Blue and Gold Issue 9

the official uwc sports magazine

SPORT

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ISSUE 9 | 2022

CHAMPIONS OF AFRICA

HOMECOMING

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

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SPORT

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We will be watching with interest as we walk the journey with these new little superstars of goals and graduation gowns.

PROF TYRONE PRETORIUS, RECTOR AND VICE-CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE

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BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 9 2022

WORDS FROM THE

VICE-CHANCELLOR

CELEBRATING OUR CHAMPIONS

and the well-being of the girl child.

Our intention is for girls as young as seven and eight to grow up with the UWC campus being part of their lives.

We will be a constant for our little soccer players as they graduate to higher age groups, go to high school and eventually enrol here to study for a degree of their choice and to play for our women’s team.

PROF TYRONE PRETORIUS, RECTOR AND VICE-CHANCELLOR WE WANT TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY CLUBS

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HE NOISE WAS DEAFENING

on campus as the champions of Africa came home on an unusually sunny day in August. This was easy to understand because their Women’s African Cup of Nations triumph was as much a triumph for this university as it was for the rest of South Africa.

NO FEWER THAN HALF OF THE SQUAD that

collected winners’ medals at the tournament were current or former students of the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Our women’s football head coach Thinasonke Mbuli was the assistant coach for the national team as well.

THE UWC WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TEAM’S SUCCESS must have been infectious for Banyana Banyana. Just a year before their triumph, our Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Student Development Support, Professor Pamela Dube, and I were ululating and dancing with our women’s team at Cape Town International Airport.

They had returned as champions from the women’s Varsity Football tournament for 2021. They had also had a stellar showing in the women’s Hollywoodbets National League.

to all who attended that they have a great affinity for UWC and appreciate how the university has created a platform for women’s football that is a model for the rest of the country.

WE DON’T RECRUIT STUDENTS for them

to be Banyana, Springbok or Protea stars. At UWC, we aim to produce great all-round citizens who benefit from the best of both worlds – a world-class platform to play elite sports as well as access a world-class higher education.

If they become jewels in our national side, it is a bonus.

IT IS WITH THIS IN MIND that we launched the She-Bobo at UWC junior girls’ soccer league. The league was announced by our notable alumnus and the South African Football Association President, Danny Jordaan, in September. The league seeks to address the lack of competitive soccer for girls in the Cape Town region.

SHE-BOBO is another metric of UWC’s investment in the women’s game

to grow capacity in the women’s game. At the same time, our students involved in sports science, sports administration management and development, nursing, physiotherapy and biokinetics will benefit from the practical experience of servicing the league, as will our sports administration staff.

IT IS OUR HOPE that She-Bobo

becomes the blueprint for how universities around the country can engage communities through sport and become the drivers for social change as the anchor institutions in our society.

AS WE CELEBRATE OUR HEROINES’ RETURN as the WAFCON champions, we welcome the new cohort of future stars gracing our sporting fields in the She-Bobo at UWC league. We trust you will do your best on the field and make new friends, but mostly have fun in a safe environment. We will be watching with great interest the progress of these little superstars, from goals to graduation gowns. B+G

I HOSTED Regirl Ngobeni, Sibulele

Howeni, Bongeka Gamede, Amogelang Motau, Noxolo Cesane, Thembi Kgatlana and assistant coach Mbuli at a lunch the day after their big welcome back to campus. It was clear

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

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DVC’S

CORNER

I

WRITE THIS ARTICLE

with mixed feelings about the time that has come and the future that is beckoning. Because of that, I have taken an unusual step of approaching this article as a reflection of many significant moments, and our achievements specifically in sport at this wonderful institution.

MY JOURNEY BEGAN on 1 December 2015 when I parked my car in the open parking bay at the back of the Main Administration Building after a lonely drive to campus. I was entering uncharted waters as I began my term as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Development and Support (SDS). I was not sure what to expect and my only certainty was my contract of association with UWC containing the key responsibilities that I was asked to strategically undertake to continue with the excellent work that was happening within the SDS Division. This was the start of my official and professional relationship with UWC as a site of opportunities and progress.

A MOMENT OF

REFLECTION PROF PAMELA DUBE, DEPUTY VICE-CHANCELLOR: STUDENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT, UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE

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BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 9 2022

I INSTANTLY CAME TO REALISE that I related to and shared the institutional values about the ways in which we view students and their agency, and these commitments were reflected in many different framework documents and plans. Shortly after my arrival at UWC I was greeted by the #MustFall movements which were reverberating across the higher education sector, led by students demanding total transformation and challenging the status quo. There was literally no time for deep five-year strategy thinking or planning as the new Institutional Operation Plan 2016— 2020 also demanded attention.

But there was time for me at least to get to know my colleagues and what they were responsible for and to meet student leadership.

THE FOCUS AT THAT TIME was to think

through practical steps and efforts to deal with the evolving situation on campus and get to understand the unique UWC experience in this context. We had to work together as the UWC community to restore confidence and deal with fears and uncertainties about how the university would look after the challenging circumstances on campus and its relations with the outside world. Given how things were, there was a reason to be cautiously optimistic because we were faced with an unprecedented reality. In the midst of all the engagements and negotiations, I kept energising myself by reading and engaging with students and my staff about the many successes within the division that I was entrusted to lead, which kept me hopeful and optimistic about what was possible.

of each individual’s background circumstances. Without any sense of conceit I can boldly say that UWC has made an indelible mark in creating opportunities for many sportsmen and women and thousands of students who came to the institution underfunded or not funded at all but who managed to work hard to achieve curricular and co-curricular honours.

I wish to take this opportunity and go down memory lane to remind us of our steady progress and what the different sporting codes have achieved over the years, especially at the level of Varsity Sport competition, which is the pinnacle of university sport in South Africa. Some of the honours that made us really proud to be part of Udubs were:

2015 Varsity Men’s Football Champions

THIS ARTICLE will by no means

comprehensively cover the entire period of my association with UWC but aims to highlight some of the significant achievements, which is a risky proposition as we have witnessed many and wide-ranging successes and it is not a simple exercise to distil and package them for this article.

Having said that, it is important to acknowledge that these achievements were (and continue to be) made possible by the extraordinary abilities, commitment and dedication of our UWC students and staff.

THERE IS SO MUCH I can write about in relation to what students have achieved and what the SDS team has contributed over the last few years but I will reserve that for later and get back to the focus area of the Blue and Gold Magazine by citing some key sports achievements. I state the obvious that South Africa has talent that must be nurtured and I agree with the Rector and Vice-Chancellor that we offer opportunities to showcase talent and open the doors of higher education to all, regardless

2015—2016 Varsity Beach Volleyball Champions

2015—2022

on our laurels but keep pushing by embracing innovation and digital influence as part of the cornerstone of co-creating possibilities. We introduced our new SDS branding this year and specifically the tagline – learn.become.thrive.

This places SDS at the centre of the holistic student experience in terms of our commitment to provide co-curricular programmes and student success as broadly defined, including comprehensive support that addresses all transitional stages of the student journey from high school to first year and proceeding to the senior years, graduation and preparations for transitioning to the world of work.

SPECIFIC EFFORTS to support athletes with sports bursaries, healthy nutrition programmes, academic support initiatives and related assistance are part of our SDS strategy within the IOP 2021—2025 and the introduction of the delivery model will further assist us to effectively measure our achievements.

USSA Dance Sport Champions

2016—2017 Varsity Shield Champions

2021 Varsity Women’s Football Champions

2022 Varsity Men’s Rugby 7s Champions

THE VICE-CHANCELLOR’S COLUMN highlights

what Banyana Banyana’s victory means for UWC and the impact it has in uniting the country, and how we are encouraging more women involvement through initiatives like the She-Bobo programme.

COUPLED with these successes, we

have very good developmental co-curricular programmes that are comparable to the best in the higher education sector and we do not rest

AS THE CURTAIN DRAWS DOWN on this phase of my career, I will remember my time at UWC fondly and the unique privilege I enjoyed to interact with and learn a lot from our students and their agency and creativity that always promotes a vibrant campus atmosphere. You will hear our students singing, dancing and ululating whether the UWC teams are winning or losing because of their positive spirit and pure joy at seeing UWC in the game. I am deeply honoured and appreciate the support and teamwork displayed by colleagues in various contexts across campus.

I can sincerely say that we continue to achieve because we believe in our collective strength and in working together purposefully to deepen and expand our success stories.

LET US CONTINUE TO LEARN, BECOME AND THRIVE!

B+G

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

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FROM THE DIRECTOR’S

DESK

BECOMING THE HUB OF WOMEN’S FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT IN THE WESTERN CAPE MANDLA GAGAYI, DIRECTOR, UWC SPORT ADMINISTRATION

W

HAT A WONDERFUL START TO THE SECOND SEMESTER! Our joy and

excitement could not be contained when the university repealed the COVID-19 regulations, thereby allowing all our teams to train and play their matches on campus. Having to play most of our matches away from home because our opponents were not vaccinated proved to be a very expensive exercise for UWC Sport.

IN JULY, we hosted the USSA Dance Sport at our newly named Jakes Gerwel Hall, and that proved a very successful event. To cap it all, USSA Dance Sport held a memorial service in honour of the late Adrienne Galagatsi, who had been their general secretary. Unfortunately, UWC Sport also had to say goodbye recently to UWC Boxing coach, Ginger Mapasa, who succumbed to illness on 20 July.

OUR TEAMS PARTICIPATED in the following USSA national competitions around the country: USSA Hockey, USSA Rugby, USSA Netball, USSA Karate, USSA Cross Country and USSA Supa-Pool. These events were very special to all involved because some had not participated in these competitions in two years. In August, we also successfully hosted the USSA Aquatics Championships in our

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revamped swimming pool, another success story of 2022.

BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 9 2022

HOWEVER, OUR BEST MEMORY OF 2022

so far is the Banyana Banyana’s AFCON victory in Morocco, which was long overdue and well-deserved.

What made it even more special for UWC was the fact that almost 50% of the players were either UWC alumni or current UWC students. It was, therefore, no surprise that the Udubs family went all out to welcome the UWC Banyana players back to UWC – it was a fun-filled event full of celebration and appreciation of what our student athletes and alumni had achieved. Our huge appreciation is expressed to the Rector, Prof Pretorius, for hosting a special lunch for our heroines, and to our cool boss, Prof Dube, for giving a financial reward to each UWC player.

IT IS NO FLUKE that UWC currently has eight players in Banyana Banyana – Regirl Ngobeni, Bongeka Gamede, Lonathemba Mhlongo, Amogelang Motau, Noxolo Cesane, Fikile Magama (B), Khanyisa Manangela (B) and Sibulele Holweni (currently out due to injury). All our teams continue to give great performances in the regional and provincial leagues but special recognition must go to our three women’s football teams participating in the SAFA Regional

League, SASOL League and Hollywoodbets Super League. This is a huge project for women’s football and the collaborations with RV United, Western Cape Sports School and Curro Pinehurst have proved what can be achieved when people in sport work together. We are also about to launch a junior girls’ football programme, the She-Bobo, and the interest has been wonderful.

