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03 December 2018 | Story Ruan Bruwer
Janko Dreyer
Much will be expected from Kovsie opening batsmen Janko Dreyer at the University Sport South Africa tournament. He has been in great form recently.

The Kovsie Cricket team has enough motivation and are well aware of what’s at stake in the upcoming University Sport South Africa (USSA) championship that will be held in Stellenbosch from 3 to 7 December.

Kovsie Cricket are determined to secure a spot in next year’s Varsity Cricket tournament taking place in Potchefstroom in September, should they emerge as winners of Division B in the competition.

Scoring for the team

They will kick off with a clash against the Walter Sisulu University, followed by fixtures against the Tshwane University of Technology and Wits before the semi-finals on 6 December, with the final following on 7 December 2018.

A number of the Kovsie Cricket squad members have been on rich form with the bat lately. Opening batsman Janko Dreyer scored a century and two half-centuries in his last four innings for the Free State team in November.

Highly rated in SA

Batsmen Raynard van Tonder from the Kovsies Cricket team will feature as one of the most highly-rated young cricketers in the country. The captain of the South African U19 team smashed an unbeaten 250 runs for the Free State in the three-day provincial match last month. Likewise, Wihan Victor also scored a century for the Free State team in October.
More favourable news for the team is that Kovsie Cricket recently defeated the Central University of Technology with 185 runs.

The Kovsie Cricket squad consists of: Dilivio Ridgard, Nathan Roux, Sipho Mavanda, Wihan Victor, Sean Whitehead, Wizzard Ncedane, AJ van Wyk (captain), Nyiko Shikwambana, Jonathan Draai, Marno van Greuning, Beyers Swanepoel, Christo van Staden.

 

News Archive

UFS hosts sign language workshop to educate parents
2017-05-22

Description: Sign language workshop to educate parents Tags: Sign language workshop to educate parents

Back row; from left; John Keitsemore from
Bartimea School for the Deaf; Philip Cook,
the headmaster at De la Bat School for the
Deaf in Worcester; Jeannie Cook, De la Bat School
for the Deaf; front, from left; Marisa Vermeulen, mother
of two deaf children and teacher at Bartimea
School for the Deaf in Thaba Nchu; Marianne Kühn,
audiologist, and Susan Lombaard, acting Head of the
Department of South African Sign Language.
Photo: Rulanzen Martin

“Ninety percent of deaf children are born into hearing families. When parents first receive the news, they are shocked, angry and confused,” says Susan Lombaard, Acting head of the Department of South African Sign Language at the University of the Free State (UFS).

The department hosted a workshop, “Early intervention options for the child with a hearing loss”, on Friday 12 May 2017 on the Bloemfontein Campus. “It is the first time a sign language workshop of this kind was hosted by the Department of South African Sign Language at the UFS,” says Lombaard, who facilitated the workshop. They hope to make it an annual event.

Parents of deaf children do not always know how they will communicate with their children or where the child must attend school. The workshop aimed to provide parents with the necessary information on different communication options and also touched on school placement.

Support group for parents established
A support group for parents was also established, the first of its kind in the province. It will provide much-needed support, information and guidance for parents of deaf children.

Some of the speakers at the workshop included Anri Esterhuizen, an audiologist; Marianne Kühn from the Carel du Toit Centre, Marisa Vermeulen, who is a mother of two deaf children, and Phillip Cook, the headmaster at De la Bat School for the Deaf in Worcester, in the Western Cape. Jeannie Cook, also a presenter, provided information on sign language acquisition of the small deaf child, which is done through creative play.

Professionals have responsibility
South African Sign Language is a language in its own right and is not international. “Sign language is a visual language with its own grammar and syntax different from spoken language,” Lombaard said.

There has been much controversy surrounding teaching deaf children to speak and teaching them to sign. “We as professionals have the responsibility to provide information on all options. This is to help the parent make informed decisions about communication and school placement.”

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