TUT HONOURS ATHLETES

Elated students poses for a photo with their accolades.

Lebohang Pita
@LeboPita

TUT Soshanguve campus hosted an award ceremony at the Soshanguve South Campus gymnasium on Thursday night, October 20.

This ceremony is held annually to give gratitude to  sportsmen and women who have excelled in their respective sporting fields.

The athletes have represented the institution in regional, provincial and national levels and have collected many accolades, putting TUT among the best sporting Universities in South Africa.

Director of TUT sports and recreation, Mr. Chaka Croukamp, opened the event with an inspiring speech and congratulated the Ga-Rankuwa campus acrobatics team for reaching the semi-finals of the acrobatics world championships taking place in Australia.




Athletes of the year Kgopotso Mhlongo

 and Thoblle Mbonani.

  “Events like this are very important to students who excel in sport. TUT is unique and it’s about your performance and respect when you don the institution’s jersey"he said." I’m in a buoyant mood because the Ga-Rankuwa campus acrobats have reached the semi-finals of the world championships.” concluded Croukamp.

Students were entertained with good music by various DJs and the Master of Ceremonies, TUT FM’s Venda Boy, kept the guests on their toes with his funny antics.

The night saw about 50 winners, with some students and staff members scooping several awards.

The most notable are karate players Gugulethu Ngwenya and M.W Damisa who received three awards apiece for their contribution and participation in provincial and national levels.

These sport stars are not excelling only at sport but are also doing well academically.

The academic sportsman and woman of the year award went to Maletsatsi Modise and footballer S.L Khumalo.

Both these athletes were jubilant.

“I am speechless and I am grateful that the good work I am doing is being recognised.” Said Modise.

Khumalo echoed Modise’s sentiments and thanked his coach for giving him courage.

The biggest winners of the night were dancer Thobile Mbonani and basketball star Kgopotso Mhlongo who went home with the Soshanguve campus sportman and woman of the year.

Mbonani said she was astonished by the award.

“I am surprised by the award but I’m grateful and congratulations to all the winners.”

Mhlongo was coy.

“It is not the first time I am receiving this award. It’s all thanks to god.”

Event organiser Muzi Dlamini was ecstatic that the event was a success.

“As you can see, it has been well organized, everybody is happy and I’m grateful it’s a success,”concluded Dlamini.