ALL THESE INITIATIVES will ultimately

position UWC at the hub of women’s football development in the Western Cape. We are also steadily investing in our highperformance sports to ensure that they get promoted to the highest leagues within student sport. This will ensure that we are able to attract elite student athletes to UWC. WE NOW CHANGE OUR FOCUS

to the following world major events: the 2022 IRB Sevens World Cup (Cape Town), 2022 FIFA World Cup (Qatar), 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (Australia and New Zealand), and 2023 Netball World Cup (Cape Town).

We look forward to supporting our students, alumni and every South African participating in these events.

I am most excited about South Africa’s prospects at the IRB Sevens World Cup, Netball World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup because UWC will have direct representation at these events. As such, I wish every player, official, volunteer and spectator all the best and I hope that each event will bring success for our country.

LASTLY, I MUST ACKNOWLEDGE OUR ALUMNI in various national teams,

especially Babalwa Latsha, KurtLee Arendse, Herschel Jantjies and Thembi Kgatlana (wishing her speedy recovery), and thank them for never forgetting where they come from.

These alumni always make sure to visit us whenever they have a chance to do so and they religiously follow our teams’ performances. They give true meaning to what it means to be UWC. I must also congratulate my colleagues: Clement Trout, on his election as USSA Rugby General Secretary; Nadia Mgulwa, on her appointment as WP Hockey Manager to the IPT; and Elmien Cloete, who has been named Head Coach for the USSA Volleyball team that will be participating at the FISU World Championships in Brazil.

I AM UWC.

B+G

OUR ALUMNI ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO VISIT US WHENEVER THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO DO SO AND RELIGIOUSLY FOLLOW OUR TEAMS’ PERFORMANCES. THEY GIVE TRUE MEANING TO WHAT IT MEANS TO BE UWC.

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

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the official uwc sports magazine

ISSUE 9

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BANYANA BANYANA’S UDUBS CONNECTIONS

BY MICHELLE LINNERT JANSEN

THE LINE-UP 1 WORDS FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR

BY PROF TYRONE PRETORIUS

21 SERVING HOCKEY DEVELOPMENT WITH PASSION

34 ZOOMING IN ON THE WORLD CUP

BY LYNNE RIPPENAAR-MOSES

BY JOSHUA HENDRICKS

2 DVC’S CORNER BY PROF PAMELA DUBE

36 A HUGE PRIVILEGE AND AN HONOUR 23 KARATE GOES INTERNATIONAL

4 FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

25 VOLLEYBALL: SHOWCASING

37 AFFORDING LIFE-CHANGING OPPORTUNITIES TO STUDENTS

THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE

BY LYNDON JULIUS

BY MANDLA GAGAYI

7 EDITOR’S NOTES BY MYOLISI GOPHE

SIHLE MAPHUKATHA, UWC SPORTS COUNCIL

BY BUNTU GOTYWA

BY LYNDON JULIUS

8 TALENTED WINGER TAKES OFF TO FRANCE

27 JUNIOR GIRLS FOOTBALL LEAGUE

39 BUILDING TEAM MORALE: USSA ORGANISES STAFF SPORT

BY JOSHUA HENDRICKS

BY GASANT ABARDER

BY LYNDON JULIUS

12 UWC ATHLETICS DEVELOPMENT

29 THE PSL IN HIS SIGHTS

41 AN UNRIVALLED LEGACY IN BOXING

IS ON TRACK BY LYNNE RIPPENAAR-MOSES

BY JOSHUA HENDRICKS

BY JOSHUA HENDRICKS

14 BANYANA BANYANA’S

31 ICSSD DIRECTOR SCALES NEW OLYMPIC HEIGHTS

43 GRADUATION ROLL OF HONOUR

UDUBS CONNECTIONS

BY MICHELLE LINNERT JANSEN

BY LYNDON JULIUS

18 BANYANA ICON HONOURED AT UWC

33 ENTERING THE NATIONAL ARENA

BY GASANT ABARDER

BY JOSHUA HENDRICKS

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EDITOR’S

NOTES

Turkey, in September (see page 23) – lifting the university flag high, just like fellow athletes from the highperformance and competitive codes.

TWO UWC ALUMNI, Grant Goldschmidt

EDITOR’S

Myolisi Gophe

NOTES OF THE 20 SPORTING CODES offered

at the University of the Western Cape, six are categorised as high-performance sports, eight are competitive and the rest are recreational. But, as the results attest, even the recreational sporting codes – the codes that people participate in for leisure – produce top athletes who become national champions and compete on a global stage.

and Leo Williams, represented South Africa at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham a few months ago in beach volleyball, another sport not classified as high-performance. Their success, together with that of current beach volleyball players Tamlyn Thomas and Lukholo Jooste, who competed at the FISU World University Beach Volleyball Championship in Brazil, also in September (see page 25), justifies the support that is given to all codes at UWC, regardless of whether they are high-performance, competitive or recreational.

THESE DEEP INVESTMENTS, coupled with

good results, are making UWC one of the leading sporting institutions in the country and on the African continent.

As we do in this issue, these achievements call for celebration.

the official uwc sports magazine

ISSUE 9 | OCTOBER 2022

PUBLISHER: University of the Western Cape’s Department for Institutional Advancement PRODUCTION: Kult Creative PRODUCTION TEAM: INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT DIRECTOR: Professor Anesh Maniraj Singh UWC SPORT DIRECTOR: Mandla Gagayi EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Gasant Abarder EDITOR: Myolisi Gophe COMMISSIONING EDITOR: Nashira Davids MANAGING EDITOR: Giovanna Collins ART DIRECTOR: Michael Daries

PROVING THAT ONE DOESN’T NEED TO BE AN ATHLETE to showcase one’s

sporting talent at international levels, we congratulate Media and Project Coordinator at UWC Sports Administration, Sikhulule Nkhomphela, on his appointment as Head Volunteer of Media Operations at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar (page 34).

KARATE is a case in point. Despite

IT SEEMS INEVITABLE TO CELEBRATE the

being a recreational sport with few competitive members on campus, the team has performed fairly well, finishing joint third with the University of Pretoria at this year’s University Sport South Africa (USSA) Karate Online Kata Championships.

Two members of that team, Lyndon Bailey (who won gold) and Jody Theodore Williams (silver), together with teammate Darren Lakey, were rewarded with call-ups to the USSA national team for the FISU University World Cup Combat Sports in Samsun,

amazing achievements of UWC women footballers in each edition.

Here again, we share the triumphant contribution of UWC Sport to the Banyana team that won WAFCON for the first time (page 14) as well as the joy of Noxolo Cesane, who has signed her first professional contract with a top French team (page 8).

COPY EDITOR: Nazeem Lowe CONTRIBUTORS: ASEM Engage/ Varsity Sports, Joshua Hendricks, Buntu Gotywa, Lyndon Julius, Je’nine May, Lynne Rippenaar-Moses, Skhu Nkomphela, Christiaan Kotze, Mlondolozi Mbolo, Jesi Townsend, John Thwaits, Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix, Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix, UWC Media

Proudly sponsored by Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission. While every care is taken to ensure accuracy in preparing the content, both the publisher and UWC assume no responsibility for mistakes or effects arising therefrom. The publisher has made every effort to arrange copyright in accordance with existing legislation.

UWC SPORT IS SHINING LOCALLY, on the continent and globally. Based on this upward trajectory, it seems even the sky is not the limit. B+G

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

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FOOTBALL

FOCUS

TALENTED WINGER TAKES OFF TO FRANCE

BY JOSHUA HENDRICKS

F

OOTBALL HAS TAKEN NOXOLO CESANE ALL

OVER - from the fields of Gugulethu to Pretoria, from UWC to the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

And now it’s taking her to France, as the 21-year-old has signed for top-tier French club Stade de Reims.

CESANE FACED MORE THAN HER SHARE OF CHALLENGES while growing up in Gugulethu, including resistance from her family to the notion of girls playing competitive football.

“Growing up, the family didn’t really like the fact that my twin sister Sinoxolo and I were playing soccer,” she recalls. “They wanted us to be more focused on school. But my sister and I loved soccer too much.

“I started playing in a boys’ team and then I was introduced to a ladies’ team called Cape Town Roses.

So my sister and I joined the team under current coach Xolile Madikana, who is also a teacher at Lwazi Primary school in Gugulethu.”

BY THE TIME they were twelve, the

sisters were playing for the senior team.

“We went to the Sasol Playoffs and I would collect awards every year. We then got scouted by the national under-17 coach, Nombuso Khumalo, to play for the under-17 national team, and we went to go and stay at the HighPerformance Centre in Pretoria.

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BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 9 2022

“We stayed, trained and studied at the TuksSport High School, me and my twin sister, for three years. And we learned a lot in that time,” says Noxolo.

AFTER RETURNING TO CAPE TOWN and playing for CT Roses, both sisters were regulars in the under-17 and under-20 national teams until Noxolo got her first call-up to the Banyana Banyana national team.

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NOXOLO CESANE

BORN:

2000-10-11

COUNTRY:

SOUTH AFRICA

NATIONALITY:

SOUTH AFRICAN

POSITION:

FW (FORWARD)

CURRENT CLUB:

STADE DE REIMS

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE:

SOUTH AFRICA

AFTER PLAYING A PIVOTAL ROLE in the first game in the team’s first WAFCON victory against Nigeria, Noxolo caught the eye of overseas coaches.

“I got a call from the [Stade de Reims] coach while at the WAFCON and basically was interviewed about my strengths and personality. It was a great motivation and amplified a greater belief in my ability.”

It all happened quickly after that as the offer from the top French side was made official soon after Banyana lifted the coveted trophy. Still only 21 years old, Noxolo has signed the two-year contract with Stade de Reims and relocated to Reims, the 2000-year-old city where the French once crowned their kings.

“I WAS SO EXCITED, SHOCKED, SCARED AND HAPPY TO GET THAT CALL [from coach Desiree Ellis]. I gained experience from that level, and then we were at UWC. It was the next logical step in our development. They had the facilities and were already playing in the Hollywoodbets Super League.”

Now I get to play with some of the world’s greatest and I’m going to do my best to continue to make my supporters proud.

NOXOLO CESANE

HER TWIN SISTER transferred the following year to the United States of America to play and study there, but Noxolo thought she could learn just as much at home.

“At UWC I had great facilities and all the equipment to keep me at a good level as a footballer. Then around 2019, I was called up to the COSAFA Cup for Banyana. I continued working hard so that I could get another opportunity to be selected by Coach Desiree, leading up to WAFCON.”

