OOn October 3, the Free State will put the next generation of sporting talent in the spotlight at the highly anticipated Free State Sport Stars awards ceremony and accompanying gala event, held at the Monte Bello Estate in Bloemfontein.
Presented by the University of the Free State (UFS) and Central24, it honours the exceptional achievements of young sports stars across a range of disciplines. The province is renowned as a breeding ground for talent and this year’s gala will not only recognise individual achievements but also celebrate some of the best school teams in South Africa.
The following outstanding young athletes are honored for their impressive achievements:
Tennis
- Donna le Roux (Meisieskool Oranje): gold medal in doubles at the national championships, silver medal in singles at the national championships, part of the South African team for the African Junior Championships, selected for the Grand Slam Development Fund to participate in four ITF tournaments, chosen for the South African schools team; and
- Lian du Toit (Grey College): selected for the South African school team.
Swimming
- Aiden Nel (Grey College): first in the South African 400m individual medley, second in the South African 1500m freestyle, third in the South African 800m freestyle and 15th in the Africa Aquatics Junior Swimming and Open Water Championship, member of the South African swimming team and won two silver medals.
Table tennis
- Refilwe Phoofolo (Boaremelo Combined High School): selected for the national team (June 2024), selected for the African national youth team (June 2024), competed in the African Youth Championships in Botswana (July 2024), competed in the South African junior competitions (March 2024) and provincial junior champion (2024).
Netball
- Mariaan Louw (Meisieskool Oranje): included in the South African U17 team for matches against Namibia.
Karate
- Khitsane Bohlokwa (Harriston High School): Gold medal at the African Southern Region (junior, up to 68kg), selected for the Protea team for the African Championships in Tunisia (September 2024), Gold medal at the JKA Nationals;
- Josh Bezuidenhout (Bethlehem Voortrekker High School): gold medal at the African Region South (junior, over 76 kg);
- Johanco Greyvenstein (Sentraal High School): selected for the South African Karate Team (2023 and 2024), number 1 in Junior Kumite, over 76 kg, silver medal at AUSC Region South (2024), gold medal at the WSKF World Championships (Tokyo, Japan);
- Bridget Otto (Eunice High School): World Champion in Youth Ladies Kumite, silver medal in kata at World Championships, bronze medal in team Kumite Senior Women’s (21 to 35 years), represented South Africa at World Championships in China (September 2024); and
- Katlego Nlapo (Eunice High School): bronze medal in team Kumite Senior Women’s, bronze medal in Junior kata (14 to 15 years), representing South Africa at the World Championships in China (September 2024).
Hockey
- Bianca Rees-Gibbs (Eunice High School): selected for the South African U18A schools hockey team;
- Georgia Kambanis (Eunice High School): selected for the South African U17A hockey team;
- Kirsten Booysen (Meisieskool Oranje): selected for the South African U16A team and the South African U17A women’s team that will participate in Malaysia (November 2024);
- Matthias Visser (Grey College): selected for the South African U17A hockey team; and
- Neilyantro van Schalkwyk (Grey College): selected for the South African U17A hockey team.
Basketball
- Bogolo Koikoi (Navalsig High School): Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Gold Medalist at the National School Sport Championships (2023). She will represent South Africa in the U17 women’s basketball team that will compete in the Zone 5 Africa Championships (Namibia 2025).
Athletics
- Bertie Cruywagen (Jim Fouché High School): competed at the U20 World Championships in Lima, Peru;
- Charne Wansbury (Meisieskool Oranje): represented South Africa at the U20 World Championships in Lima, Peru, as part of the relay team;
- Mathew Durrow (Fichardtpark High School): Won a gold medal at the ASA U20 Championships in the hammer throw;
- Judy Watson (Fichardtpark High School): won a gold medal at the South African Under-17 Schools Championships in the discus throw;
- Jurgen Nortje (Grey College): first place at the ASA U20 Championships in the 800m;
- Gerhard Bossert (Witteberg High School): 1st place at the ASA U20 Championships in the 2000 m steeple chase event;
- Anika Lötter (Trio High School): first place at the ASA U20 Championships in the pole vault;
- Danny Melaat (Jim Fouché High School): first place at the ASA U20 triple jump championships;
- Jane de Villiers (Witteberg High School): 1st place at the ASA U20 Championships in the 5000m race walking event;
- Carise van Rooyen (Bethlehem Voortrekker High School): a silver medal at the ASA U20 Championships in the 800m event, second in the 800m category in South Africa; and
- Cara Smith (Meisieskool Oranje): U20 heptathlon athlete, second place in South Africa.
Rugby
- Pieter van der Merwe, Ethan Adams, AJ Meyer, Alzeadon Felix and Cecil Parsons (all from Grey College) were all selected for the South African schools rugby team.
Other sports codes
- Leibrandt Swart (Bethlehem Voortrekker High School): participated in the World Shooting Championships in the Czech Republic;
- Caylin Majiedt (Eunice High School): South African junior kickboxing champion under 70 kg and bronze medalist at the World Junior Kickboxing Championships in Budapest, Hungary;
- Roechelle van der Merwe (Jim Fouché High School): Gold medalist at the Asian Pacific African Powerlifting and Benchpress Championships, setting a new South African record;
- Leanri Fourie (Meisieskool Oranje): awarded the FEI medal at SANESA Equestrian Sport; And
- WJ Kruger and Simoné Pretorius (Bethlehem Voortrekker High School): selected for the Protea team in biathlon.
Special recognition
- The first tennis team of Meisieskool Oranje: nominated as number one in the South African rankings.
The Free State Sport Stars gala event promises to be an inspiring evening celebrating the dedication of young athletes who are the future of South African sport..
We live in a world where facts and fiction are intertwined
Who we trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of dedicated South Africans who rely on News24 every day to bring them news they can trust. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Aimée Barlow
www.news24.com