Wayde van Niekerk, Karla Pretorius, Ryk Neethling and Leslé-Ann George.
These are just some of the athletes produced by the University of the Free State (UFS) who have gone on to make South Africa proud.
All of them have been honoured as either KovsieSport Sportsman or Sportswoman of the Year.
The UFS crowns its top performers at the Free State Sport Stars dinner.
Standard Bank acts as the main sponsor.
The UFS will honour suitable international accomplishments from 1 October 2021 to 30 September 2022, and will name its sportsman of the year, sportswoman of the year, and junior sport star of the year from the following nominees:
Izaiah April (hockey)
This first-year UFS student was selected for the South African U21 women’s team. The midfielder represented the side at the Senior IPT tournament where the team won a bronze medal.
Khanyisa Chawane (netball)
She is part of the first-ever nationally contracted netball group and represented South Africa at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. Chawane helped the Proteas become champions at the Africa Cup and played in the 2022 Netball Quad Series.
Joané Gerber (athletics – long jump)
She took part in the World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia. Gerber represented the national team at the Confederation of University and Colleges Sports Associations (CUCSA) Games, where she won a gold medal, with a personal best jump of 6.42 m. She claimed a bronze medal at the USSA Championships.
Caden Kakora (badminton)
The national men’s doubles champion competed in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and helped South Africa reach its first quarter-final. In the men’s singles, he reached the 32nd round of 32 in Birmingham. Kakora played in the Thomas & Uber Cup African Championships, and is part of the South African men’s team that won a bronze medal.
Saré Laubscher (hockey)
Laubscher represented South Africa at the Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup in Potchefstroom. It was her first world cup, although she has played for the national junior side for the past five years.
Calvin Marais (judo)
In only one of his first international senior competitions, Marais competed in the Dakar African Open under 81 kg division, and achieved a career highlight. He lost in a bronze final and finished in 5th position in Senegal. Marais also took part in the Yaounde African Open and placed 7th.
Refiloe Nketsa (netball)
In her international debut, Nketsa helped the Proteas retain the Africa Cup as part of an undefeated run in this tournament. She is part of the first-ever nationally contracted netball group. She represents the national side at the CUCSA Games, where South Africa won a gold medal.
Lefébre Rademan (netball)
Rademan received a national contract from Netball South Africa and played for the Proteas at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The former Kovsie captain helped her country retain the Africa Cup, and played in the Netball Quad Series.
Shindré-Lee Simmons (hockey)
Simmons made her Protea debut at the African Cup of Nations and helped South Africa win the tournament. The former Kovsie captain represented her country at the FIH Hockey World Cup in Spain and the Netherlands, and at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Yolandi Stander (athletics – discus)
She was crowned national champion at the South African Championships with a throw of 57.90 m. Stander represented South Africa at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where she finished sixth (55.49 m). She also took part in the African Championships in Mauritius.
Robert Summers (badminton)
Summers represented South Africa at the Commonwealth Games. The national men’s singles and doubles champion reached the 16th round of 16 (mixed doubles) and the 32nd round of 32 (men’s singles and doubles) in Birmingham. He helped South Africa reach its first Commonwealth quarter-final. At the All Africa Championships, he wins two bronze medals (men’s doubles and team). He wins a men’s bronze medal at the Thomas & Uber Cup African Championships as part of the South African team.
Elmien Viljoen (karate)
Viljoen represented South Africa at the Commonwealth Karate Championships in Birmingham, where she competed in the female kumite +68kg and female team kumite in the Championships and the female kumite +68kg in the Club competition, where she finished joint fifth in the latter. She won a silver medal at the African Karate Federation (UFAK) Region 5 tournament and a bronze medal at the Japan Karate Association (JKA) national tournament.
Renier Veitch (fencing)
Veitch represented South Africa at the 2022 African Championships, where he reached the table of 32.
He is ranked first in the country in sable, and in 2022 he won a silver medal at the Western Cape Open, gold at the Eastern Cape Open and gold at the Free State Open. Veitch also claimed a silver medal at the South African National Championships.
– Jóhann Thormählen