NOXOLO SAYS: “As a person who has never seen Heaven, that was how ridiculous it was. And how huge a moment it was. It was my first time playing at that level, playing at that tournament and then also winning the gold medal! It was amazing. I still think about it – and I still brag about it. I was part of that team that made history! I am history!

“Lifting the Cup, being part of the family and squad that people will talk about for years to come – that’s really amazing. As a history maker, as people call it, a hero! My name is there, and I’m super happy and I’m grateful and I thank God. And now I get to play with some of the world’s greatest and I’m going to do my best to continue to make my supporters proud.”

REFLECTING ON HER EARLY CHALLENGES,

and all the help she received over the years to reach the pinnacle of her career, the young winger says: “These opportunities would also not have come without the support and encouragement of everyone in the Banyana Banyana family…The months ahead will be exciting, and a fantastic opportunity for me. To my supporters, the love you show really means a lot. I hope to do you proud.” B+G

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

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ATHLETICS

DEVELOPMENT

UWC ATHLETICS DEVELOPMENT IS ON TRACK

BY LYNNE RIPPENAAR-MOSES

NE OF THE KEYS to UWC’s success across all sporting codes has been its ability to identify and recruit the right coaching staff.

The impact, for instance, of the late Chester Williams, Peter de Villiers and Paul Treu in taking UWC Rugby to the next level is obvious.

Bentley says: “Going to university after matric was just a pipe dream as we did not have money. I told myself I would run myself out of poverty, and because of my love for running, I was able to get scholarships to go to university and do that, but also learn different skills as a runner and travel throughout South Africa and internationally.”

UWC ATHLETICS has been equally blessed with coaching talent. After years of patient investment in sports infrastructure and nurturing student talent, the university is reaping the dividends in individual and team achievements.

AS A GAUTENG PROVINCIAL ATHLETE, he

O

LIKE MANY UWC STUDENT ATHLETES, coach Glen Bentley’s family could not afford the running shoes he needed as a young athlete growing up in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg.

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BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 9 2022

received a bursary to study Sports Management at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). He was mentored at his home club, Pegasus AC, by the Chairman, Joe Morris, who was also the Central Gauteng Athletics Events Coordinator and would take him to every road race in the province.

BENTLEY FOLLOWED HIS MENTOR into sports administration, serving as the National President of Athletics South

Africa (ASA) in University Sports South Africa (USSA) from 2006 to 2008. In 2009, Bentley joined UWC as a Sports Administrator but, oddly, not in athletics.

I told myself I would run myself out of poverty, and because of my love for running, I was able to get scholarships And do that.

GLEN BENTLEY

3 500 “I actually started with swimming as a sports code because I was the manager of the Aquatics Centre at UWC and the administrator of the Aquatics Club, but I coached athletics at the university on a voluntary basis,” explains Bentley.

In 2016, Bentley was appointed as UWC administrator of athletics. Since then, he has coached top-performing athletes, including Lee-Roy Lawrence, who was a member of the university club and at 17 became his first ASA champion to win a race at altitude.

Bentley also coached Anthony Timoteus for five years, who has won several ASA cross country medals.

RUNNERS PARTICIPATED IN THE 2020 FAST AND FLAT RACE

contributed to the success of the UWC Athletics Club in various USSA competitions. “The performance of the athletes has been quite good and thus the rebuilding phase we embarked on three years ago for our male athletes is delivering results.

For the past three years, we’ve been attempting to build the same setup for our women athletes by creating equal opportunities for male and female athletes,” says Bentley.

team for the National Cross Country Championships for the first time.

Simae says: “My wish would be to produce more ladies who will be able to represent our country on the track. My success as a coach must primarily be measured by the value and experience the athletes gain under my guidance.”

BENTLEY HEADHUNTED BULELWA SIMAE, a SPRINTER LUKE DAVIDS, who won the

100m sprint in 10.15 seconds at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018, is coached by Head Coach Nathan van Wyk. At the time, Van Wyk said: “His win is a huge boost and has raised the profile of the athletics club at UWC. It is proof that young and junior athletes like Luke can find coaches at UWC who are able to offer them worldclass training to realise their dreams.”

ASIDE FROM WINNING MULTIPLE MEDALS at

the African Games and South African Championships, Davids, who joined the club at 13 years old, has also

top veteran female distance runner, specifically to build UWC’s capacity in female athletes.

“I was approached to become a technical coach at UWC in order to develop top talent, specifically in women at UWC,” explains Simae, who is a two-time winner of the UWC Fast and Flat 10km race.

THE FAST AND FLAT RACE is a key event in

the club calendar that was first hosted in 2009, when the race attracted 1 000 runners. The event drew almost 3 500 participants in 2020. Simae’s work has already started paying off, with UWC entering a full women’s

THE MASSIVE INVESTMENT UWC has

made in upgrading its 30-year-old athletics track in 2021 and developing the Sports Centre now means that UWC can host international and national events, as attested to by its successful hosting of the National University Athletics Championships.

IN KEEPING WITH UWC’S HISTORY of sharing its facilities with local communities, the university recently partnered with Fairmont High School to host an athletics competition with 38 Western Cape high schools at the world-class track to identify the top 15 school athletes that the university will provide with coaching. The coaches at these schools have also been offered performance enhancement training. B+G

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

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FOOTBALL

UWC CONNECTIONS

BANYANA BANYANA’S

BY MICHELLE LINNERT JANSEN

UDUBS CONNECTIONS E

IGHT SEMI-FINALS AND FIVE FINALS. That’s

how close our national women’s soccer team, Banyana Banyana, came before beating Morocco and finally lifting the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) trophy in July.

A number of these players got their call-up to the national stage after playing in the blue and gold colours of UWC Ladies’ Football Club. Even

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BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 9 2022

more incredibly, no fewer than 11 of the 23-woman squad in the WAFCON and the assistant head coach have proudly Udubs ties.

THE MOST SUCCESSFUL Banyana

team to date featured five current UWC students – Regirl Ngobeni (goalkeeper), Bongeka Gamede (defender), Amogelang Motau (midfielder), Sibulele Holweni (midfielder) and Noxolo Cesane (forward), and six alumni – Kaylin

Swart, Nomvula Kgoale, Thalea Smidt, Kholosa Biyana, Thembi Kgatlana and Jermaine Seoposenwe. Banyana’s assistant head coach, Thinasonke Mbuli, is the UWC women’s football team head coach.

WITH MOST OF THE PLAYERS having

returned to their normal pursuits of work or studies, we managed to get some of the African champions to describe their inspirational life journeys.

11 REGIRL MAKHAUKANE NGOBENI was born in Mpumalanga but grew up in Mamelodi in Pretoria. She has two siblings, an elder sister and a younger brother, but was the only one interested in playing sports.

“My dad passed on when I was 15 years old and in Grade 10. Things started changing at home after his death and it really affected us a lot.

“My mom [Khule Masimula] played a huge role in the person that I am today – both in my studies and sports career. She’s been at it as a single parent, and she has done so great. I’m grateful and pray the Lord continues to bless her beautiful heart.”

After matric, Regirl played football at North-West University, graduating with a diploma in Sports Science in 2017. She then completed the oneyear Higher Certificate in Economic Development at UWC. Between 2018 and 2021, all the while playing football for UWC, she added a BEd (Foundation Phase).

After her first call-up to the national squad in June 2021, she got her first cap against Mozambique during the WAFCON qualifier in November 2021.

Now based in Kuils River, she spends her work days teaching Grade 1s at Marvin Park Primary School in Macassar while still playing for the UWC Ladies’ Football Club.

No fewer than 11 of the 23-woman squad in the WOMEN’S AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS and the assistant head coach have proudly Udubs ties.

She says: “I had to believe one day I will be okay and when I am healed, I will thank the Lord with the talent he has given me by the way I will respect people on and off the field and perform at my best all the time.”

AMOGELANG MOTAU says she doesn’t

have a nickname, which is unusual for a South African footballer.

She says: “My mom played a huge role in my sports. When she discovered I love soccer and it was male-dominated, my mom realised I would need support, so she showed up for most of my games and made sure I was on time for trials and had everything I needed – she bought me my first pair of soccer boots and

SIBULELE CECILIA HOLWENI aka

BONGEKA “SMA” GAMEDE is from Ixopo in

KwaZulu-Natal. She says her parents, Buyisile and Mthandeni Gamede, were the driving force behind her sporting success.

“They made sure I pushed myself to do well in both sport and education, and they motivated me at each and every game I played, and still play.”

After primary school, she attended TuksSport High School before undertaking her Tourism Management course at UWC in 2018. She got her first call-up to Banyana Banyana in 2019. Gamede believes her faith helps her to get through life’s challenges, including the injuries players at her level constantly risk.

made sure I had all the support I needed,” says Modimolle-born Motau.

Another product of TuksSport High School, she says that’s where she learned to balance playing while studying, which prepared her for university. After enrolling for her BAdmin studies at UWC in 2016, she was called up to play for Banyana for the first time.

“I came to UWC in 2016. I was at Udubs for one-and-a-half years, then I left for the United States in 2017. I played there for two years and came back to South Africa during COVID because of complications – I had injuries when I was that side, and I couldn’t really play for [our] national team when I was in the US because our seasons would always clash.

“When I came back home, my first place of preference was UWC, because I had a degree that I hadn’t finished which I transferred to the US with, so I transferred back my credits and am now doing the final year of my degree.”

[From top to bottom], Regirl Makhaukane Ngobeni, Bongeka “Sma” Gamede, Amogelang Motau and Sibulele Cecilia Holweni.

“Msawawa”, is originally from Gqheberha and is yet another TuksSport High School alumna.

Aside from completing a Higher Certificate in Economic Development at UWC, one of her proudest early achievements was to have been selected to attend the South African Football Association’s (SAFA) HighPerformance Centre (HPC) in Pretoria.

Proudly Udubs, she says, “UWC has been playing a huge role providing us with education, facilities, training, rehab, and so forth.”

The prodigiously talented Holweni’s national career began playing for the national team in the Under-17 squad in 2016 as junior captain (she was part of the FIFA World Cup Jordan qualifiers). She also made the 2018 Under-17 squad, as captain in the FIFA World Cup against Uruguay.

Among a myriad other awards, including becoming UWC’s Player of the Year, she won the Golden Boot and Player of the Year for 2022. >

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FOOTBALL

UW C CONNECTIONS

NOXOLO CESANE and her twin sister Sinoxolo were raised by their grandmother in Gugulethu in Cape Town after her parents separated when they were very young. Noxolo and her sister fought prejudice to be able to play the game they loved so dearly.

“Gran didn’t like the fact that we played soccer like boys, but she supported it because she saw after we won the Sasol Champions League with Cape Town Roses that we actually can bring something home!”

