Proteas paceman Kagiso Rabada is up for two awards at the 2016 South African Sports Awards.
Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula announced the nominees on Monday morning, with Rabada up for more accolades after having won no less than a record six awards at the CSA Awards evening back in July.
The fact that Rabada has been named alongside Olympic champion and world record-holder Wayde van Niekerk and fellow Olympic gold medallist Caster Semenya as a nominee for the Sport Star of the Year just goes to show the extent to which he has set the country alight.
His rapport with the fans is also plain to see, as he was nominated for the People’s Choice Award, alongside Chad le Clos, Seabelo Senatla and the two Olympic champions. The public can vote for this category by SMS.
Twenty-one-year-old Rabada, who has a huge summer ahead of him in Australia and then at home to Sri Lanka, has been nothing short of remarkable since he made his international bow, and amongst all the records he’s broken so far, his most impressive this year was becoming the youngest to take a 10-wicket haul in Tests, when he took 13-144 in their fourth-Test victory against England in January.
The annual awards, which honour sporting royalty, will take place on 27 November 2016, at the Sand Du Plessis Theatre in Mangaung, in the Free State.
The nominees for the 2016 Sports Awards are:
Sport Star of the Year
Wayde Van Niekerk
Caster Semenya
Kagiso Rabada
Sportswoman of the Year
Jenna Ward
Caster Semenya
Phumza Maweni
Sportsman of the Year
Wayde Van Niekerk
Hank Mc Gregor
Chad Le Clos
People’s Choice Award
Chad Le Clos
Wayde Van Niekerk
Caster Semenya
Kagiso Rabada
Seabelo Senatla
Team of the Year
Rowing mens Coxless
Mamelodi Sundowns
Springboks
Coach of the Year
Pitso Mosimane
Anna Botha
Jean Verster
Suzanne Ferreira
Newcomer of the Year Award
Henri Schoeman
Brad Binder
Ntando Mahlangu
Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability
Zanele Situ
Anrune Liebenberg
Ilse Hayes
Sportsman of the Year with Disability
Charl Du Toit
Dyan Buis
Reinhardt Hamman
Volunteer of the Year
Kim Pople
Carol Blignaut
Charles Villet
Photographer of the Year
Sydney Mahlangu
Christian Kotze
Reg Caldecott
Journalist of the Year
David van der Sandt
Thabiso Sithole
Kwena Moabelo
School Team of the Year
St Benedict”s – Rowing
La Roche Girls School – Athletics
Paarl Boys High School – Rugby
Recreation Body of the Year
Egoli Squash
Fight with Insight
Unogwaja
Indigenous Games Team of the Year
Limpopo Ilncuva
North West Khokho
KZN Kgatli Team
Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/Backpage Pix
