Background: Western Cape Sports Legends | Western Cape Government

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Background: Western Cape Sports Legends

13 December 2009

Shapers of Sport: This year marks the 5th year that Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) will be recognising the Western Cape Sport Legends. It aims to honour sport people in identified sport codes for the role they have played in ensuring the growth, development, and transformation of the sport in difficult circumstances. It also serves to acknowledge the contributions made by individuals as sport activists, sport heroes and sport icons in shaping the future of sport in the Western Cape. In the past it had linkages with the Christmas Tinto Cup. The linkage creates an opportunity for young and old to rub shoulders and share experiences and hopefully the youth will also get wisdom from legends.

 

Codes for 2009: Aquatics, Biathlon, Triathlon and Pentathlon, Bodybuilding, Athletics, Football (Up to 2010), Disability Sport

Criteria: People who made a significant contribution to sport, People who are regarded as icons in their communities, People who gracefully gave sport their all, People who played a role in shaping sport before 1992, Representivity along the lines of gender, demography and geography, A lifetime of service to the code in general, Nominee must be at the age of 50 and more.

Process: Nomination forms were circulated from 7 July 2009 to the federations of the above mentioned sport codes, to the regional sport councils and to the regional sport offices. The deadline was 17 August 2009 but was extended to 11 September 2009.

Selection Committee: Chaired by Prof. André Odendaal, it consist of 2 representatives from each regional sport council, nominated media journalist(s), and any member of the sport fraternity deemed useful to the process. The committee is there to adjudicate the collated and evaluation of all nominations submitted by various organisations and to finalise all nominations submitted.

Invited Guests: Regional Sport Councils, Presidents of the relevant federations, Transformation and Monitoring Committee, Selection Committee, Portfolio Committee, other dignitaries and media.

Codes thus far: Athletics, Boxing, Netball, Darts, Hockey, Table Tennis, Rugby, Football (up to 2010), Disability Sport, Chess, Cricket, Softball, Weightlifting, Karate, Tennis, Cycling and Volleyball.

To date a total of 164 Legends have been acknowledged:
2005: 37
2006: 67
2007: 29
2008: 31

DCAS believes that by giving the appropriate honour to people that gave their life for sport, it will also equally be honouring the week of reflection, where emphasis is put on what has made our country, and society what it is today.

 

 

Media Enquiries: 

Angus Flowers
Media Liaison Officer
Western Cape Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Sport and Recreation
Tel: 021 483 9800
Cell: 083 304 3320
Email:
aflowers@pgwc.gov.za