Mams Sundowns shot stopper is Sport Personality of the year
Apart from manning the goals for Safa National Women’s League champions Sundowns, Dlamini is busy cementing her position as Banyana Banyana’s trusted goal-minder.
A Mamelodi Sundowns and Banyana Banyana’s shot-stopper Andile Dlamini is Sports personality of the year.
Among other strong women, Dlamini was honoured at the 11th edition of the Gauteng Sports Awards over the weekend.
The glamourous sports event was held at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Soshanguve campus this past Saturday.
In her first stint as a footballer, she played as a defender and at times as a striker until a former Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies team Coach Brian Dube (late) converted the tall Dlamini to a goalkeeping position.
Dlamini said her conversion from being an infield player to goalkeeper read like a fairy tale.
“Our regular keeper would arrive at training or matches late and Coach Brian suggested that I take over that position. The rest, as they say, is history,” she added.
Apart from manning the goals for Safa National Women’s League champions Sundowns, Dlamini is busy cementing her position as Banyana Banyana’s trusted goal-minder.
Saturday night saw many more women in sports awarded:
– Irma Reyneke who won Coach of the year,
– Michelle Joubert (hockey) was named Technical official of the year
– Nelly ‘MaNellys’ Kubayi was crowned Sports fan of the year
– Retha Ingenbleek won the online virtual sport and recreation programme of the year in athletics.
At the same time, Shihan Shabnum Mia received a lifetime achievement award for her stellar contribution to the sporting fraternity in martial arts.
Other big winners on the night were:
– Titans deaf cricket team for Sports team of the year with a disability,
– Aquatics Gauteng winning Federation of the year,
– Tshwane FM announced as Community media of the year and
– the night’s youngest award recipient was Caleb Levi Levitan, winning Amayanga Yanga young athlete of the year.
The departmental spokesperson Nomazwe Ntlokwana said it was not surprising for women to be the big winner on the night as 2023 was the year for women in sports.
This was the first time the awards ceremony was held in a township.
Ntlokwana said this was due to Premier Panyaza Lesufi wanting to make sure that the government grows the township economy and prioritises townships, informal settlements and hostels.
“The Gauteng Sports Awards intend to reward the province’s sports stars for their efforts in keeping the passion of sport alive. They aim to recognise and honour individuals and teams who have excelled both on and off the field.”
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