Netball plays a starring role at Madibaz awards show

Netball stars Chinonso Dave, left, and Juanita van Tonder were named the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year at the Madibaz Sports Awards function last night.

Netball standouts Juanita van Tonder and Chinonso Dave capped a stellar year for the sport by being named sportswoman and sportsman of the year at the annual Madibaz Sport Awards in Gqeberha last night.

Both student-athletes made major strides over the past 12 months, representing South Africa and contributing to the growth of the code at Mandela University and beyond.

Sports management undergrad Van Tonder earnt her national colours when she did duty as goalkeeper for the Proteas in recent test series against New Zealand and Australia.

She also impressed as a member of the Nelson Mandela Bay A team at the senior national championships in Johannesburg last December, where her performances led to her inclusion in the President’s squad.

The Eastern Cape Aloes vice-captain’s stock rose even higher when she led her team to sixth place in the Telkom Netball League and then being selected for the University Sports SA (USSA) squad in July.

Despite these achievements, Van Tonder was shocked at receiving the accolade.

“Winning this award is such a blessing and I really did not see it coming,” the netball ace said.

“I am truly honoured at being recognised in this way and I want to thank Mandela University for awarding me this – I really appreciate it.”

Dave, an honours student in educational psychology, has been instrumental in elevating the men’s code at the institution through his on-court presence and off-court promotion of the sport across the metro.

He donned green-and-gold in a series against Zimbabwe on the Highveld last year and his consistent brilliance was recognised earlier this season when he was named NMB’s best player of 2024.

In July, he was a member of the Madibaz outfit who placed third overall at the USSAs in Gqeberha. He also led the varsity team with aplomb in the league, which saw him being selected for the NMB senior side.

The award also came out of left field for Dave.

“I was definitely not expecting this but am truly grateful to Madibaz Sport for the recognition, especially in my final year,” he said.

“It just shows that all the hard work I have put in with Madibaz over the last two years has paid off.”

It therefore came as no surprise when netball was voted Club of the Year, while also receiving the Community Engagement award.

The premier men’s hockey side were named Team of the Year in recognition of their unbeaten run throughout 2025, after finishing runners-up in the league last season.

Their crowning moment came at the USSAs in Stellenbosch, where they defied expectations to reach the A section semifinals after spending 2023 and 2024 in the second tier of the competition.

Very few sides promoted to the top section have achieved instant success and the Madibaz not only did so but just missed the bronze medal after a 3–2 loss to UJ in their playoff match.

Their standout performer was Sachin Padayachee, who was selected for the SA men’s U21 squad afterwards.

Six other players – Nicholas Kingston, Caleb Stokes, Zakir Ensal, Linamandla Molo, Xander Elkington and Gerhard Rockman – were named in the Eastern Province senior team.

A further 13 players represented the EP U21s, underlining the depth of the hockey programme at the university.

Karate, which was named the most improved club in 2024, continued to show growth, with a highlight being the team’s gold medal-performance at the USSAs.

Several of their members were recognised for their achievements at last night’s awards function. Sinazo Kunene was voted Student Coach of the Year, Zeenat Lee received awards for Performance of the Year and Junior Sportswoman of the Year while Luchay Weideman was adjusted Student Sport Influencer of the Year.

Full list of winners:

Sportswoman of the Year | Juanita van Tonder (netball)

Sportsman of the Year | Chinonso Dave (netball)

Team of the Year | Men’s hockey

Student Administrator of the Year | Thimna Doyi (netball/aquatics)

Administrator of the Year | Cheryl Kotze (aquatics)

Student Technical Official of the Year | Njabulo Magadu (rugby)

Technical Official of the Year | Euleen Grobbelaar (netball)

Student Coach of the Year | Sinazo Kunene (karate)

Coach of the Year | Jason le Roux (squash)

Director of Sport Award | Hanniska van Vuuren (netball)

Community Engagement Award | Netball club

Campus Sport Residence of the Year | Phase 3

Most Improved Club | Squash

Performance of the Year | Zeenat Lee (karate)

Club of the Year | Netball

Student Sport Influencer of the Year | Luchay Weideman (rugby/karate)

Junior Sportswoman of the Year | Zeenat Lee (karate)

Junior Sportsman of the Year | Lemuel Kramer (karate)

Student Sportswoman of the Year | Juanita van Tonder (netball)

Student Sportsman of the Year | Nigel Tsapi (karate)