Annual Wits Sport Awards sign off on touch-and-go sporting year
- Tshepiso Mametela
In a year marred by the global coronavirus pandemic, the Wits University community tipped its hat off to the boys and girls whose sporting heroics have paved the way to strengthening the institution’s position as the number one destination for academic and sporting excellence in Africa.
To honour this exceptional cohort of student-athletes, who have flown the University’s flag high in various disciplines throughout the year, whether hosted virtually or behind closed doors, Wits Sport held its own first-ever virtual awards presentation evening, the Annual Wits Sport Awards, on 8 October.
And although the year saw the cancellation of a myriad of Varsity Sport events including the Varsity Cup tournament as well as USSA 2020, success for the institution came in different shades. The student-athletes who have excelled at senior club or provincial tournaments over the past 12 months were honoured with the University’s Half-Blue colours.
Its recipients included Jichandre Sambo, Thabo Ranamane and Rutendo Nyikadzinyo (Tang Soo Do); Erin Haupt and Gabrielle De Sai (Hockey); Emanuel Tshituka and Banele Mthejane (Rugby); Anja Esterhuizen (Netball); Sebastian De Oliveira (Cricket); Nkotso Mapota (Football); and Khaalidah Mohammed (Wargames), among a host of others.
Next were the students who excelled on the national and international stage, representing both the University and the country in spectacular fashion. These athletes were awarded Full-Blue colours and came in the form of Ayanda Tuku (Fencing); Panashe Chiranga and Simone van Reenen (Netball); Chad Futcher, Nomnikelo Veto and Rusten Abrahams (Hockey); Dylan Kruger (Athletics) and Karishma Naicker (Gymnastics).
Full-Blue Cum Laude colours, for the individuals who have achieved senior national colours (the highest level of participation in the athlete’s designated sporting code) would go the way of the Wits Fencing Club’s Harry Saner and the Wits Yacht Club’s Michaela Robinson, Emma Clark, Hearn Johnson, Tawanda Chikasha and Ryan Robinson.
The biggest award-takers of the night came in the Junior Sportswoman of the Year and Junior Sportsman of the Year categories, where gymnastics prodigy Karishma Naicker and the mercurial fencing talent of Ayanda Tuku, respectively, raised their hands highest to earn a coveted feather in the cap. This while Michaela Robinson and Harry Saner, respectively, emerged as the year’s burgeoning recipients of the Sportswoman of the Year and Sportsman of the Year awards.
2020 Wits Junior Sportwoman of the Year: Karishma Naicker
2020 Wits Sportsman of the Year: Harry Saner
The Wits Boat Club scooped the Club of the Year trophy following an impressive 2019 in which they attained the highest number of medals in year’s at USSA-R Sprints, with two of the club’s members also being selected to trial for the student national team. The women's side improved overall at USSA-R Sprints, going from 5th the year before to an overall 4th.
The club also achieved two shared awards, including the University Rowing Ian Maxwell Award for the club with the most spirit. The club participated in the Gauteng Senior Championships and the SA Senior Championships and competed in the Universities Boatrace to raise its profile in the sport, among a hoard of other achievements.
2020 Wits Sports Club of the Year: Wits Boat Club
Other winners on the night included Kwanele Ngema, who was awarded the 2020 Mel Siff Award while the Rising Star Male winner for 2020 was Wits Rugby player, Kabelo Mokheti. Kagisho Itholeng walked off with the Rising Star Female award, for her selection as a training partner for the Gauteng Golden Fireballs team for the upcoming Telkom Netball League while also being included in the Gauteng Junior Elite Squad.
Rising Star Female: Kagisho Itholeng