In 2011, Pistorius became the first amputee to win a non-disabled World Championship track medal, as a member of the South African silver medal winning 4 x 400 metres relay team, in Daegu, South Korea.

His desire to bridge the gap between disabled and non-disabled sport became reality in Daegu. Now his goal is to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games here.

“This is just a great privilege to be nominated, it is really humbling to be here,” an elated Pistorius said after receiving the Laureus Statuette from Spanish actress Elsa Pataky and skateboard legend Tony Hawk in the globally televised Awards Ceremony.

“To all the Laureus Academy Members, all you guys and icons who a lot of us still competing look up to, thank you very much,”

The Laureus World Sports Awards are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The winners are chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 47 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time.

Laureus Academy Member Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London Olympic Games Organising Committee, said: “I only realised the impact that Oscar has made on Olympic and Paralympic sport when I witnessed him in Trafalgar Square during the course of the summer.

“We celebrated International Paralympic Day in London and when Oscar gave his demonstration on a 60 metre stretch of tartan in front of the National Gallery, there were kids of all ages lining up wanting his autograph, pressing their noses to the barriers to get a glimpse of him.

“I suddenly realised this is a guy that really has made a massive impact in international sport. I think what Oscar has done is to really make us challenge our own orthodoxies, our own views about disability.”

And Laureus Chairman Edwin Moses said: “Oscar is a remarkable human being. One of the most impressive people I have ever met. When you think of the challenges he has faced in his life and overcome and gone on to break new ground, you can only be impressed.

“And he is now also a Laureus Ambassador and has shown his determination to support the cause of sport for good. I congratulate him on this well-deserved award.”

Pistorius, aged 25, was born with a congenital absence of the fibula and his legs were amputated below the knee when he was 11-months-old. He runs with the aid of carbon fibre blades.

With his 400 metres time of 45.07 seconds in July, he achieved the qualifying standard for the World Championships and was selected for the South Africa team.

He took part in the individual 400 metres in Daegu and reached the semi-finals before being eliminated after running a time of 46.19 seconds. In the relay, he took part in the heats, which secured his silver medal, although he was not chosen for the final.

The awards were announced in seven categories.

The full list of winners:

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: Novak Djokovic
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year: Vivian Cheruiyot
Laureus World Team of the Year: FC Barcelona
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year: Rory McIlroy
Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Darren Clarke
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Oscar Pistorius
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Kelly Slater

There were two additional Awards: The Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to England football legend Bobby Charlton, while Raí Souza Vieira de Oliveira, the former Brazilian footballer, now social justice campaigner, won the Laureus Sport for Good Award.

The historic coaching framework conference came to a close on Sunday afternoon, but SASCOC president Gideon Sam and Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula believe the weekend’s programme will be a start of a revolution in South African sport.

Day three saw a fitting finish to this breakthrough development venture. UK consultant Christina Dennis introduced her theory of a strong and positive mindset, Dr Frank Dick (OBE) summed up the importance of the overall initiative and other foreign advisors Pat Duffy and Istvan Balyi also gave their final input.

Several national coaches and managers shared their 2012 Olympic qualifying plans and preparation leading into the London Games. SA Rowing are hopeful of two medals, SA boxing believe three are mandate while SA Swimming confirmed they’ll only take a team of athletes who have a chance of achieving podium finishes. The sporting federation leaders and coaches in the audience were also given the opportunity to ask questions before returning home to implement the coaching framework principles.

SASCOC CEO Tubby Reddy closed official proceedings by stating that the coaching framework can only be successful with the help of all the respective federations. He then read the declaration, which was signed by everyone at the conference, before awarding certificates to the project partners, sponsors, consultants and workmen.

Sam and Mbalula then urged all those in attendance to make this initiative a success, which would strengthen South African sport.

‘I’m confident that this is what South African sport has been looking for. As we heard from Pat Duffy, this is ground-breaking project which has not been done in the world before. Go out there and use this tool,’ said Sam, who also confirmed that there will be another coaching framework conference in November next year and encouraged more coaches to attend. ‘Next year we expect a bigger venue, for you are going to form the backbone of South African sport.’

