Luvo trumps Chad, Wayde
WORLD LONG-JUMP CHAMPION Luvo Manyonga was the big winner of the night at the SA Sports Awards in Kempton Park where he was crowned Sports Star of the Year yesterday.
The South African long jumper also beat the likes of Wayde van Niekerk and Chad le Clos to claim the Sportsman of the Year accolade.
Three-time 800m world champion Caster Semenya was named as Sportswoman of the Year, receiving recognition for her efforts in 2017.
The Blitzboks were crowned Sports Team of the Year thanks to their World Rugby Sevens Series victory earlier this year.
Track and field dominated the awards evening with seven of the top eight gongs going the way of athletic coaches and athletes.
Jean Verster was recognised for his influence in coaching Semenya to the 800m gold medal at the London World Championships where she also won the 1 500m bronze.
Rising star Sokwakhana Zazini, who posted a new world youth best in the 400m hurdles earlier this year, was named Newcomer of the Year.
Zazini then annihilated the rest of the field at the IAAF World Under-18 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, to win the global title.
But the night belonged to Manyonga to top a stellar year in which he broke the South African record twice, before winning his maiden world title in August.
He set the sandpit alight in 2017 leaping over 8.60m on four occasions, where he first broke Khotso Mokoena’s national mark with a jump of 8.62m in March before winning the South African title with a jump of 8.65m in April.
He completed a winning streak over a full calendar year over 10 meetings, before finishing the year off with the Diamond League Trophy in the long jump.
Meanwhile, Ilse Hayes was again named Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability with Dyan Buis earning the Sportsman of the Year with a Disability Award.