Teen Lara van Niekerk wins big at gsport Awards

Lara van Niekerk was the big winner at this year’s gsport Awards taking the Athlete of the Year and Global Woman in Sport awards at the annual event.

The 17th edition of the ceremony held at the Wanderers was the first in-person occasion since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 19-year-old is having an incredible year in swimming. She is currently the African, SA, and Commonwealth record-holder in the long and short course 50m breaststroke.

She rose to prominence when she overtook 200m breaststroke world record-holder and Olympic champion Tatjana Schoenmaker at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham to win the 100m breaststroke. She was the first SA athlete to win two gold medals at this year’s Commonwealth Games.

Van Niekerk was also one of the five athletes honoured with the Ministerial Recognition of Excellence Award alongside Phiwokuhle Mnguni, Caitlin Rooskrantz, Michaela Whitebooi and Ashleigh Buhai.

Mnguni, who became the first SA woman to achieve a boxing medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, received another award on the night being named Emerging Athlete of the Year.

Banyana Banyana’s heroics at the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations earned them the Team of the Year Award with Desiree Ellis also walking away with Coach of the Year.

Retired Paralympics medallist Anrune Weyers was named Para Sport Star of the Year. Weyers hung up her spikes after last year’s Paralympics where she won her first-ever gold in Tokyo having had three silvers and one bronze medal in previous Games.

Founder of gsport Kass Naidoo said she was proud of how far the initiative has come.

“People often ask how we manage to unearth new icons and role models on the stage every year — the answer is simple. We are consistent about telling the story of women’s sports in the gsport newsroom,” she said.

“We average around a 120 stories a month on the gsport initiative and thousands of Tweets and posts that have resulted in 400 nominations across 20 categories this year.

“When I started off as the first women cricket commentator in SA, it was always my dream to see more women around me and I never in my wildest dreams thought we could continue to bring and birth new stars. It wouldn’t have been possible without the likes of [awards sponsors] Momentum. We are so deeply grateful for the corporate support.”

The gsport Awards were launched in 2006 with the aim of honouring and awarding women in sports for their contribution to the various sporting codes in SA. The gsport Trust also shines the spotlight on women’s sports through its website by telling the story of women on the continent. Since the awards were launched, over 200 individuals have been recognised.

2022 gsport Awards winners

Volunteer of the Year: Shamila Sulayman

Federation of the Year: SA Sport for Physically Disabled

Supporter of the Year: Nakedi Thlathla

Sponsor of the Year: Hollywoodbets

Special Recognition Award recipient: Dorah Vuyelwa Mungwevu

Hall of Fame Inductee: Marian Marescia

Woman in PR and Sponsorship: Maphuti Hlako

Woman in Print: Mpumi Manyisi

Woman in Social Media: Jessica Nkomo

Woman in Radio: Cato Louw

Woman in Television: Nono Cele

Woman of the Year: Bongiwe Msomi

Coach of the Year: Desiree Ellis

Team of the Year Winner: Banyana Banyana

African Woman in Sport Award: Akhona Makalima

Global Woman in Sport Award: Lara van Niekerk

School Sports Star of the Year: Lesedi Khunou

Emerging Athlete of the Year: Phiwokuhle Mnguni

Para Sport Star of the Year: Anrune Weyers

Public Choice Award winner: Hildah Magaia

Athlete of the Year: Lara van Niekerk

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