Mbalula closed the event by saying: ‘Tomorrow is the start of the Sports Indaba. We don’t want anymore theories. As a nation we must move together. What we do today will determine our sports industry.

‘We need to take our sport to another level. I am confident that in the next 20 years, South Africa will never be the same. We need to have more action, less talk. From Sports and Recreation South Africa, I thank you all for being here and showing your initiative to take South african sport further.’

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula signs declaration

SASCOC, together with Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula and his department, launched the coaching framework initiative which is set to revolutionise South African sport.

The coaching framework plan is a development scheme that is set to strengthen our sport programmes by educating and training coaches and setting the correct structures in place to ensure that South African coaching improves over the next several years. In turn, our athletes will receive world-class mentorship at all levels while sport officials and admin departments will benefit too.

This initiative was launched in Boksburg, Johannesburg on Friday, where all sport federation’s top coaches and leaders are present for a weekend workshop. The coaching framework programme is hosted by SASCOC, its coaches commission and consultants (Dr Frank Dick, Patrick Duffy, Istvan Balyi and Christina Dennis), and the department of Sports and Recreation.

‘Our athletes have a quest, and that is to be the best in the world,’ said SASCOC president Gideon Sam at the opening ceremony. ‘Coaches have to play their part in providing them with the necessary assistance. We need to be able to point at any region and trust that all the athletes are receiving the best coaching. In order to make that happen, we need to buy into this coaching framework.

‘[Planning Minister] Trevor Manuel has plans for 2030, and South African sport should too. When everybody leaves here [Boksburg] on Sunday, the initiative will start its progress all over the country. We have the ball, we just need to run it.’

Sam and Mbalula officially signed the coaching framework document on Friday night, which is noted as a historic moment in South African sport. The gala event was also attended by the likes of Deputy Minister of Sport Gert Oosthuizen, IOC executive member Dr Sam Ramsamy, Executive Mayor of Ekurhuleni Councillor Mondli Gungubele, Springbok head coach Peter de Villiers, PSL chairman Dr Irvin Khoza and SASCOC CEO Tubby Reddy.

‘We head into the 2011 Sports Indaba on Monday with this coaching framework as the main topic,’ said Mbalula. ’2011 has been an eventful year and we want to walk into next year positively and rejuvenated. We believe this coaching framework is the way forward as it will create an effect sport system, especially at school level. Racism and gender racism is a big problem that is overlooked, and this can also be resolved with this coaching intervention.

‘We strive for optimal performance and want to be successful in international competitions. This is the process needed to achieve that.’

The pictures were exhibited in the Auckland City hall during the recent World Cup and more than 6 000 people visited the exhibition called “UNION: The Heart of Rugby.

The picture of a Karoo policeman throwing the ball into a line out during a club game at De Rust near Oudtshoorn was also one of six pictures which appeared in Oosthuizen’s collector’s item book, Portrait of RUGBY which was published earlier this year.

“It is a great honour for me and the picture was published on the back page of the New Zealand Herald this week together with Ross Land’s winning picture of Richie McCaw bleeding after a game against the Springboks,” said Oosthuizen.

Ooosthuizen is an acclaimed sports photographer and has covered numerous major sporting events such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World Games and All Africa Games.

The awards were held in partnership with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the Sowetan newspaper. The Jack Cheetham Memorial Award went to the Johannesburg Gymnastics Centre and the Cape Town-based Chaeli Sports & Recreation Club has won the Letsema Award.

The winners of the awards each receive prize money of R500 000, payable over five years. The runner up of the Jack Cheetham award receives R150 000 over three years and the second runner up receives R75 000 over three years. These awards are funded by the Letsema Sizwe Broad-Based Community Trust, part of the broad-based BEE shareholder structure established by Murray & Roberts in 2005.

Commenting on the winners, Murray & Roberts CE Henry Laas said: “The recipients of both prizes are using sport as a vehicle to transform the lives of many young people in their communities. As has been the case with the previous winners of these two awards, we believe that with additional resources they will have an even greater positive impact in future.”

