ED’S LETTER

Celebrating sport, community and excellence

These are tough times for all of us — as sportspeople, fans and citizens of the world. But they are also exciting times; this issue is a celebration of that.

It’s every sportsperson’s dream to represent their country in the Olympic Games but only a select few will ever get to realise that dream. This year, no less than four members of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) community were among them, as players, officials and medical staff at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

And, as we celebrate Women’s Month, it is heartwarming to note that two of those were women: Kayla Richards, who served as a physiotherapist for Team South Africa (page 30), and Genevieve Lentz, who was a table tennis referee (page 14).

Members of our University community have always risen to challenges, writing their names in the history books. And Lentz did it in style as she became the first woman from the entire African continent to referee table tennis at the Olympic Games. UWC has a legacy of producing a fair share of top-performing players and it was inspiring to see current student Ryan Julius and alumnus Kurt-Lee Arendse battling it out for the hockey and 7s rugby teams, respectively. Arendse, who signed for Blue Bulls last year, has been one of UWC’s proudest torchbearers (page 32).

It is not just about personal achievements, though. UWC prides itself on inculcating a strong sense of community engagement among its students, and top sportswomen Babalwa Latsha and Thembi Kgatlana’s involvement in the sourcing and distribution of sanitary pads to needy young girls around the country attests to that (page 16).

Last but not least, in this blockbuster issue, we have highlighted the ever-growing number of athletes who have received national call-ups or made it to the professional level. On pages 38 and 42, we spotlight cricketers Lizaad Williams and Zane Webster, while gymnast Warren Lucas, and rugby stars Brandon De Kock and Tino Mavesere provide us with a look inside their worlds on pages 40, 34 and 36, respectively. And the list of inspiring and successful UWC athletes go on...

All these achievements didn’t come by chance. Every member of the University community has had a part to play, by providing an enabling environment like the High Performance Centre (page 48), through mentoring and coaching, or simply by direct or indirect support.

We may not all make it to the podium but we can all share in the celebrations.

Happy reading!

Myolisi Gophe Editor PUBLISHER University of the Western Cape Institutional Advancement PRODUCTION Chimera Ceative

INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT DIRECTOR Professor Anesh Maniraj Singh • UWC SPORT DIRECTOR Mandla Gagayi • EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Gasant Abarder • EDITOR Myolisi Gophe • COMMISSIONING & MANAGING EDITOR Nashira Davids • ART DIRECTOR Michel van Rijmenant • COPY EDITOR Zainab Slemang van Rijmenant • CONTRIBUTORS ASEM Engage/ Varsity Sports, Robin Adams, Zaahier Adams, Fatima Ahmed, Buntu Gotywa, Peter Herring, Lyndon Julius, Aphiwe Kani, Dumisani Koyana, Je’nine May, Thulani Mkosi, Lynne RippenaarMoses, Skhu Nkomphela, Melissa Siegelaar, UWC Media

No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission. While every care is taken to ensure accuracy in preparing the content, both the publisher and UWC assume no responsibility for mistakes or effects arising therefrom. The publisher has made every effort to arrange copyright in accordance with existing legislation.