Sandile “Cyril” Mqadi of Surfing South Africa wins SA Sports Award as Volunteer of the Year

Sandile “Cyril” Mqadi of Surfing South Africa wins SA Sports Award as Volunteer of the Year

Johannesburg Sunday November 30th, 2014- Surfing South Africa’s Sandile “Cyril” Mqadi was named as the Volunteer of the Year at the 2014 SA Sports Awards which was held at the Sandton Convention Centre on Sunday November 20th.

Mqadi, who works with former street children at Umthombo, began his involvement in surfing in Umzumbe on the KZN South Coast back in 1994. He is an internationally accredited judge who has worked on major national and international events both in South Africa and abroad. He is also an internationally accredited surfing coach and has helped numerous young surfers from Umzumbe and Durban to become better competitors but it is his commitment to coaching disadvantaged children at Addington Beach in Durban which earned him the nomination and the win.

Surfers not Street Children, represented by Tom Hewitt MBE, was one of three groups nominated in the category Recreation Body of the Year but unfortunately lost out to the Sport for Social Change Network.

Surfers not Street Children work with a group of eight former street children who have overcome their struggles on the streets of Durban through surfing. These surfers are now ambassadors for the project which has not only allowed them to become accomplished surfers but has also seen many of them securing gainful employment. One of these surfers is Ntando Msibi who represented South Africa in Ecuador as a member of the South African Junior Team earlier this year. Msibi was named KZN Surfer of the Year on Saturday November 29th.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Sport and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, said his message had been consistently that he wanted to see winners.

“I have never made an excuse for mediocrity. I will never shy away from pulling an extravaganza to celebrate those who emulate the winning spirit of South Africa. And today we have pulled out all the stops to do just that.”

Portia Modise, scorer of 100 goals for Banyana Banyana,was voted as the SA Sports Star of the Year by the public, while Chad le Clos and Ashleigh Moolman Pasio were crowned Sportsman of the Year and Sportswoman of the Year, respectively.

Paracyclist Ernst van Dyk was named Sportsman of the Year with a Disability, while the Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability went to Justine Asher.

The Team of the Year Award went to the Under 19 South African Cricket Team which won the U19 World Championships while the Coach of the Year is Shakes Mashaba who has in the space of just a few months reenergised Bafana Bafana.

Nokuzola Patience Thamae of Free State Cricket was named Administrator of the Year while Triathlon South Africa earned the SA Sports Award as Federation of the Year.

The full list of 2014 SA Sport Awards winners were:

Gold

* Administrator of the Year – Nokuzola Patience Thamae

* Sportsman of the Year – Chad Le Clos

* Sportsman of the Year with Disability – Ernst Francois Van Dyk

* Sportswoman of the Year – Ashleigh Moolman Pasio

* Sportswoman of the Year with Disability – Justin Asher

* Team of the Year – U/19 Cricket

* Newcomer of the Year – Gezelle Magermann

* Coach of the Year – Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba

* Volunteer of the Year – Sandile Mqadi

* Indigenous Games of the Year – Ncuva Limpopo

* Recreation Body of the Year – Sport for Social Change Network

* Photographer of the Year – Reg Caldecott

* Journalist of the Year – Mathews Mpete

* School Team of the Year – Vorentoe High School

* Developing School Team of the Year – Oudtshoorn School of Skills

* Federation of the Year – Triathlon South Africa

Silver

* Lifetime Achievement Award – Andrew Mlangeni

* Lifetime Achievement Award – Senzo Meyiwa

* Lifetime Achievement Award – Marthinus Linee

* Lifetime Achievement Award – Mbulaeni Mulaudzi

* Lifetime Achievement Award – Phindile Mwelase