The Jack Cheetham Memorial Award was initiated by Murray & Roberts 30 years ago in recognition of the special qualities of Jack Cheetham, a former director of the company and the inspirational captain of the South African cricket team in the 1950s who was able to instil in young people the belief that they could win. The award targets sports development projects, focusing on individuals or teams that have the potential to be champions.

The Murray & Roberts Letsema Award was initiated in 2009 following the outstanding performance of athlete Hilton Langenhoven who captured the attention of the world at the 2008 Paralympics in Athens. The award recognises sports development projects for people with disabilities

The Johannesburg Gymnastics Centre (JGC) is a Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Club that teaches gymnasts from Beginner to Olympic level. An affiliate of the South African Gymnastics Federation (SAGF), the centre has approximately 100 members, 50% of whom are from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. The centre has developed an exceptional track record, outperforming other clubs in novice competitions this year and representing the majority of gymnasts in the team that attended the 2011 World Championships in Japan.

Six of the centre’s gymnasts were ranked in the top three in the South African 2011 Junior and Senior Olympic trials and 30 have been selected for a prestigious squad that is preparing for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics. Testimony to this excellence is the fact that many gymnasts in South Africa’s national team train under the watchful eyes of the JGC’s coaches: former Protea gymnast and club owner, Ilse Laing (who is one of only three FIG Brevet coaches in South Africa), South African Gymnastics Federation Vice President Shirley Watson and Glen Hlongwane.

With limited funding, the centre uses sport as a vehicle to transform the lives of children in need. It has a volunteer based feeding scheme for children who do not receive adequate nutrition at home and offers life skills and emotional support to those who face significant social challenges. Children with special needs are welcomed at the facility under the guidance of the club’s occupational therapist, while a capacity building programme is currently training three coaches from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, all of whom have been earmarked to represent South Africa as coaches in major international events.
Chaeli Sports & Recreation Club

The Chaeli Campaign was founded in 2004 by teenager, Chaeli Mycroft, along with her sister and family friends as a means of raising funds for a motorised wheelchair for Chaeli who has cerebral palsy. After raising R20 000 in just seven weeks, Chaeli and her team realised that this presented a valuable opportunity to help other South African children with disabilities.

Seven years later, the Chaeli Campaign has grown into a highly effective non-profit organisation that offers nine programmes in support of children with disabilities and reaches approximately 3 000 direct beneficiaries. The original founders have been entrenched as the founding committee and are supported by a team of adult managers led by Chaeli’s mother, Zelda Mycroft.

The Chaeli Sports & Recreation Club, one of the campaign’s programmes, promotes the inclusion of people with disabilities in sport and recreational activities. The club’s main activities are ballroom and Latin American wheelchair dancing and dancing for the intellectually impaired, and the club has been a pioneer of dance sport for the disabled, introducing the first dedicated dance school for the disabled nationally under the FEDANSA banner. Disabled and able-bodied club members are also active participants in a range of other sporting codes including athletics, hand cycling, ten pin bowling, karate and boccia.

The Chaeli Campaign operates in an inclusive environment in which people with disabilities have the opportunity to learn, grow skills and excel, while engaging with broader society, to the benefit of all.

“It’s a massive privilege,” said Coetzee, who won for a record fourth time. “It’s always nice to get recognition because playing an amateur sport you very seldom do.”

Coetzee, who was also a finalist for Sportswoman of the Year at the recent South African Sports Awards, said it was difficult to accept acknowledgement on an individual basis. “I play a team sport and my success is very reliant on what the team does.”

The two-time Olympian, who is currently studying towards her second degree at the institution, also received an honorary award for breaking the world record for the most international goals scored – 225 in 227 tests.

According to the university’s acting vice-chancellor Professor Henk Kriek, the 33-year-old emergency medical care student’s feat was made even more remarkable by the fact that it had been achieved after a five-year hiatus from the sport.

“Pietie is without doubt one of the finest sportspeople to have been produced not only by the University of Johannesburg, but by South Africa.”

Moss, a five-time nominee, said he was surprised when his name was announced, but glad to be acknowledged for a very consistent spell.

