Minister Anroux Marais acknowledges legends who shaped sport pre−1992

On 14 December 2016, the Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport Anroux Marais proudly acknowledged 33 legends who made a significant contribution to the development, transformation and growth of sport in the Western Cape pre−1992.

The annual Sport Legends Awards were conceived by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) in 2005. The 2016 ceremony, hosted at the Kronenburg Estate in Paarl, honoured legends of yesteryear in various sporting codes such as softball, lawn bowls, karate and equestrian sport. The legends who had given sport their all are now over 50 years of age and regarded as icons in their communities.

The Acting Mayor of Drakenstein Municipality, Mr Rean Smuts, stressed the value of the award recipients who had touched lives and served to unite people.

Minister Marais paid homage to the legends’ efforts to use sport as a tool for positive development and to heal a once divided society, and she encouraged the audience to participate in the DCAS Oral History Storytelling Initiative. “I firmly believe sport has the potential to change lives for the better and bring people together,” said Marais. “I urge you to share your stories of how sport changed your life or the life of another.”

The names and background information of the 2016 Sport Legends are available online.

DCAS honours our province’s sporting legends. As we celebrate our achievements we unify the nation and leave a legacy for future generations. BETTER TOGETHER.