She says the family didn’t want to buy the twins soccer boots, as that meant they were going to get these brand-new shoes tarnished while playing soccer! But things started changing when the extended family started seeing their talent and supporting them.

“Gogo didn’t support us with her appearance at the fields, but we had so many cousins and sisters and brothers who motivated us and saw the deep love we had for soccer.

And they understood this is what we wanted to do with our lives.

“Now they see the results. Gogo is so proud of us now. While attending Fezeka High School the sisters were sponsored to attend the HPC in Pretoria. “We came back to Fezeka after two years.”

Noxolo was enrolled for the Higher Certificate in Economic Development at Fair Share (a unit of the School of Government) at UWC and played for UWC. Her performances for Roses won her selection to Banyana Banyana.

Noxolo left South Africa in September to play club soccer in France, while Sinoxolo plies her trade in the US playing for East Tennessee.

KAYLIN SWART is from Gelvandale in Gqeberha. Her sporty father influenced her interest in sports. Her younger brother used to play football with her “and we were both good cricketers as well. It was tough for me to choose which sport to pursue, but football was always my first love”.

Her journey to the national team

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with me playing sports, but they also encouraged studying.”

Yet another Banyana player who attended TuksSports High School, she first represented South Africa in 2011 against Mozambique in the Under-17 team at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The BCom Law student made her debut for UWC Ladies’ FC in 2014, which led to a long stint in the USA, where she played for the Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders team (2014), the Tyler Apaches (2015) and Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters (from 2016 to 2018).

After her return, she made her senior debut for Banyana Banyana in 2019 in a 0–3 friendly loss against the US national team.

She currently plays as a defender for the Spanish premier league club CD Parquesol.

[From top to bottom], Noxolo Cesane, Kaylin Swart, Nomvula Kgoale and Thalea Smidt.

started after she attended TuksSport High School and the HPC before enrolling to do her BAdmin at UWC in 2013. Now living in Johannesburg where she plays for JVW Football Club, Swart says: “My life philosophy is that when you work hard, nothing can stop you. Every day is a great day to be better!”

NOMVULA KGOALE has been dubbed

“Lipstick Lady” for her bright smile and signature red lipstick. Raised in a family of teachers in Matoks in Limpopo, she says they impressed the value of education on her.

“My parents supported my football career and never had any problem

THALEA SMIDT from Strandfontein in Cape Town was raised by two UWC alumni. Her dad, Hermanus, is a computer scientist and UWC PhD candidate and her mom, Mildred, has a BEd. Her parents inspired her choice to study a BSc in Biotechnology at UWC, which she completed in 2017.

Smidt’s siblings are equally athletic.

Her brother used to play soccer and is a gym instructor and personal trainer while her sister is a junior national swimming champion who represented SA at the CANA Zone IV/V Championships and swims for the Marlin Swimming Club.

“I represented the Under-20 national team known as Basetsana in 2015, and my first call-up to Banyana Banyana was also in 2015.

“I recently got called up in February and I’ve been in the team since then.

The journey continues,” says Smidt.

She is now based in Johannesburg where she plays full-time for Mamelodi Sundowns women’s team.

Smidt says: “That’s my occupation now. And I also have a start-up in agricultural technology, so I am trying to commit some time into that to get it off the ground as well.”

KHOLOSA MTHIKAZI BIYANA, from Ngcobo

in the Eastern Cape, says her father’s commitment to helping her succeed had the biggest impact on her life and career.

“My dad used to take me to training every day when I was at boarding school in Idutywa. So, he would drive an hour from Ngcobo, pick me up, drive 30 more minutes to drop me off at training in Butterworth, wait for me, then back the same way to drop me at boarding school, and drive back home.

Then, on weekends he would take me to games in Butterworth.”

Her parents always told her to balance football with her schoolwork.

“They always stressed the importance of my studies.’

After attending Mida High School in Idutywa, she completed her degree in Diagnostic Radiography at Durban University of Technology (DUT) before completing an undergraduate degree in Sports Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

She says, “After that, I did my Honours at UWC in Biokinetics in 2020.”

After playing football in Spain for the past two years, Biyana returned to work in her chosen field but is still deeply connected to the world of football.

She says: “Now I’m a qualified radiographer and biokineticist and I do

Kholosa Mthikazi Biyana.

football analysis. I’m also busy with an advanced course in Football Analysis.

Other than that, I play football.”

National Women’s Soccer League.

Injuries are a part of sports.”

She plans to continue her studies as soon as she has recovered.

THEMBI “PIKININI” KGATLANA is possibly

the most successful of her talented cohort and one of a handful able to boast an international professional career. She grew up in Randfontein in Johannesburg where her parents, Gabriel Matlhomola and Constance Kgatlana, moulded her for success.

“My parents played a huge role in my sporting career. They have been my support and strength. They allowed me to chase my football dreams and to leave home at 16 years old to go to boarding school. This allowed me to study and play football at the same time,” she says.

After being accepted at the HPC, she was chosen to join Banyana Banyana. She studied toward her BA in Tourism at UWC but, between 2015 and 2017, took a break to prepare for the Olympics. She still has one year left to complete her degree.

Currently at home in Johannesburg while in rehabilitation for the Achilles tendon injury that side-lined her at WAFCON 2022, she says philosophically: “I am a professional football player for an American team, Racing Louisville, that plays in the

Thembi “Pikinini” Kgatlana.

THINASONKE MBULI, UWC WOMEN’S FOOTBALL HEAD COACH, was the USSA women’s national team coach from 2016 to 2020 before joining the Banyana Banyana coaching team.

Born in Mkhondo, Mpumalanga, she says her mother wasn’t happy when she started playing football in high school in Richards Bay, KwaZuluNatal. She had hoped Mbuli would become a chartered accountant and was not impressed when Mbuli ended up at DUT. In an interview on allafrica.com, Mbuli admitted: “My mother didn’t talk to me for three months when I told her I’m going to DUT to study Sports Management. At the time I didn’t know why I wanted to do Sports Management. I wanted to do anything that was sports-related.”

Thanks to that instinctive decision, South African football and UWC have reaped the benefits of one of the most talented women’s football coaches around today. Although her parents have passed, she believes her achievement would have made her late parents and brother proud. B+G

Thinasonke Mbuli, UWC Women’s Football head coach.

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FOOTBALL

FOCUS

BANYANA ICON HONOURED AT UWC

BY GASANT ABARDER

HEMBI KGATLANA is arguably the biggest global sports icon the University of the Western Cape (UWC) has produced. She is an active alumna and the last time she visited was to kit out the entire UWC women’s football squad with boots from her sponsor, Nike.

T

FOUR YEARS LATER, the diminutive figure

sitting on a couch in the Rector’s Dining Room is sipping a cup of tea ahead of a lunch hosted by Rector and Vice-Chancellor Professor Tyrone Pretorius. She’s early for a sports star and celebrity of her profile. It tells the story of just how much she loves this university. The lunch is a special occasion to honour the UWC players and alumnae who were linked to Banyana Banyana’s historic Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) triumph in July.

UWC HAS BECOME something of an

incubator for women’s football and a feeder to the national team. Mandla Gagayi, Director of UWC Sport and one of Thembi’s mentors, says it’s no accident and boasts that more resources are pumped into the women’s game than the men’s code at the university.

All told, there were 11 UWC-linked players in the WAFCON-winning Banyana squad. Five are current students and the other six are alumnae. Thembi is perhaps the most decorated and recognisable. In 2018, she was African Women’s Footballer

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of the Year and the top goalscorer at WAFCON. She fired off an absolute rocket to score Banyana’s first-ever goal at a World Cup against Spain. And she has played for some of the world’s biggest professional clubs.

THEMBI FOUND HERSELF in an

unusual role in Morocco, having to watch the action from the sidelines as her teammates did the business of winning WAFCON. It was a role she ended up loving, says Thembi. Sitting on the couch with her valuable left leg in a cast and a set of crutches next to her, the 26-year-old appears to be relishing the break from playing while her ruptured Achilles tendon heals

I’ve been serving the national team for six or eight years now. But I make sure that I come back to UWC to inspire the next generation.

THEMBI KGATLANA

THEMBI KGATLANA BORN:

1996-05-02

COUNTRY:

SOUTH AFRICA

NATIONALITY:

SOUTH AFRICAN

POSITION:

FW (FORWARD)

CURRENT CLUB:

RACING LOUISVILLE

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE:

2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS 2018 AFRICA WOMEN CUP OF NATIONS 2019 FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2022 AFRICA WOMEN CUP OF NATIONS

and says she loves nothing more than “coming home to UWC”.

“I’ve always been known to have a very strong character. That was the mentality as well to lead the team from the front. With my experience of playing for Banyana, I went there as a very small child. I even got the nickname ‘Pikinini’ because I was the youngest in the team,” she said later during the lunch.

“I’ve been serving the national team for six or eight years now.

But I make sure that I come back to UWC to inspire the next generation.

This journey for me has been difficult, but also fulfilling because I know I did everything [for Banyana] before I got injured. “I understood that injuries are part of sport. If it’s possible for us to celebrate all our achievements, it’s also possible for us to handle our emotions when things don’t go our way and to be able to pick ourselves up and be able to continue with the journey. A lot of people have been wishing me well. And I’m really grateful for that.”

THE LUNCH WAS A SPECIAL OCCASION TO HONOUR THE UWC PLAYERS AND ALUMNAE LINKED TO BANYANA BANYANA.

THE INJURY HAS ALLOWED Thembi the

time to reconnect with friends, family and UWC. Thembi said: “As difficult as it is for me, it’s a big win, not only because the team won, but I haven’t been home for four years, I haven’t spent time with my family. I didn’t see my friends. I get to be home, I get to be surrounded by my loved ones, I get to see familiar faces and be here at UWC. I also get to do my rehab here.

So, I’m also thankful for all the people that are supporting me.

“I HAD TO HUMBLE MYSELF. For Banyana Banyana I had to lead from the back.

I think I played that role very well. It’s difficult when all of a sudden you have to lead from the back. I think when I got injured a lot of my teammates were scared and anxious and I understand why.

“I had to carry myself in a way that I didn’t make them scared, so that they knew they were good enough to lead the team, even without me. And I was the biggest cheerleader. Even with my crutches, I went to the game. I didn’t want to watch the game on TV. I was screaming the whole 90 minutes. I screamed a lot!”

AND THEN WITH HER TRADEMARK, almost

mischievous, smile she turned to Prof Pretorius and declared: “I was coach Thina’s assistant [assistant coach Thinasonke Mbuli]. I found so much joy in doing that because I got to put myself in the shoes of other

girls who don’t get to play but are always cheering for us out there and supporting. I think I played this role very well to make sure my teammates knew that it was time for them to step up. Man, did they step up!

