Sporting excellence was acknowledged and celebrated at the CPUT annual Sports Awards.

During the gala event, which took place at the Bellville Campus, close to 60 awards were presented in categories ranging from honorary colours to merit awards for national squad selections.

MOTIVATE: Guest Speaker, Anne Siroky, encouraged CPUT’s sports stars to continue to work hard. Siroky is a renowned South African volleyball player, who has won numerous awards for her sporting achievements

Scooping this year’s coveted Sportswoman of the Year was basketball player Sophy Ngobeni, while javelin star Robert Oosthuizen walked off with the Sportsman of Year award, for a second year in a row.

Both students enjoyed a successful sporting season, having qualified and competed in top local and international competitions.

A third-year Public Relations student, Sophy took to the stage several times during the Sports Awards, having also clinched an honorary colours award in recognition of her selection on the Limpopo Women’s Basketball team as well a merit award for securing a spot on the national student basketball team.

“This is an honour,” says Sophy, who attributes her success to hard work and the support of her team mates and manager.

TEAMWORK: The male Chess Team walked off with the Team of the Year award. Here they are pictured with Loki Manise, the HOD for Students Affairs (middle) as well as their team manager and coaches.

A second-year Agriculture student, Robert, who has completed in the Olympics as well as other international student events, says self-discipline and the will to practice is his secret to sporting success.

Robert has his sights set on competing in the World Championships in Beijing next year and says he is already working towards that.

CONGRATULATIONS: Marli Visagie and Roche Naude scooped merit awards in the national squad selection category. The duo are members of the CPUT women’s 7’s Rugby Team. Here they are pictured with representatives from Nedbank and HG Travelling Services, who were sponsors of some of the prizes.

Other top achievers included the Hockey Club, who was awarded the Club of the Year award and the male Chess Team, who walked off with the Team of the Year award.

Acting Dean of Students, Advocate Lionel Harper, commended students for their sporting achievements.

Harper says sports offers students the opportunity to develop outside of the classroom and says CPUT is committed to extending and broadening sporting opportunities at the university.

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

Chad Smitsdorff and Bonga Kalipa’s natural talent for basketball is paying off.

These CPUT students have secured a coveted spot on the South African Student Team and recently competed in the Confederation of Universities and Colleges Sports Association (CUCSA) Games in Zambia.

Their excellent performance during the USSA 2014 Basketball National Championships in July earned them the title of Allstars, a recognition bestowed on the top five players of the tournament.

A first-year IT student, Chad has been playing basketball since the age of nine and at the start of this year moved from the Mitchell’s Plain-based Gladiator Club to CPUT Cats.

“I’ve grown so much in this team,” he says.

“I’m getting exposure, learning new techniques and improving my game.”

But Chad, who plays the position of point guard, attributes his success to his team, who earlier this year won the Western Cape basketball league.

“The team spirit is great, so you are motivated to win all the time,” says Chad.

And Bonga, a second-year Mechanical Engineering student agrees.

“The CPUT Cats team is like a family. We work well together,” he says.

Bonga joined the team in 2013 and has moved up the ranks to the position of shooting guard.

“I am very excited about this opportunity,” he says.

Assistant coach, Matome Mokoena, says he is proud of the players’ achievement.

“This is exciting because two players out of a squad of 12 are from CPUT. Other universities don’t even have a player in the national team. This puts CPUT on the map,” says Mokoena.

Written by Candes Keating
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.