The growth of martial arts on the campus in Mahikeng had many an aficionado of combat sports raving. Jiu-Jitsu master and Sportsman of the Year Moses Radebe led the charge with the karate team winning one gold, five silver and 12 bronze medals at the annual USSA tournament.

 

In addition, Karabo Motlhabane, Xolani Tlhomedi and Onalenna Ndlangisa received call-ups to the national karate squad and four other athletes made the Taekwando national development team.

 

Raking in the medals

 

Let’s not forget the sweet science that is boxing. Moote Lemogang was named Sportswoman of the Year and earned national boxing colours.  The boxing club also claimed three gold, one silver and three bronze medals during the USSA tournament.

 

The netball team was named the Sports Team of the Year and karate won the Sports Individual Team of the Year award. And still the accolades keep coming.

 

“We are a campus that specialises in soccer and by finishing third in the USSA championships we qualified to compete in the Varsity Football tournament. Although we didn’t make the play-offs, I feel that we have a team that could complete in the finals,” says Rick van Rooyen, sport manager on the campus in Mahikeng.

 

“I think that we are doing a very good job across all codes and we will continue to grow next year. Look at our netball team. Just recently they were playing in the C section and now they are playing in the B section,” Rick says.

 

Reasons to celebrate

 

The campus in Vanderbijlpark also had many reasons to celebrate. Both its male and female soccer teams are Section B USSA football champions, while the first and second netball teams finished second in their West Rand leagues.

 

Basketball has shown tremendous growth on the campus, as has bodybuilding. Tsholofelo Chabalala was the overall USSA bodybuilding winner, while Dorcas Cassie Billa was named the Best Female Poser and Teboho Malebana the Best Male Poser. The ladies were the overall winners with the men finishing overall second.

 

“2017 was once again a great year for sport at the campus in Vanderbijlpark.  As a campus we have proven that we are extremely competitive and are able to produce consistent regional and national results.  The number of students of staff selected for teams on regional and national level is a clear indication that we are on the correct path,” says Sean Mccallaghan, dean of students at the campus in Vanderbijlpark.

 

Best in the world

 

The campus in Potchefstroom possibly had the best cricket year in the history of the NWU. Conrad de Swardt’s team added to their Varsity Cricket crown by winning the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Final in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Both are monumental achievements resulting in the NWU being recognised as the best university cricket team in the world.

 

The campus’s netball team finished as runners up in the Varsity Netball tournament having won the competition in 2016. The hockey team finished third on the Varsity Hockey log and the athletics team second.

 

International superstar Caster Semenya was named Senior Sportswoman of the Year with Rantso Mokopane (middle distance) and Wihan Lubbe (cricket) sharing the accolade of Senior Sportsman of the Year.

 

 “The campus had an excellent sports year and I couldn’t be more proud of our teams. Our individual athletes once again shone on the global stage and our cricket team was superlative. Our netball team also deserves a lot of credit. They are consistently one of if not the best netball team in the country. I cannot wait to see what 2018 holds,” says Mervyn Taylor, acting director of sport at the campus in Potchefstroom.