“I THINK THIS MOMENT is the start of a new

light for women’s football – not only in South Africa, but also for UWC.” B+G

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Annual Golf Day Fundraiser 2022

C A P E T O W N I N V I TAT I O N

DATE: VENUE: FORMAT: TEE-OFF TIME: COST:

Tuesday, 10th November 2022 King David Golf Club, 1 Raapenberg Road, Mowbray Better Ball Stableford 11:00am R6 600 per four-ball (incl. VAT and R4 000 donation)

SECONDARY SPONSORSHIP – R60 000 • Acknowledgement as a secondary sponsor, i.e. radio, digital and website advertising • Watering hole exhibition of your choice, excluding Hole 1 • Recognition from our Rector at the prize-giving event • 2 four-ball entries

PRIMARY SPONSORSHIP – R36 000 • Four-ball entry • Watering hole exhibition FOUR-BALL ENTRY – R6 600 per team • Tee-off at Hole 1 or 10 WATERING HOLE EXHIBITION – R7 200 • Watering hole exhibition of your choice PRIZE SPONSORSHIP Two similar prizes. Voluntary monetary contributions are welcome.

We will acknowledge and receipt your donation (accompanied by an 18A tax certificate).

For more information on how you can get involved, contact Melissa Maans at 079 881 5106 or email mmaans@uwc.ac.za

HOCKEY

DEVELOPMENT

SERVING HOCKEY DEVELOPMENT WITH PASSION

BY JOSHUA HENDRICKS

YNN ABRAHAMSE is not just a former hockey player who loves the sport. The long-term coach and team manager is immersed in its development and has been serving the sport with dedication for more than two decades.

L

HER PASSION AND DEDICATION have seen

Abrahamse, an academic coach and coordinator at the Centre for Student Support Services in the office for Academic Support, managing teams at local, provincial and national levels.

In July, she was appointed the Senior Women’s Hockey team manager for the Commonwealth Games in

Birmingham from 29 July to 8 August.

The married mother of two says: “I am passionate about hockey and I’m also really blessed to coach the UWC ladies’ hockey second team.

In addition, I serve as the secretary of both the Western Province Girls Hockey Committee and the South African Schools Hockey Association.” >

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HOCKEY

DEVELOPMENT

“My aunt, Florence Kotze, was a big inspiration in getting me involved with hockey,” says Abrahamse. “She bought me my first hockey stick at the age of 10. That’s where my love of the sport began. I credit my mentor, Wendy Horn, with getting me involved with hockey management.

She roped me into managing provincial school teams. I have been really fortunate to have strong female role models such as those within the sport, who have inspired me to pursue my hockey goals.”

HER CAREER in hockey management

started in 2000 when she managed her first Under-14 Western Province team. Since then, she has managed Western Province Girls Schools, Under-21 and senior provincial teams.

In 2016 and 2018, she managed the South African Under-18 Girls team that played a series against an Australian schools team. In 2019, she was appointed as the team manager for the SA Under-21 Ladies in the cycle leading to the Women’s Junior World Cup, which took place in Potchefstroom earlier this year. SA Under-21 Ladies head coach Lenise Marais described her as “a pillar of strength and support” at the time.

I would love to see hockey becoming a professional sport so that the players and staff who represent their country can do so on a fulltime basis.

LYNN ABRAHAMSE

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“I think the travelling aspect of any tour always brings something humorous,” says Abrahamse. “From buses breaking down in the middle of nowhere, to flights nearly missed and relying on the kindness of strangers to help out – there is usually something interesting that happens. I have many fond memories of fun final tour nights and hours and hours of laughter when we have a chance for some downtime.

“My Commonwealth Games experience was phenomenal. Getting to work with a national team in a highperformance environment really was a dream come true. There is something special about South Africa and about being part of Team South Africa.

There is a ‘gees’ that you just cannot find anywhere else.

“From the opening ceremony to all the matches, and even meeting some royalty in person, the Games were really something special. Most of all, it was a chance to connect on a human level with my teammates and expand my ‘hockey family’.”

HER DREAM is to continue her

involvement with the senior team, as they work towards the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. Abrahamse is excited about the growth of women’s hockey

in South Africa, which has seen participation numbers and public interest rise across school, club and senior national levels. The hockey community now offers opportunities for many adults to stay fit and make social connections within the sport, and to remain part of hockey well into their retirement years.

“I WOULD LOVE TO SEE hockey becoming

a professional sport so that the players and staff who represent their country can do so on a full-time basis.

We can see improved performances on the world stage, because we could then run centralised training programmes, as is the case with other sporting codes,” says Abrahamse. B+G

MARTIAL

ARTS

KARATE GOES INTERNATIONAL

BY BUNTU GOTYWA

T

HE BLUE AND GOLD

colours of UWC are a familiar sight on the podium at many team and individual sports events. The institution is a force to be reckoned with in several codes, including athletics, football, volleyball and rugby, and has produced numerous provincial and national stars, and even a few Olympians.

KARATE, however, has been a sport

BAILEY (20) for kata. All three train

primarily practised off-campus by individual athletes. The recent selection of three karateka for the FISU University World Cup Combat Sports in Samsun, Turkey, on 27–30 September, suggests an upswing in the fortunes of UWC Karate.

under the watchful eye of Michael du Plessis, a respected karate instructor with tons of experience at the international level.

Despite their lack of international experience, Du Plessis says: “They are the most talented individuals I have worked with, and no other athletes in the country are working at the level they are working at right now.” >

JODY WILLIAMS (21) AND DARREN LAKEY (21)

were selected for kumite and LYNDON

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MARTIAL

ARTS

Jody Williams.

JODY WILLIAMS, a Sports Science Honours student from Athlone, was a bronze medallist at the African Championships in 2017 and 2018.

“I have competed in a few international events and recently competed in Egypt just to get exposure to the international level because it’s highly important to stay in the game,” he says.

“Representing my university, my community and my country internationally is an honour as not many people are able to get to this level,” says Williams.

DARREN LAKEY, a second-year law student, is a four-time national champion and was the 2019 Western Cape sportsman of the year for karate. He received his Protea colours when he competed in the Region Five Championships in Namibia in 2019. He took gold in kata in all his competitions between 2019 and 2021.

Like many before him, the bullying he experienced growing up in Elsies River led him to the sport of karate at a young age.

“What has kept me going in the sport is consistently trying to be a better version of myself, to always improve when competing so I can be able to produce a medal for South Africa. With these guys in my team and our coach, it is very much possible. We put in the work and we believe in each other,” says Bailey.

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JODY WILLIAMS

WHAT MAKES their achievement more

remarkable is that UWC did not even have a karate team until sensei Du Plessis, an alumnus who never got the opportunity to represent the university at the international level, pitched the idea to the institution’s sports administration to start the karate club in 2021.

INTERNATIONAL KARATE is highly

competitive and only the very best even make it to the championships, let alone return with medals. With so many talented karateka in the past not making it to the international scene, the trio’s selection is already affirmation of their talent and will inspire other students to take up the sport.

Lyndon Bailey.

Darren Lakey.

Representing my university, my community and my country internationally is an honour as not many people are able to get to this level.

LYNDON BAILEY, a Sports Science student from Brackenfell, won his provincial colours when he was 13 years old and his Protea colours in 2018 when he competed in Botswana.

He says: “We [always] stand a very good chance because we are working with one of the best coaches in Africa in Michael. With him in our team, we expect to perform very well.”

BEACH

VOLLEYBALL

VOLLEYBALL SHOWCASING THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE

BY LYNDON JULIUS

I

IN JUST THE LATEST

of many accolades achieved by UWC Volleyball, two students from the university were selected to represent South Africa at the recent International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Beach Volleyball Championship in Brazil. UWC Head of Volleyball, Elmien Cloete, was the head coach of the team at the Championship that took place from 6 to 10 September 2022.

TAMLYN THOMAS, a second-year BEd

(Foundation Phase) student, was chosen to partner Nelia Tembe (Tshwane University of Technology) on the women’s side, while third-year BEd student Lukholo Jooste and University of Pretoria’s Danilo von Ludwiger

made up the male duo. Incidentally, Tamlyn’ twin sister, Tamzin, was a top UWC and junior SA sprinter who is now at North-West University.

Thomas was over the moon with her selection. “It is both satisfying and an honour (to be chosen for Team SA), knowing that the sacrifices and hard work paid off. I also feel that there is a sense of belief from my coach and teammates for trusting me and allowing me to be in this position.”

JOOSTE ECHOED Tamlyn’s and fellow UWC students’ sentiments. “I feel honoured and excited to have represented South Africa and UWC on the world stage. Representing South Africa and UWC was really huge, and came with a huge responsibility of performing well.”

CLOETE PROUDLY SAYS she also

represented the university as a volleyball player at the national level and as a netball player at the provincial level.

“I started at the university in 2009 as a sports administrator for volleyball, netball and basketball. I got involved with coaching, kind of a natural process, >

I feel honoured and excited to have represented South Africa and UWC on the world stage.

LUKHOLO JOOSTE

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BEACH

VOLLEYBALL

stemming from me being a physical education specialist, so teaching came naturally. I got my international coaching qualification soon after. I now manage the ladies’ football and volleyball office at the university.”

TRADITIONALLY, UWC volleyball teams have always been a force to be reckoned with, so their selection didn’t surprise Cloete.

“Our ladies’ indoor team over the last few years managed to either win the National Volleyball Club Champs or finished second. The same for the

With the correct infrastructure and investments, we can become the top institution in the country for most of our codes, not just volleyball.

LUKHOLO JOOSTE

USSA competition, both indoor and beach,” Cloete recalls. “Our men’s team were national club champs for many years, so UWC has always been strong in volleyball. We have been dominating the beach volleyball circuit for a very long time. Our alumni, Grant Goldschmidt and Leo Williams, participated in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

“I THINK WITH ALL SPORTS, grassroots development is crucial to success at the international level. Volleyball is not a very popular code being played at schools due to various reasons.

It’s also not very high on the SASCOC [South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee] priority list of codes which means it’s not very visible and therefore not pulling sponsors to invest in the sport and the players. The pool of good quality players is, therefore, very small.

“It’s only through more competition and exposure at the highest levels that athletes can test their skills. They can learn from their experiences, share that experiences with others and hopefully help to improve the level of play in the long run. Sport evolves all the time and if you are not part of what is happening globally, you will always play the catch-up game.”

[From left to right], Lukholo Jooste, Elmien Cloete and Tamlyn Thomas.

ASIDE FROM CHALLENGES with resources and sponsorship, student athletes engage in a constant balancing act when it comes to academics and sports. Many land professional contracts before they complete formal qualifications and choose to disrupt their studies rather than lose the opportunity to take their sports career to the next level. Administrators like Cloete do what they can to get their sports stars to make the best decisions.

“I believe formal education should be high on the priority list for every student athlete. Quite simply put, sport does not pay the bills, especially a sport like volleyball,” says Cloete.

