It was an exciting evening on June 23, 2011 at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park as Gauteng celebrated its athletes and their contributions to the sports industry.
Flow PR was honoured to attend the inaugural Gauteng Sports Awards as sponsors and supporters.
Says Flow PR’s Senior Account Manager, Bafana Sibiya, “It was really great being part of the Gauteng Sport Awards. Emperors Palace was packed with celebrities and the like. The entire event was well organised and culminated into an even better after-party.”
The Gauteng Sports Awards were introduced by Gauteng Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation MEC Lebogang Maile to recognise the contributions of sportsmen and women. He hopes the awards will become an annual event that will grow and encourage young people to take sports seriously.
METRO FM DJ and Discovery Sport Centre host, Robert Marawa was MC on the night and took the crowd through the nomination process. The awards were presented by well known South African personalities.
And the winners are:
- Sports Team of the Year: Vodacom Blue Bulls
- Sports Woman of the Year: Mignon du Preez
- Coach of the Year: Hein van der Lith
- Journalist of the Year: Tim Thema (Jozi FM)
- Technical Official of the Year: Michelle Joubert
- Newcomer of the Year: Francois Hougaard
- Administrator of the Year: Khaya Mjo
- Sportswoman with Disability of the Year: Natalie du Toit
- Sportsman with Disability of the Year: Lucas Sithole
- Sportsman of the Year: AB de Villiers
- Lifetime Achiever Award: Dr Irvin Khoza
- Sports Personality of the Year: Siphiwe Tshabalala
The Sports Personality of the Year Award was determined by the public through voting via SMS and online. Siphiwe Tshabalala will forever be remembered for his spectacular opening goal at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ against Mexico.
Tshabalala dedicated his award to his late mother.
Life Time Achiever Award winner, Dr Irvin Khoza, spoke of being honoured to have lived through some of the most defining moments in history. First, the peace agreement negotiated by Nelson Mandela to end apartheid and second, the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.
He described Gauteng as the “nerve centre of the 2010 World Cup”. He encouraged South Africans to carry on as though the World Cup were still on.
The Gauteng Sports Awards were an excellent way of celebrating the one-year anniversary of the World Cup which brought so much excitement and hope to South Africa. Flow PR was proud to have been a part of it!