SPORTS
AWARDS
HONOURING OUR SPORTING HEROES BY MYOLISI GOPHE
P
LAYING A SPORT AMID COVID-19 has been
a strain but many sportspeople at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) soldiered on and took full advantage of any respite from the COVID-19 pandemic to do what they love most – to play – with some enjoying outstanding results. UWC SPORT ADMINISTRATION hosted
the annual Sport Awards recently to recognise the outstanding achievements of the campus sportsmen and women in 2021. “This has been a very challenging year, but we are grateful that we were able to play sport,” said Mandla Gagayi, UWC’s Director of Sport.
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BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 8 2022
“We lost many friends and family members to the pandemic. Therefore, we must always be grateful that we are still here doing what we love.” Gagayi saluted the support services teams, including the drivers, medical support, security and facilities and sports administrators, for ensuring that sports events could take place. He gave a special thanks to the Risk and Compliance Division for all the advice and support received with COVID-19 protocols. “It is through their guidance that UWC was among the few universities to go back to playing sport in October 2020,” said Gagayi. He also thanked student athletes and coaches for their bravery in choosing to play sport against
opponents when they were sometimes unsure of their COVID-19 status. “We must make it our mission to ensure that we encourage our friends and families to vaccinate so that we can stop living in fear and we can go back to having our supporters come to the Operation Room (the UWC Sports Stadium),” said Gagayi. IN HIS KEYNOTE ADDRESS, UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tyrone Pretorius, noted that it had been wonderful seeing athletes return to the field of play this year after the restrictions of 2020 and, “even better, the many successes that they have had.” “What has made me more proud is seeing the enthusiasm with which
