Mossel Bay’s Johan Windt is Sportsman of the Year

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Mossel Bay's world number one laser run athlete Johan Windt is Eden Sportsman of the Year.

This was announced at the 2021 Eden Sport Awards, hosted by the Eden Sport Council at the Mossel Bay Town Hall on Friday, 19 November .

Windt has won multiple international, national, provincial and regional medals for biathlon, triathlon, tetrathlon and laser run. He came first in the 60-plus age category in the Laser Run World Championships in Egypt in March this year and also attained first place in the mixed relay at the Triathle World Championships in Germany in August.

He told the Mossel Bay Advertiser after the awards, that the accolade was "a great honour". Windt said he was grateful to his wife for her support. He noted that he was coaching a number of young athletes currently, some of whom were at the awards because they had been nominated to win trophies.

Photo gallery: Eden Sport Awards in Mossel Bay

The Eden Sportswoman of the Year is Bianca Buitendag, who won a silver medal for surfing at the Olympic Games this year. Buitendag lives at Victoria Bay outside George.

The Junior Sportswoman of the year is Mossel Bay schoolgirl cyclist Linél Engelbrecht.

The Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability is swimmer Minke Janse van Rensburg and the Sportsman of the Year with a Disability, Mossel Bay's Ricardi Matthee. He won the accolade for his powerlifting and athletics achievements.

The President's Award went to Mossel Bay rugby legend Joey Daniels for his contribution to rugby. Daniels is a former chairman of the SWD Rugby Union and former member of the Stormers' managing committee. He was given a standing ovation.

Special mention was also made of this year's Eden's Olympians besides Buitendag. They are:

Elroy Galant (from Pacaltsdorp; now living in Potchefstroom). This year he competed for a second time at the Olympics.
Sam Mvimbi, a former learner of Oakhill Private School in Knysna, who competed in his first Olympics in men's field hockey.
Aimee Canny from Knysna (SA swimming relay team at the Olympics).
Sailors Greg Davis (coach) and his son Leo (Knysna Yacht Club).
Delaine Mentoor, the SA ladies' waterpolo coach and the only woman waterpolo coach at the Olympics.
Ex-Outeniqua High School (George) learner Jo-Ané van Dyk, who gained 24th place at the Olympics in javelin throwing.

Other notable awards:

School Sportsman of the Year: George's Drikus de Jager, who is the South African top U16 boys' tennis player.
Coach of the Year: Eduard Steyls, who is Drikus' coach.
School Sportswoman of the Year: George's Heike Janse van Vuuren (tennis).
Newcomer of the Year: Ruan Rossouw (George), who placed 11th at the World Laser Championships.
Team of the Year: SWD Women's Cricket team.
Accolades for contribution to sport: Mossel Bay's Tannah Harris (golf), Great Brak's Jack Juries (rugby), Knysna's Debra Hyde (tennis).
Federation of the Year: Eden Cycling.
Administrator of the Year: George's Ulene Visser (pentathlon).
Lifetime achievement awards: Sunette Muller of Mossel Bay (netball coach, team manager and selector at provincial level); Lilian Steyn of George, an international judo coach.
Technical excellence: cricket umpire André Olivier, who has been included in the Cricket SA Umpires' Reserve Panel for 2022.
Photographer of the Year: Deidré Cloete, who won with her photograph of Johan Windt helping an exhausted athlete.
Indigenous Games Team of the Year: Morabaraba jukskei team.
Community Builder Award: Meryl Daniels (Zoar), for her roles in rugby, mini-cricket, athletics and soccer.
Volunteer of the Year: Nadia Jacobus-Julies (Herbertsdale).

Several dignitaries attend the awards and gave speeches and/or handed over awards. They included the Western Cape MEC of Cultural Affairs and Sport Anroux Marais, Western Cape chief director: Sport and Recreation Dr Lyndonn Bouah, Western Cape director: Sport Promotion Thabu Tutu, Western Cape director: Sport Development Paul Hendricks, Mossel Bay mayor Alderman Dirk Kotzè and Desmond Speelman, chairman: Eden Sport Council

Photos: Grey Stopforth