The North-West University’s (NWU) two Olympic superstars, Bradley Nkoana and Jo-Ané van Dyk, were back on the podium when they were presented with top sporting awards at NWU’s Potchefstroom Campus.

These two remarkable athletes are both the pride of the nation and the NWU after both bagged silver at the Olympic Games in Paris, France earlier this year. Jo-Ané won silver in the javelin at the Olympics, gold at the All-African Games in Ghana, gold at the African Championships in Cameroon and set a personal best of 64,22 m in the Olympic qualifying rounds.

Bradley also won silver as part of the men’s 4 x 100 m relay team. He also won bronze in the 100 m at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru. 

The duo was named Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year. Netball star Sanmarie Visser was named Junior Sportswoman of the Year, and the Team of the Year award went to the NWU Young Guns rugby team, who won the national Young Guns competition for the second year in a row – and they did so without losing a single game.

In addition to the many merit awards, residence awards, coaching awards and para-awards, excellence awards were given to Charl Greyling (hammer throw), Naledi Makgatha (1500 m and 4 x 400 m), Viwe Jingqi (100 m), Ethan Olivier (triple jump), Benjamin Richardson (100 m), Rogail Joseph (400 m hurdles), Elroy Gelant (marathon), Brian Raats (high jump), as well as Bradley and Jo-Ané.

These athletes and many more showed once again why the NWU is one of South Africa’s top sports universities.

Prof Daryl Balia and Bradley Nkoana

Prof Daryl Balia and Sanmarie Visser