Excitement is building for the South African Sports Awards at the Sand du Plessis Theatre in Bloemfontein on Sunday.
The 11th edition of the awards will be held in the City of Roses for the second consecutive year after a successful event last year.
All eyes will be on the world 400m, Olympic 400m champion and world record holder Wayde van Niekerk, who is expected to dominate the awards for the second year running.
The 24-year-old Bloemfontein-based athlete is a big favourite to sweep all before him after he was nominated in three categories, sports star of the year, sportsman of the year and people’s choice award.
General opinion suggests the fact that the Cape Town born sprinter has won three major titles this season gives him an edge over other nominees.
Van Niekerk was recently voted best male athlete from the Rio Olympics by the Association of National Olympic Committees and is also in line to scoop IAAF’s male athlete of the year award.
Many reckon even though Van Niekerk faces stiff competition from 800m Olympic gold medallist Caster Semenya and Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada in the sports Star of the year category, he is seen as an overwhelming favourite to be the star of the night.
Semenya and Rabada are, however, expected to push him all the way for the people’s choice award.
Van Niekerk was the big winner last year when he walked away with R1m and a new car. Earlier this year he received a hero’s welcome in Bloemfontein upon his return from Rio.
Sports, arts, culture and recreation MEC Mathabo Leeto said the city is ready to host the glittering event and this year’s event will be bigger and better.
A total of 18 categories will be contested which includes the sportsman of the year, sportsman of the year with a disability, sportswoman of the year, sportswoman of the year with a disability and team of the year, among others.
Six Paralympic athletes are in contention for the sportsman of the year with a disability and sportswoman of the year with a disability while CAF Champions League winners Mamelodi Sundowns are expected to be named the team of the year.
South Africa’s sporting public are also able to be involved by voting in the people’s choice of the year award.
© New Age
The 11th edition of the awards will be held in the City of Roses for the second consecutive year after a successful event last year.
All eyes will be on the world 400m, Olympic 400m champion and world record holder Wayde van Niekerk, who is expected to dominate the awards for the second year running.
The 24-year-old Bloemfontein-based athlete is a big favourite to sweep all before him after he was nominated in three categories, sports star of the year, sportsman of the year and people’s choice award.
General opinion suggests the fact that the Cape Town born sprinter has won three major titles this season gives him an edge over other nominees.
Van Niekerk was recently voted best male athlete from the Rio Olympics by the Association of National Olympic Committees and is also in line to scoop IAAF’s male athlete of the year award.
Many reckon even though Van Niekerk faces stiff competition from 800m Olympic gold medallist Caster Semenya and Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada in the sports Star of the year category, he is seen as an overwhelming favourite to be the star of the night.
Semenya and Rabada are, however, expected to push him all the way for the people’s choice award.
Van Niekerk was the big winner last year when he walked away with R1m and a new car. Earlier this year he received a hero’s welcome in Bloemfontein upon his return from Rio.
Sports, arts, culture and recreation MEC Mathabo Leeto said the city is ready to host the glittering event and this year’s event will be bigger and better.
A total of 18 categories will be contested which includes the sportsman of the year, sportsman of the year with a disability, sportswoman of the year, sportswoman of the year with a disability and team of the year, among others.
Six Paralympic athletes are in contention for the sportsman of the year with a disability and sportswoman of the year with a disability while CAF Champions League winners Mamelodi Sundowns are expected to be named the team of the year.
South Africa’s sporting public are also able to be involved by voting in the people’s choice of the year award.
© New Age
