UJ rewards its top sports performers
Samaai, Letsoso big winners of the night
SA long jump star Ruswahl Samaai and Banyana Banyana prodigy Thato Letsoso were the big winners at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) sports awards last night.
Samaai scooped the UJ sportsman and Letsoso the sportswoman of the year awards at a ceremony at Randpark Golf Club.
The 27-year-old Samaai, a fourth-year logistics student, made it a hat-trick of wins having walked away with the prize for the third consecutive year. His highlight in the 2018 season was his bronze medal win at the Commonwealth Games in April, and finishing second at the IAAF Diamond League finals in Switzerland.
The 22-year-old Letsoso, a third-year psychology student, guided UJ to glory in the university sport championship in Port Elizabeth earlier in the year. She also won with the team at the university and college sports association games in Botswana in July.
Her superb year was capped off with her first Banyana call-up and went on to win the Cosafa Cup with the team last month in Port Elizabeth.
Fourth-year quantity surveying student and rugby player Wian Conradie won the student-athlete award. He also came in second for the sportsman of the year award.
Triple jumper Patience Ntshingila came in second in the sportswoman category with fellow triple jumper Zinzi Chabangu in third.
Jacque Joubert was third for the sportsman of the year award for his win in judo at the SA Sport Association for the Physically Disabled championships in Bloemfontein.