Joining many other UWC sports administrators, Cloete set the example recently when she graduated cum laude with her Master’s in Sport, Recreation and Exercise Sciences degree, which focussed on highperformance sport at historically disadvantaged institutions.

CLOETE BELIEVES UWC is on the right track in its strategy for student sports development but requires more backing from civil society when it comes to sponsoring and partnerships.

“With the correct infrastructure and investments, we can become the top institution in the country for most of our codes, not just volleyball. We are fortunate that we are supported by the University Executive, but we need corporates to come on board and sponsor our teams or assist with the building and maintenance of training and competition facilities.

In this regard, I need to acknowledge Campus Lifestyle owner and CEO, Mrs Ragmah Jappie, for always sponsoring us. She is the sponsor of the Team SA attire for this event.

“OUR INDOOR CODES are performing very well, and this is without an indoor facility on campus. Imagine what we can achieve if we have unrestricted access to proper training facilities.” B+G

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FOOTBALL

SHE-BOBO AT UW C

JUNIOR GIRLS FOOTBALL LEAGUE

BY GASANT ABARDER

AS THIS EDITION of Blue and Gold illustrates, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) has become an incubator for women’s football in South Africa. UWC provides the best of both worlds – a world-class education with a world-class platform to compete in elite sports. Close to half of the Banyana Banyana squad that won the recent Women’s African Cup of Nations were either current or former UWC students. The assistant Banyana coach is also our senior women’s team coach. As the pages of Blue and Gold also reflect, our senior women’s team participates in the national league and was crowned Varsity Cup champions last year.

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THIS ACHIEVEMENT is by no means an

accident. Our Director of UWC Sport, Mandla Gagayi, has deliberately invested heavily in the women’s code at the university and that is bearing fruit.

Now, we want to take that investment further with the exciting new She-Bobo junior girls’ league at UWC.

SHE-BOBO at UWC seeks to address the lack of formal competition for under-8 and under-10 girls in the Cape Metro region. UWC alumnus and South African Football Association President, Danny Jordaan, launched the league at a gala dinner in September.

A FOOTBALL FESTIVAL to be hosted on 22

October 2022 will act as the precursor to the 2023 launch of the She-Bobo league at the university, with a minimum of 10 clubs participating.

In addition to the mini-festival, the university has partnered with the British Council, which will roll out the English Premier League’s Premier Skills programme in the form of a four-day coaching workshop for participating coaches and community coaches ahead of the games.

The university will assist community clubs that are participating and are already resource-constrained. The girls and their coaches will be transported to the university, provided with meals and refreshments and fully kitted out.

Professor Anesh Singh, UWC’s Director of Institutional Advancement,

says the launch of She-Bobo at UWC signals the university’s intent to walk the journey with the girl child from the cradle to graduation.

“Initially, the league will commence with under-8 and under-10 age groups. As the first cohort of girl footballers grows up the league will extend to include more age groups.

OVER TIME, the girls will become more

and more exposed to a university environment and ultimately attend UWC as students,” says Prof Singh.

“Part of our vision as a university is to be a driver of social change in the communities that surround our campus. We want to be a part of the lives of the participants of She-Bobo at UWC from the cradle to graduation.”

“OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE is not to produce the next Banyana Banyana players. If that happens, it is, of course, wonderful. Our objectives are to create both academic and sporting opportunities for girl children and to expose them to university life from a young age.” B+G

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FOOTBALL

FOCUS

THE PSL IN HIS

SIGHTS

BY JOSHUA HENDRICKS

JAYDAN PETERSEN started

playing football in the streets of Beacon Valley, Mitchell’s Plain, where he grew up. He says it’s part of the culture in Mitchell’s Plain, where children play soccer religiously and those who stand out always feel the confidence from their community that helps them to push for higher honours.

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HE JOINED WESTRIDGE FC as a five-year-old,

and played there until the age of eleven.

“I then moved on to Vasco da Gama in the Tygerberg League (LFA). I spent around four years [there] in which I made a name for myself, until I joined Atlantic Nacional FC, going on to play in the ABC Motsepe League at the age of only 17,” says Petersen.

HAVING ALREADY SACRIFICED his social life for football, Petersen enrolled at UWC to study Law, where his football prowess soon attracted the attention of professional clubs’ scouts.

PETERSEN SAYS: “At that stage I had

started my studies at the University of the Western Cape and also went on to represent the university in the Varsity Football Competition in 2018 and 2019, scoring four goals in each

edition while being crowned the top goalscorer in the latter.

“AS A RESULT OF MY PERFORMANCES, I was

spotted by Highlands Park in the PSL, where I spent three months until the transfer window opened. Things were extremely positive as I had even undergone a medical in order to sign.

However, COVID-19 had come to the fore, and I decided to come back home to Cape Town.” >

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FOOTBALL

FOCUS

DESPITE THE IMPACT on his development as a footballer of nearly two years of lockdown-enforced inactivity, he still managed to join Cape Town Spurs in the ABC Motsepe League after health regulations were relaxed.

Coping with his studies and semiprofessional football at the age of 17 was extremely challenging, but he feels that it has shaped him into the man that he has become. He feels the top flight is almost within grasp, especially after recently joining Motsepe Foundation Championship (formerly National First Division) side Cape Town Spurs.

“STRUGGLES ARE A PART OF LIFE but I

wouldn’t be honest with myself if I said it didn’t take its toll on me.

There were times I felt despondent as nothing was materialising. Everything seemed to be going wrong or things would happen up until the final step in which it fell through, like the Highlands Park move. I had left my studies to pursue that so it felt as though I had

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lost that sense of purpose and goal in life. I had struggled financially as well as I didn’t have an income and that affected me mentally. However, I tried to remain as positive as possible and I always believed in trusting God and His plans for me and that is what got me through it all,” says Petersen.

Petersen says he was always determined to complete his degree, regardless of how long that took while also playing football.

I have big ambitions that I want to achieve and believe that I can make it to the top of the game.

JAYDAN PETERSEN

“I have big ambitions that I want to achieve and believe that I can make it to the top of the game, by continuing to make a name for myself and eventually playing for a big team should the opportunity arise. Even take my talents outside of the country onto a global stage and represent the national team.

“WITH THAT SAID, I am fortunate enough to start off at a big and historic team like Cape Town Spurs. Right now, the main aim is to help them achieve the big heights that are required for such an institute.

“ACADEMICALLY, I want to complete my

degree and forge a career which I can continue once my football journey has been completed.

“I WOULD LIKE TO BUILD on my success on and off the field of play and prepare the way for the next generation. And I trust that all will happen according to God’s plan,” says Petersen. B+G

SPORTS

DEVELOPMENT

ICSSD DIRECTOR SCALES NEW OLYMPIC HEIGHTS

BY LYNDON JULIUS

T

HE UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE

(UWC) has been actively involved in sports development throughout the democratic era, building on its proud history in the anti-apartheid struggle and the development of non-racial sport.

MUCH OF THE RESEARCH generated at

Professor Marion Keim.

UWC in the interrelated fields of sport, development, peace, leadership and social inclusion has been conducted at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Sports Science and Development (ICSSD), which is headed by Professor Marion Keim. Prof Keim is a C-rated researcher and advocate of the High Court of South Africa who has

authored numerous books, articles and conference papers, and amassed considerable expertise in multiple fields, including sports development, mediation, conflict transformation, peacebuilding and human rights.

IN PURSUIT of the ICSSD’s vision – ‘To

be Africa’s leading interdisciplinary centre of excellence promoting sport as a powerful tool for development, health, well-being and social change through high-quality research and combining the areas of sports and health sciences and community development and wellness’ – Prof Keim actively investigates the impact of sport and its potential to develop communities. In the course of her work, she has forged many links >

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SPORTS

DEVELOPMENT

and collaborations with numerous community organisations, African institutions and international sports bodies, including the International Pierre de Coubertin Committee (CIPC) based in Lausanne, Switzerland.1

ACCORDING TO ITS STATUTES, the ANPCCA will be headquartered in the country of its President and will therefore be based in Cameroon, the home country of President Dr Malik Atour Evele.

Prof Keim’s ICSSD colleague, Prof Christo de Coning, was elected to serve on the four-person ANPCCA Board, with Marthe Chantal Oloko (Cameroon), Faustin Boimbo (DRC) and Amita Boolauky (Mauritius).

The other office-bearers elected were Vice-Presidents Pierre Albert Ntumba Wa Ntumba (DRC), Nisha Ramdin (Mauritius), Paul Joof (The Gambia), and General Treasurer Gentil Dominique Nkounkou (Congo Brazzaville).

PROF DE CONING, who has been an

1

Pierre de Coubertin (1863—1937) was the founder of the International Olympic Committee and is regarded as the father of the modern Olympic sports movement.

IN A MAJOR NEW DEVELOPMENT, the

CIPC sanctioned the launch of an international non-profit organisation, the Association of National Pierre de Coubertin Committees of Africa (ANPCCA), which took place in June 2022. The ANPCCA inaugural video conference elected Prof Keim its first Secretary-General.

Prof Keim says: “The Committee aims to promote the role of sport in development and well-being on the African continent. The Committee must draw the attention of the sports community, the media and other partners of the African sports movement to the action of the CNPC (the French version of the Association of National Pierre de Coubertin Committees or Committees Nationales Pierre de Coubertin) and the CNPC’s role in the promotion and dissemination of the Olympic values.”

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Extraordinary Professor at the School of Public Leadership at the University of Stellenbosch since 2012, and a technical advisor to the IOC (International Olympic Committee) on the development of a monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) system for the Olympic Solidarity World Programmes since 2020, highlighted the importance of the new body: “Its mission is to work for the promotion and development of sport

and Olympic education through the organisation of technical, sporting, scientific, educational and cultural activities intended for its members and the benefit of African society.”

THEIR NEW ROLES will put Professors Keim and De Coning, and UWC, at the forefront of sports development with the focus on the Olympics in South Africa and Africa and promote “Olympic values and education through youth development activities, as well as pan-African youth sport and cultural events and activities,” Prof Keim says. B+G

The ANPCCA aims to promote the role of sport in development and well-being on the African continent.

PROFESSOR MARION KEIM

FOOTBALL

M ATC H O F F I C I A L

ENTERING THE NATIONAL ARENA

BY JOSHUA HENDRICKS

T

REFEREE MSIMELELI MABUTO has reached

the pinnacle of his career by officiating in the Premier Soccer League. Yet, but for an obscure rule in amateur football, he might never have picked up a whistle.

BORN IN COFIMVABA in the Eastern

Cape, his family relocated to Mossel Bay when he was in Grade 2. After he matriculated, he could not afford tertiary studies and had to work for four years before he could enrol to study Mechanical Engineering at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). He obtained his diploma in 2009.

