What a night for SA sport

THE Sun City Superbowl was blazing this past Sunday. We had a humdinger with lots of razzmatazz.

We applaud all those who made sure our athletes and administrators get the recognition and reward they deserve.

Congratulations to all our winners on the night.

Let me also congratulate this year’s Sport Star of the Year, Itumeleng Khune, for winning the public vote in a hotly contested category.

Hashim Amla, Lucas Sithole, Chad le Clos and Mapaseka Makhanya gave the winner stiff competition.

We are hopeful that you will be back next year.

To all our partners – the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, SABC, SuperSport, the National Lottery and North West government –

[thank you].

To the team that worked hard for the success of the event, we also appreciate your efforts.

The media, we appreciate your role in ensuring that the event became an international success.

To the African Union Region 5 sports ministers, I would also like to thank you for gracing the event.

When we attended the Namibian Sport Awards recently, we stole the idea to incorporate the African Union Anthem into the SA Sport Awards. We are hopeful the rest of SA will follow suit and visit the AU website to download the anthem and its lyrics.

The SA Sport Awards have come and gone, all that is left is for the athletes to make their names in their respective sporting codes. We are hopeful other giants will be born next year.

Take a leaf out Le Clos’s book. In 2011 he won the Best Newcomer of the Year and went on to win the ultimate prize – the Sport Star of the Year award – the following year.

Now our attention is focused on the School Sport Championship, a development programme, in Mangaung. The National Sport and Recreation Plan is in motion. We will unleash the potential of our youth. That is our goal.

I also want to congratulate Reverend Arnold Makhenkesi Stofile, the ambassador to Germany, for his election as new vice-president of the World Anti-Doping Agency.