“Being honoured as UJ’s Sportsman of the Year is a highlight for me,” said Moss, who was also named Karate South Africa’s Sportsman of the Year over the weekend.

This year, the second dan black belt has earned a fistful of national titles at the all styles, trials and goju championships. In addition, he was crowned the University Sport South Africa (Ussa) champion while leading UJ to a seventh consecutive overall victory.

In July, Moss became the first South African to take three Commonwealth titles in a row. He followed this up with a third place in his first outing at the All Africa Games in September.

At UJ’s Sports Awards, the third-year sports psychology student also received a bronze award in the Student-Athlete of the Year category for maintaining a strong academic record in conjunction with a solid sporting performance. “I think it all comes down to time management,” said Moss, who is also in the midst of his second degree. “When I travel, I ensure that I make time to study and finish assignments.”

The 24-year-old said his next goal was to become the World Karate Federation’s world champion. The only other South African to have achieved this is Sandra Louw, who won the women’s title in 1994.

In his spare time, Moss coaches upcoming athletes and has to date produced six junior national team members.

He attributed his success to a passion for the sport, while Coetzee said it was all about enjoyment.

The awards were made at the Durban City Hall by the Gandhi Development Trust.

A prominent anti-apartheid activist, Ramsamy’s award was to honour the role he played in furthering the cause of the oppressed people of South Africa as well as in upholding the principles of social justice and human rights.

This sports enthusiast and former Physical and Health Education lecturer was a member of the Committee responsible for the inaugural of Dr. Nelson Mandela as the first democratically elected President of South Africa. Ramsamy has also worked for the United Nations on consultant basis.

The Mahatma Gandhi International Award (s) for Peace and Reconciliation honour Mahatma Gandhi who began his socio-political life in South Africa and struggled ceaselessly for justice and for peace and reconciliation. The award was created in 2003 to mark the centenary of a newspaper, Indian Opinion, and published in South Africa by Mahatma Gandhi

Other recipients include Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, former Natal Indian Congress President Rabbi Bugwandeen, activists for religious reconciliation Saydoonisa Sayeed and Paddy Meskin, former political activists Ma Getrude Shope and Maniben Sita.

Mokoka was national 10,000-metre and half-marathon champion and also won a silver medal in the 1500m at the national track and field championships. He competed with distinction both nationally and internationally.

He won a silver medal in the 10,000m at World Student Games in Shenzhen, China and ended 15th at the IAAF World Cross-country championships in Spain, the highest position by a South African in 14 years.

For her part, Marais represented South Africa in the Four Continents Championships in Taiwan in February where she placed 15th, achieving her personal best score. She also represented her country in Romania in November last year where she skated to a seventh spot.

She won the Cape interprovincial championships and was also a finalist in the Gauteng Sportswoman of the Year competition.

Other awards presented were:

Administrator/official of the Year: Chaka Croupcamp, Best student administrator of the Year: Mninawa Ndaku (netball), Best sport student administrator of the Year: Glory Phaahla (athletics), Coach of the Year: Greg Hesom (hockey), Technical of the Year: Peter Wright (umpire, referee, umpires coach/manager, tournament director, tournament official), Differently abled sportsperson of the Year: Asandla Bidla (athletics/cricket), Most versatile sportsman of the Year: Roedi Niemand (ringball/athletics), Club of the Year: Athletics, Junior club of the Year: Netball

The 28-year-old, recently named vice-captain of the national one-day and Twenty20 teams, was recognised ahead of four other nominees for the Sports Star of the Year accolade – Masters golf champion Charl Schwartzel, swimming world record holder Cameron van der Burgh, Springbok sevens flyhalf Cecil Afrika and leading Banyana Banyana goal scorer Noko Matlou, reports Sapa.

Amla, the world’s top-ranked ODI batsman, made 1 848 runs in limited overs internationals during the voting period, at an average of 63.72, and scored 1 437 Test runs at an average of 65.31, including a career best unbeaten 253 against India in Nagpur in February 2010.