“My refereeing started when I was still playing soccer in Mossel Bay. We were playing in the Castle League Third Division and had to officiate [at] a game after our match. I just did it so that our club doesn’t get fined and there were no intentions of becoming a professional referee,” recalls Mabuto.

WHILE AT CPUT, he was very much

involved in football, as a player in the Northern Suburbs Local Football Association. Here he was inspired by

other players who loved officiating to take it more seriously. As part of USSA Western Cape, one of his duties was to organise referees for the games with SAFA Cape Town.

Around this time, with his playing days coming to an end as a result of injuries and weight problems, he began to think seriously of a career as a professional referee. The lack of funds for expenses as an amateur referee was daunting, especially while also dealing with unemployment.

He says: “After I got a chance to become a provincial referee, opportunities were there for me but It was not easy to get promoted to the next level. We didn’t have transport to go to the fields and we had to take public transport.”

IN 2009, just when he was thinking of

giving up because he wasn’t seeing any progress within his envisaged career, he was offered a chance to join UWC as their referee. Seeing how Jerry Laka, the then sports administrator, gave the referees all the support that they needed made a huge mental impact on him. In 2011, he was invited to join the referee development programme in

Johannesburg which further boosted his confidence in his abilities. A conversation with the provincial HOD of referees led to the opportunity to break into the national level.

“After I spoke with the provincial referees HOD and got an invitation to the fitness test, that’s when I knew that I could achieve what I wanted.

In 2012, I got invited to workshops in Johannesburg and I started getting PSL reserves’ games. In 2013, I got promoted to the PSL,” says Mabuto.

HE CONTINUES: “I did DStv Diski

Challenge games from 2014 to 2017 and from 2018, I did National First Division games, too. My first PSL game was last season. It was a Nedbank Cup last 16 match and it was a live game.

I was nervous before the game but I was okay after I started the game. My most memorable game was between the Chiefs and Pirates reserves. The stadium was packed. It was also a live game and I had a brilliant game.”

MABUTO SAYS he hopes to officiate the Soweto Derby before he retires. He also wants to improve on his diploma and study further to achieve success outside football. B+G

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SPORTS

PHOTOGRAPHY

ZOOMING IN ON THE WORLD CUP

BY LYNNE RIPPENAAR-MOSES

P

HOTOGRAPHER

Sikhulele ‘Skhu’ Nkomphela’s keen eye is taking him from the halls and sporting fields of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) to the main stadium at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Nkomphela, a UWC

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alumnus and currently Media and Project Coordinator at UWC Sports Administration, says he is still in shock at the news that he is headed to Qatar as Head Volunteer of Media Operations at the World Cup to be held in November and December this year.

“It has not sunk in yet. I think it will only become real when I have my plane

tickets in my hand. This is a result of years of hard work, honing my skills and taking advantage of the opportunities I have been fortunate to have over the years,” he says. Overwhelmed by the support he has received, Nkomphela says, “I can’t believe this is real. I am so proud to represent my country and my university.”

It isn’t about your camera equipment and how fancy it is – you need to have that eye to capture the moment and tell the story.

SIKHULELE NKOMPHELA

NKOMPHELA’S PASSION for photography

began when his uncle, who was a photographer, handed him his first camera. “He had these old cameras and would show me these old photos of my parents and family.”

It was here that the photography bug bit him hard and it never left him – even when it seemed that a career in science was his destiny.

“From a very early age, it was imprinted on us that a career in science, maths and IT was the only way to go. At the start of my high school career I was selected to attend the Cape Academy of Maths, Science

and Technology, and here we were ‘blinded’ to any career other than one in these fields.”

In a bid to ‘detach’ himself from the rigorous science-led curriculum, Nkomphela became involved in different societies, including the Eco Club and the young Lions Club (the Leos), and thought his real passion was to help others in need.

Nkomphela says, “I was dead set on becoming a paramedic, especially after I had the opportunity to assist in delivering a baby via C-section. But there was one requirement I didn’t meet – I couldn’t swim!”

OF ALL THINGS, it was seeing some UWC brand marketing material that gave Nkomphela his first notion of a completely different career path.

“I saw these leaflets on campus with all these happy [student] faces and I wanted to be one of them,” he says.

But, rather than modelling, Nkomphela ended up working behind the camera, shooting the ‘happy faces’ and says, “The shots I took are still used to this day.”

CAPTURING CAMPUS LIFE through his lens

at university sports matches, social events and graduations increasingly occupied him. Nkomphela says: “I always wanted to tell the stories of others through the gift I have. I remember at this one Bafana match in Port Elizabeth I was intimidated by all the photographers and their big lenses. But then I realised – it isn’t about your camera equipment and how fancy it is – you need to have that eye to capture the moment and tell the story.”

IN 2020, he became the first South African to be selected to serve on the International University Sports Federation (FISU) Media and Communications Committee, propelling him onto the international stage and soon, to the World Cup. NKOMPHELA SAYS: “I want others to

know that you don’t just have to be a doctor or scientist, but that you can turn a passion – like I have with photography – into a full career. In my spare time as a student, I went to shoot and strengthen my skills and I am seeing it pay off now.”

NEXT, he tried to get into the

Physiotherapy programme at UWC, but missed the entry requirement by one point. “A friend of mine refused to [allow me to] give up and said I should apply for something in Science to get a foot in the door. I enrolled for a BSc in Environmental and Water Science and for a while, it went well, but later on things got very difficult.”

REFUTING THE NOTION that perhaps he could have skipped studying altogether, he says: “I am a proud UWC alumnus. I was rejected the first time, but someone fought for me to study at UWC. Every day I am amazed to work with the lecturers in whose classes I sat. Now I work alongside them shaping a future for others.” B+G

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35

MESSAGE FROM

UWC SPORTS COUNCIL

Lonathemba Mhlongo.

Sihle Maphukatha.

A HUGE PRIVILEGE AND AN HONOUR SIHLE MAPHUKATHA, UWC SPORTS COUNCIL, 2021—2022 Kayla Richards.

I

APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY granted

to be the Chairperson of the UWC Sports Council. It is a huge privilege and honour for me to represent an institution with diverse students coming from different spheres of the world.

THE PAST FEW MONTHS have been

bittersweet for UWC Sport as the university was saddened by the passing of UWC Boxing coach Ayanda ‘Ginger’ Mapasa. The champion was laid to rest in his hometown. Thanks to our Director of Sport Mr G and his team, the Sprinter bus that was offered by the Sports Admin enabled students to travel to the Eastern Cape to give their last respects to the man that made a huge difference in our students and his community through sport. May his soul continue to rest in peace. UWC Sport will never forget his strides.

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ON THE OTHER HAND, we celebrate several achievements as UWC Sport, starting with our women, including our alumni, who represented the university in the Banyana Banyana colours. As the institution that has been striving and advocating for women to be recognised in sport, this achievement is a true reflection of hard work and resilience against all odds. The university is currently in a partnership with local clubs aiming to uplift and present more opportunities for women in sport. In addition to our five students and head coach who represented us in the Banyana squad that won the WAFCON, three of our players were called up to the Banyana Banyana B team camp in preparation for the COSAFA tournament in Gqeberha.

OUR STUDENT ATHLETES, with our staff,

continue to excel beyond expectations and they keep on flying our flag high with pride and integrity. I would like

to congratulate our two volleyball players, Mr Lukholo Jooste and Ms Tamlyn Thomas, and head coach Ms Elmien Cloete, who jetted off to Maceió, Brazil, to represent South Africa at the FISU World University Beach Volleyball Championships.

I ALSO CONGRATULATE our women’s football physio, Kayla Richards, who has been appointed as the chief physiotherapist for the CUCSA Games set to take place in Malawi.

Finally, I congratulate our karate team, who managed to get eight medals at the regional trials, and our Supa-Pool team who won the USSA Supa-Pool Championships.

IN CONCLUSION, as our Director, Mr G, always emphasises the balance between studies and sport, I would like to urge our students to never forget to put the same effort into their studies. Never forget that ‘Siyafunda, Siyadlala’ and ‘Siyapasa, siyawina’. B+G

RUGBY

A D M I N I S T R AT I O N

AFFORDING LIFE-CHANGING OPPORTUNITIES TO STUDENTS

BY LYNDON JULIUS

T

HE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN CAPE has

always been an institution at the forefront of groundbreaking achievements in sport, with many student sportspersons going on to join the professional ranks in

the democratic era. A key element in ensuring UWC’s competitiveness against better-resourced universities has been its dedicated sports administrators, coaches and support staff, many of whom are alumni and former star athletes themselves who represented the university at the highest levels.

CLEMENT TROUT, who grew up in Belhar and attended UWC after matriculating at Parow High School, was a utility backline player who represented the university for nine years in both the sevens and 15-man formats of the game, before ending his rugby career in 2013. >

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RUGBY

A D M I N I S T R AT I O N

BA Honours in Sports Development, a Postgraduate Diploma in Sport, Development and Peace as well as a Higher Certificate in Sports Management Business Principles.

“Studies are very important to me and I try to impart this to the student athletes that I work with. It should go without mentioning but I will say it, there are so many examples not only within the university space but sportspersons in general in South Africa that have had to cut a promising career short due to injuries and this is where a formal qualification should be in place.

It is indeed an incredible honour to be elected and to serve on the USSA rugby committee.

CLEMENT TROUT AFTER RETIRING, he took up various administrative positions and coaching roles at UWC. Trout started coaching the UWC Sevens side in 2015. Trout says: “Sport has always been a part of my family and life. I come from a sporting family; both my parents were involved in sports.

My dad was very active in sports while I was growing up, so I would always be on the sports field over weekends and after school right by his side. Rugby and football were the two sports that I enjoyed playing very much growing up.”

TROUT REGARDS STUDYING as a key

element in the growth and progress of every student athlete and led by example by continuing his studies after gaining his BEd while playing for the UWC side, going on to complete a

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“I AM TRULY GRATEFUL for Mr [Mandla] Gagayi [UWC Sports Director] and how he places a lot of emphasis on

creating an environment where our student athletes can balance both studies and their ambitions in their sports arena,” says Trout.

IN 2019, after coaching rugby for four

years, Trout was officially appointed as a sports administrator. This year, he was elected to serve on the University Sports of South Africa (USSA) rugby committee.

“It is indeed an incredible honour to be elected and to serve on the USSA rugby committee,” Trout says proudly. “When you work in sports administration, especially within the university set-up, you are serving students and helping them to have the best possible opportunities to go on to higher honours. Many of us do this because we are passionate about the sport but also because we place the wellness of students high on the priority list. It is never about us; we merely administer and manage so that the students are afforded lifechanging opportunities.”

THE 37-YEAR-OLD says his wife Monique and his two sons, Callum (9) and Mason (4), are the support structure that allows him to be as involved as he is with UWC Sport.

