Annual Cape Town Sport Council Awards a culinary delight

The annual Cape Town Sport Council Awards took place at the Western Province Cricket Grounds this past weekend, with athletes, administrators, and dignitaries in attendance. The event, kindly supported by the Western Cape Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture, annually sees the district Federations nominate their top athletes and administrators for various categories.

These athletes will now be in a position to add this accolade to their records of achievement when they go to the Provincial Sport Awards, which will be held in Cape Town on 23 November 2024.

The awards were opened by Mr. Bennett Bailey, Vice Chairperson of the Cape Town Sport Council, who also welcomed the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport Chief Director, Dr. Lyndon Bouah. Under the guidance of Cape Town Sport Council Chairman, Mr. Junaid Baig, the evening was by all accounts a great success. All attendees enjoyed the theatre-style arrangements, which concluded with an international culinary experience and social interactions. This unique format certainly added to the occasion by providing an opportunity for Federations to interact with one another. Cape Town Chairman Junaid Baig expressed his gratitude to the Cape Town Sport Council Executive Committee for the hard work they had put in behind the scenes to ensure the success of the event, including Vice Presidents Mr. Bennett Bailey and Ms. Nicole Alcock. The event saw legendary master of ceremonies and popular radio presenter Jeremy Harris conduct the occasion, with hands-on support from CTDSC Secretary Ms. Janine du Toit and Executive Committee member Mr. Henry Arnolds.

Also in attendance was the President of the Western Cape Provincial Sport Confederation, Mr. JP Naude, who congratulated the nominees. He went on to remind everyone of the importance of setting targets in leadership and ensuring their sports information is synchronized with other Districts in their Federation. He emphasized that this information should be passed on to their provincial mother bodies and then to the Western Cape Provincial Sport Confederation to gain media traction and help make Federations investable. Naude highlighted that sport funding remains a challenge, and the only way forward is by creating an appealing environment for the corporate sector to invest in amateur sports, a model that the WCPSC is driving to help build the Federation value proposition.

Award Winners

As always, the highlight of the year is the Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year, which saw Western Province Cycling’s Alan Hatherly walk away as the 2024 Cape Town Sportsman of the Year, and Cape Town Cue Sports’ Tasneem Solomons as Sportswoman of the Year. Other accolades included:

• Administrator of the Year: Graham Ward, Western Province Bowls (Blind Bowls)
• Sportsman of the Year: Alan Hatherly, Western Province Cycling
• Sportswoman of the Year: Tasneem Solomons, Cape Metro Cue Sport
• Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability: Tezna Abrahams, Western Province Sport Association for the Physically Disabled
• Sportsman of the Year with a Disability: Mpumelelo Mhlongo, Western Province Sport Association for the Physically Disabled
• Team of the Year: World Sports Betting Western Province Men’s Team, Western Province Cricket
• Newcomer of the Year: David Bedingham, Western Province Cricket
• Coach of the Year: Patrick Collings, Cape Town Fencing
• Volunteer of the Year: Marina Bothma, Cape Town Netball
• District Federation of the Year: Western Province Cricket Association
• Photographer of the Year: Johan Maree (aXnshots), Cape Town Judo
• Recognition of Technical Excellence: Dr. Kevin du Plooy, Cape Town Weightlifting Association and Wanri Venter, Western Province Hockey
• Community Builder of the Year: Rygate Football Association, SAFA Cape Town
• Junior Sportswoman of the Year: Eve Abrahams, Western Province Lifesaving
• Junior Sportsman of the Year: Noah Conrad Bennett, South Africa Shooting Sport Confederation – Cape Town
• Schools Sportsman of the Year: Pieter Willem Kruger, Cape Town Fencing
• Schools Sportswoman of the Year: Tatiana Thomatos, Western Cape Modern Pentathlon
• Best After School Sport and Recreation Programme Award: Pool4Change Youth Development, Cape Metro Cue Sport
• Best After School Sport and Recreation Coaching Award: Itumeleng Nkoala, Cape Town Judo Association
• Recreation Body of the Year: Rygate Football Cubs Festival, SAFA Cape Town
• School Team of the Year: Athlone School for the Blind Junior Male Goalball Team, Western Province Sport Association for the Physically Disabled