Van der Burgh, meanwhile, beat out Schwartzel, Amla and Afrika to win the Sportsman of the Year accolade. The 23-year-old breaststroke specialist, who holds the 50 metre and 100m short course world records, and the 50m long course global mark, picked up medals in both his specialty events at the 2009 World Swimming Championships, the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2010 World Short Course Championships.

Matlou, a former African Women’s Player of the Year, steered South Africa to the bronze medal at the African Women’s Championships last year to bag the Sportswoman of the Year award ahead of fellow nominees Pietie Coetzee, the leading goal scorer in women’s international hockey, and Sunette Viljoen, the African javelin throw record holder.

Former world No 1 golfer Ernie Els, 2011 Fifa World Cup organising committee CEO Danny Jordaan, Premier Soccer League chairman Irvin Khoza, former SA Football Association president Molefi Oliphant and fifth dan karateka Peter Thage received Steve Tshwete lifetime achievement awards.

Els, who was unable to collect his award, gave credit in a recorded message to sports personalities that had played positive roles in South Africa since the return from isolation in 1991, including the Springbok rugby team, the Proteas cricket squad and a handful of his fellow golfers. “Sport in South Africa has reunited the country in many ways over a long period of time,” Els said.

The Bulls, who won the 2009 Super Rugby and Currie Cup competitions, and defended their Super Rugby title in 2010, were named Team of the Year, and Bulls mentor Frans Ludeke scooped the Coach of the Year accolade.

Swimming sensation Chad le Clos, the 200m butterfly short course world champion, was recognised as the Newcomer of the Year.

Wheelchair tennis players Lucas Sithole and Kgothatso Montjane were respectively named Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability.

The Paralympic swimmer won the award for a second time in 2008, when it was last held.

Matlou, a student at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), will go head to head with US Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, Olympic swimmer Cameron van der Burgh, Protea batsman Hashim Amla and Springbok Sevens star Cecil Afrika. The 2011 winner will be decided by public vote and announced at a gala event at Sun City on August 21.

“I’m honoured and grateful to be a nominee alongside people like Hashim Amla,” said Matlou, a former Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s Player of the Year.

The Limpopo-born forward played a pivotal role in seeing South Africa to the final of the recent Cosafa Women’s Championship. She was also instrumental in helping Banyana secure the bronze medal at last year’s African Women’s Championship.

The 25-year-old has netted 48 goals in 61 matches for the national team and she said her next goal was to help her team qualify for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Executive director of UJ Sport, Professor Wim Hollander, said Matlou’s nomination was well deserved and a result of her dedication to both her sporting and academic careers. “Noko is an example to sportsmen and women in this country. She has taken every opportunity she has received and continues to take nothing for granted.”

He said the transport management student remained extremely humble despite her sporting prowess. “In my view, it is because of these attributes that Noku has achieved on the sports field, in the lecture hall and in life.”

Matlou has also been nominated – along with fellow UJ student and national hockey player Pietie Coetzee and javelin thrower Sunette Viljoen – in the Sportswoman of the Year category.

Coetzee made headlines in June against the United States when she broke the world record for the most international test match goals. The previous record of 220, held by Russia’s Natella Krasnikova, stood for 20 years. Known for her devastating drag-flick, Coetzee’s tally now stands at 225 in 227 tests. The 32-year-old’s feat is made even more impressive by the fact that she only returned to international hockey last year after a five-year hiatus.

Another of the university’s hockey achievers, Silver Malele, is being recognised in the Sports Volunteer category for his coaching work with the Diepsloot-based Silver Stars. He has been nominated beside korfballer Christiaan Thyse and angler Pieter Visagie.

The tertiary institution also has three disabled nominees in Lucas Sithole, Samkelo Radebe and Kgothatso Montjane.

Sithole, the country’s top-ranked quadriplegic tennis player, and Radebe, a double-arm amputee and SA record-holder in the T45 100m and 200m sprints, are up against visually impaired athlete Hilton Langenhoven for the title of Sportsman of the Year with a Disability. In the women’s section, number one wheelchair-tennis player Montjane faces off against swimmers Du Toit and Emily Gray.

Hollander said for these student-athletes to be recognised while balancing academic and sporting careers speaks volumes about their character.