the People’s Choice of the Year category at the SA Sports Awards that is set to take place in November, where she is up against Comrades Marathon record breaker, Gerda Steyn and the highly experienced SPAR Proteas netball captain, Bongiwe Msomi.
Kgatlana previously told gsport that she is honoured with her nomination as she felt that many of the athletes that were mentioned in the category all had a handful of experience and have been in the game for as long as she could remember.
“Being nominated in the People’s Choice of the Year category means a lot to me. I couldn’t have dreamt to be nominated in this category while this young. People who get nominated in this category have experience and have been in the game for long. As young as I am, I am truly honoured to achieve this nomination for this category. Whether I win it or not, it will form part of my highs in my career.”
Photo 1 Caption: Banyana Banyana international star, Thembi Kgatlana was handed her Sports Personality Award of the Year at the annual Feather Awards ceremony by gsport Founder and editor, Kass Naidoo and proudly South African supporter, Joyce “Mama Joy” Chauke on Thursday, 17 October 2019. Photo: gsport
With editing by gsport
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