WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

MANDLA GAGAYI, DIRECTOR, UWC SPORT ADMINISTRATION

WE HAD A WONDERFUL CLOSURE IN 2022 with our rugby men’s sevens team winning the Varsity 7s, women’s football finishing second in the Hollywoodbets Super League, and most of the other teams retaining their top eight targets. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our former boss, Prof Dube, as she has taken up the Vice-Chancellor’s position at the Central University of Technology. We wish her all the best and she definitely knows that one can check out of Udubs but can never leave (once Udubs, always Udubs).

GETTING TO 2023, we welcome our new boss, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Student Development and Support, Prof Matete Madiba. I am confident that she will steer the SDS ship to greater heights. As for sport, I can safely say we are in good hands as she comes from an institution that fully appreciates and accepts the value of sport at institutions of higher learning.

WE ALSO WELCOME our new Sports Administrator, Ms Wendy Nomatse, a longstanding servant of student sport. Wendy is a product of UWC and has worked at UWC Sport as a student assistant since 2016. In the process, she obtained her master's degree in Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science. Wendy is true testimony of UWC Sport’s ‘grow your own timber’ approach and she will be managing cricket, supa-pool and table tennis.

WELCOME TO A NEW COHORT of coaches and student athletes. We are very excited and optimistic about the value that they will bring to UWC and UWC Sport. Our biggest appointment for 2023 is Coach Phumza Maweni, a Proteas Netball goalkeeper and a well-travelled athlete. She will bring a fresh dynamic to our netball, along with her new coaches, Vanessa Lingeveldt, Akhona Faye and Keesha van Schalkwyk. Akhona and Keesha are no strangers to UWC Netball as they both formed part of the generation that took UWC to Varsity Netball level, with Keesha as the team captain.

AS FOR THE MANY STUDENT ATHLETES who have graduated and left our fold, we cannot say goodbye because we still want them to remain part of UWC in their different capacities.

THE ONE QUESTION that I consistently ask my team is ‘why do we do what we do?’ I do not ask this question out of ignorance, but to remind the team of our mandate and commitment to UWC students and the sporting community at large. Our jobs are not about getting big scores on the field. They are about arming each student with tools that they can use to better their lives, whether as professional sportsmen and women, employees or business owners.

OUR BIGGEST SATISFACTION AND CELEBRATION come when we notice our graduates making a meaningful contribution to society. We run a very long race and sometimes results only show when some team members are no longer with us. Such is the nature of our ‘why’, which is only achievable through collaborations and partnerships. Therefore, I would like to thank all our internal collaborators from the SDS units, IA, faculties, support divisions and the university leadership. I also thank our contributors and supporters: Lily Ashton Foundation, Red Bull, Pro Events, Qina Holdings and Campus Lifestyle.

OUR BIGGEST SATISFACTION AND CELEBRATION COME WHEN WE NOTICE OUR GRADUATES MAKING A MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY.

WE WILL CONTINUE to seek and establish partnerships, regardless of the challenging economic climate, because we are fully aware of the financial realities facing institutions of higher learning. We appreciate that sport cannot only depend on university grants or student fees to thrive. Credible corporate partnerships are critical to ensure that we jointly contribute to making our country a better place through sport. Unlike many competitors, our achievements do not come easily because we have to deal with the challenge of a lack of sporting facilities. We have no hockey astroturf, netball, basketball, volleyball and boxing halls, but our teams still give their best to remain competitive and be counted among the top eight sporting universities in South Africa.

OUR TEAMS OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES because, like the UWC Sport staff, they are driven by the ‘why’. It is their ‘why’ that enables them to overcome challenges in their lives and go on to become responsible citizens.

2023 IS GOING TO BE A CHALLENGING YEAR for all at UWC. It will be the first time that some senior students attend contact lectures while also familiarising themselves with different campus facilities and services. This process needs to be managed with sensitivity to ensure that UWC remains a home for everyone. We will also be following the women’s World Cups in cricket, netball and football. Netball and football will be very special because some of our players and coaches are part of our national teams.

I WELCOME ALL THE FIRST-YEARS, new coaches and returning students to UWC Sport. May we make 2023 yet another memorable year.

I AM UWC