“Callum reminds me a lot of me when I was his age. I too used to follow my dad to the sports field almost every evening after school. His favourite player is Malcolm Marx, so there might be [a] difference when it comes to the preferred position in the team,” Trout says with a chuckle.

“I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE A LEGACY not only to my wife and kids but also to the students and athletes that I work with.

I am very passionate about sport and UWC, so being elected to serve, represent and add value to the USSA Rugby Committee is a position I do not take lightly. I hope to serve every stakeholder selflessly and hopefully improve where my predecessors have done remarkable work in the world of university sport,” says Trout. B+G

S TA F F

SPORT

BUILDING TEAM MORALE USSA ORGANISES STAFF SPORT

BY LYNDON JULIUS

I

N 2019, UNIVERSITY SPORTS SOUTH AFRICA

(USSA) launched a national USSA Staff sports programme and tournament to enable university staff members to build team morale and compete with their peers.

The staff made a promising start according to Busisiwe ‘Bubbles’ Mzalazala, a placement coordinator at UWC’s Residential Services, who

runs the Staff Sports programme.

UWC staff did well at the inaugural USSA Staff tournament, with the UWC football and netball teams excelling.

Mzalazala says: “After enjoying reasonable provincial preparation [against Western Cape universities], the UWC football and netball teams represented UWC at the inaugural USSA National Staff Sports tournament hosted at the Durban University of Technology. >

UWC staff did well at the tournament, with the UWC football and netball teams excelling.

BUSISIWE ‘BUBBLES’ MZALAZALA

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S TA F F

SPORT

25

The UWC STAFF SPORTS PROGRAMME currently has 25 netball participants, the football group has about 30 active members and Supa-Pool and volleyball are gaining momentum among staff.

“THE FOOTBALL TEAM reached the finals

and the netball team acquitted themselves with dedication. Both teams flew the UWC flag high and, after participating in this tournament, interest in the sports programme at UWC grew and continued until it was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We recently restarted the project since returning to work and the programme is growing each day.

Volleyball and a Super-Pool team have been introduced and joined our football and netball teams at the USSA Staff Sports games hosted at Rhodes University at the end of September.”

The staff football team.

MZALAZALA ADDS: “In the last event we

hosted at the UWC Netball Courts on 9 August in celebrating Women’s Day, we had 15 staff members participate.

We had a friendly match with our six different residential teams, including private accommodation. The aim was to build the relationship with our students as it was the first time meeting them since the national lockdown was eased up.”

CURRENTLY, the UWC Staff Sports

Programme has 25 netball participants, the football group has about 30 active members and the newly added codes, Supa-Pool and volleyball, are gaining momentum among staff.

“The intention is to expand and not be limited to only these sports codes.

The programme is intended to run wellness initiatives during the year with different wellness programmes.

We have Mxolisi Nxumalo and Sandile Ndumo heading up the football with Ebrian Johnson doing an excellent job as the netball coach. Margo Daniels and Elmien Cloete will be coaching and in charge of volleyball.

WHILE THE PROGRAMME initially existed to

foster relationships among students and staff members, mental health has become a priority as well.

“Mental health is not just a contentious issue at the university level

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The netball team.

The Supa-Pool team.

The volleyball team.

but in every household,” Mzalazala says. “I think, after these past two years, mental health is a real issue.

address these issues through sport. Our university lost several staff members due to COVID-19, and finding others who were also [similarly] affected helps to work through the trauma.” B+G

“THIS PROGRAMME is a tool to work on

these issues and we can successfully

IN

MEMORIAM

AN UNRIVALLED LEGACY IN BOXING

BY JOSHUA HENDRICKS

T

HE WESTERN CAPE

ADVOCATE LWANDISO KWABABANA, who

BOXING COMMUNITY

competed at the World University Championships in Russia in 2008 and won silver for kickboxing at the 29th All Africa Games (even though UWC did not have a kickboxing club!), says he owed his international boxing achievements to this humble community builder who made that dream come true. “He would be remembered for encouraging young

suffered a huge loss on 20 July 2022 when coach Ayanda Mapasa, better known as Ginger, died after a prolonged illness. He left behind an unrivalled legacy in university boxing and youth development, as several of his protegés recalled.

people to involve themselves in sports and use sports to earn them opportunities to study at a high institutional level,” says Advocate Kwababana.

“HE WAS A FATHER, COACH and also played a big role in making sure that I became a South African champion when I was a junior, and a silver and bronze medallist as a senior,” says Asemahle Sentile, >

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IN

MEMORIAM

a gifted fighter and BA graduate who also helped Mapasa develop youths at the Khayelitsha Boxing Academy.

“He also made sure that I got into UWC, himself and Mr Glen Bentley.

Hence he was the first one to tell me and my family when I was enrolled,” says Sentile.

“BOXING IS A VERY TOUGH SPORT to be involved in and, therefore, one must have the passion and drive to compete,” says Olivia Williams, one of several UWC female boxers groomed for the highest level by Mapasa.

“Coach Ginger was so passionate about the sport and the development of youth from different backgrounds, that he saw the sport as much more than just us competing in the sport. He saw it as a way for young kids to use the sports to better their opportunities in life. He also used boxing as a way for students to get into universities.

“HE WAS MY BOXING COACH when I joined UWC in 2014. He was a mentor and second father and helped me get involved in the admin side of sports.

“After I stopped competing and graduated he made sure we remained connected as a boxing family, and ensured that I was active in assisting with tournaments and the development of the sport.”

WILLIAMS’ UWC CONTEMPORARY Pumlani

Nkqetho, who won numerous bouts on the national stage under Mapasa’s tutelage while pursuing his BCom, simply says, “Legends never die, they multiply. The legacy of Ayanda Ginger Mapasa will live.”

Noting that Mapasa had helped a number of boxers to enrol at UWC and go on to graduate, UWC Head of Boxing, Glen Bentley, says: “What he has done has been of great fulfilment and he served his purpose.”

BENTLEY’S PREDECESSOR as UWC Boxing Manager, the late Edwin Wyngaard, was so impressed with Mapasa

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that he offered him a contract to exclusively train UWC’s boxers. In 2013, confident that Mapasa would help lead UWC Boxing to the top at the USSA competition that year, Wyngaard said. “Mapasa is very good at analysing boxers and our competitors. He can tell you exactly what your strengths and weaknesses are, and what you need to work on.”

MAPASA WAS BORN IN ZIPHUNZANA, East London, living there until he moved to Soweto to complete high school.

Although more of a footballer, Mapasa established the first boxing club in his village when he returned after matriculating. His love of sport took him to Cape Town and a sports management course at Peninsula Technikon (now CPUT) where he became a boxing trainer to students from both CPUT and UWC.

Coach Ginger saw that boxing was much more than just competing. He saw it as a way for young kids to use the sport to better their opportunities in life.

OLIVIA WILLIAMS

MAPASA’S BELIEF that boxing was useful in honing children’s values and discipline led to founding the Town Two Sports Academy in Khayelitsha in 2001 with his friend, American social worker Rian Micheal. The academy was registered the following year as an official gym under the Western Province Boxing Organisation.

AT A WELL-ATTENDED TOURNAMENT he

organised in the community in March this year, Mapasa said: “Our ultimate goal is to educate the black child through sport. So, the response to this tournament was ‘wow’ for me.

Children still need to know that boxing is still alive and they have many options to explore in life.”

MAPASA FIRST TASTED VICTORY on the

national stage when his team won the first Inter-University National Boxing Championship hosted by Wits University in 2007. In 2008, he accompanied the USSA boxing team that competed at the World Student Boxing Championship in Tatarstan in the Russian Federation.

In what would have been his latest contribution, he was scheduled to join the USSA traveling to Turkey in September for the FISU University World Cup Combat Sports.

HE ALSO SERVED in several administrative capacities, including as the Chairperson of the Western Province Amateur Boxing Organisation, now known as the Cape Town Metro Open Boxing Organisation, the elected Chairperson of the South African National Boxing Organisation (SANABO) Coaches Commission and as a USSA Development Officer.

HIS BELIEF IN EDUCATION extended to improving his qualifications as a trainer. In 2015, he was one of only two trainers (the other was Sidney Ntantiso) to be awarded his international certificate in boxing by the International Boxing Association. B+G

SPORTSPEOPLE

G R A D U AT I O N

2022

GRADUATION ROLL OF HONOUR The University of the Western Cape prides itself in providing students with both a platform to achieve their academic potential and opportunities to

pursue their sporting interests. Following is a list of some UWC sportspeople who graduated at the Spring Graduation in September 2022. >

THE OFFICIAL UWC SPORTS MAGAZINE

43

SPORTSPEOPLE

G R A D U AT I O N

SEPTEMBER 2022 GRADUATES Annique Jaydean Tiffany Arendse

Lawon Chelsey Hill

Bevan Sasman

(UWC Athletics, middle-distance runner)

(UWC Athletics, sprinter)

(UWC Athletics, long-jumper)

Higher Certificate in Economic Development

Higher Certificate in Economic Development

Bachelor of Arts Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science

Mantombi Nopinki Jingqi

Stefan Francis Stuurman

(ex-UWC women’s footballer)

(ex-UWC footballer)

Advanced Diploma for Educators of Adults

Bachelor of Arts

Mazvita Tafirenyika Ryan Julius

(UWC volleyballer)

(UWC & SA hockey player)

Bachelor of Commerce

Higher Certificate in Economic Development

Darren Lakey

Kananelo Thulo

(UWC karateka)

(UWC Athletics, long-distance runner)

Bachelor of Arts Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science

Higher Certificate in Economic Development

Fikile Venessa Magama

Lukhanyo Vokozela

(UWC women’s footballer)

(SA U20 rugby, hooker)

Higher Certificate in Economic Development

Higher Certificate in Economic Development

Dean Tendai Mazhawidza

Nadeel Wildschutt

(ex-UWC cricketer, batsman)

(UWC Athletics, long-distance runner)

Master of Arts

Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration

Luvo Bazi (UWC Rugby, prop)

Bachelor of Administration

Ikhona Betela (UWC volleyballer)

Higher Certificate in Economic Development

Nkosinathi Chibi (UWC basketballer)

Bachelor of Administration

Jesse Dylan Christensen (ex-UWC cricketer, batsman)

Bachelor of Commerce Elona Mlumkisi Sduduzo Dlamini (UWC women’s footballer)

(UWC volleyballer)

Cole Newell

Higher Certificate in Economic Development

(UWC basketballer)

Higher Certificate in Economic Development Sandile Ndumo (UWC men’s football manager)

Duran Fianco Faro (UWC Athletics, middle-distance runner)

Bachelor of Arts Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science

Bachelor of Arts Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science Ryan Marc Ramandh (ex-UWC footballer, goalkeeper)

Bradman Arno Grove (UWC Rugby, flank)

Bachelor of Education

44

BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 9 2022

Bachelor of Commerce

Bachelor of Commerce Honours