Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
15 September 2021 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo Charl Devenish
The University of the Free State (UFS) netball team was honoured by UFS management at a special celebration. The side won a fourth Varsity Netball title and the UFS has now been champion in 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2021.

Set goals for yourself, commit to it, and give everything to achieve them.

According to Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS), this is what the UFS netball team did and why it is an example for the Kovsie community.

He celebrated the team’s achievement of winning Varsity Netball for a record fourth time and extending the run of the UFS as the most successful team in the tournament.

The Kovsies convincingly beat Maties 55-39 in the final to be crowned champions. It was the biggest victory margin in a final, and they did it after losing to Maties (46-54) in the first round.

Prof Petersen and his management group honoured Burta de Kock, the UFS Head Coach, and her team during a special celebration on 13 September 2021.

Working as an outfit

He said the side’s determination is a lesson to others.

“Once you have decided that these are my objectives and you commit yourself to achieving them, that is all you focus on.”

“It will always be possible if you put everything in and you showed it. Thank you for doing this.”

He praised the team for building the UFS brand. 

“You really work as an outfit. What I saw of the players was a right attitude when they play the game.”

Everything made easy

Sikholiwe (Sne) Mdletshe, the UFS captain, thanked her team’s management, the UFS, and its lecturers.

“We really want to thank the university for putting so much into us. It gives us a lot of resources.

“Some tests had to be written while we were in the bubble and our lecturers made that easy for us.”

She said the players never take the effort for granted. “The UFS makes everything easy to go out there and play netball – the sport we have been playing since we were little kids.”

DB Prinsloo, Director of KovsieSport, is immensely proud of the team.

“We even lost one of our best players in the first match, Chanel Vrey, due to injury. We have to take off our hats to the Kovsie netball team.”


News Archive

Children with diabetes learn from each other
2012-05-08

 

Young diabetes patients.
Photo: Supplied
8 May 2012


Children with diabetes often think they are the only ones who live with this condition. For this reason, the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health from the UFS, in cooperation with our Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, annually offers a camping weekend in Bloemfontein for young diabetic patients.

This fun-filled yet informative weekend was held at Emoya Estate in Bloemfontein recently. This is the fourth year that it has been held. During the weekend, the children learnt how to be a “child” along with other children.

“Children with diabetes have many emotional issues that they must work through,” says Dr Ute Hallbauer of the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health.

 “Diabetes is a daily challenge for these children. During the camp, we try to make the children feel special and teach them how to take care of themselves.”

Twenty-six children between the ages of 9 and 14, who receive treatment in the public and private sector, attended the camp this year.

Dr Hallbauer says children as young as 12 months and even younger can be diagnosed with diabetes.

“They usually have Type I diabetes. This autoimmune disease destroys insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Thus the young children are insulin dependent and they have to, depending on their treatment, inject themselves daily. They must also test their blood sugar levels daily.”
 

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept