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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

Dr Dirk Strydom named 2015 Free State Agriculturist of the Year
2015-11-30

Dr Dirk Strydom, head of the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of the Free State, was chosen as the 2015 Free State Agriculturist of the Year by the Agricultural Writers Central Region.
Photo: Sonia Small

Dr Dirk Strydom, a member of the Vice-Chancellor’s Prestige Scholars Programme (PSP) at the University of the Free State (UFS), was presented with the title of 2015 Free State Agriculturist of the Year.

Dr Strydom, head of the Department of Agricultural Economics, received the award on 23 October 2015 from the Agricultural Writers Central Region, the professional association promoting the image and standards of agricultural journalism in South Africa.

“A driven and ambitious young academic,” is how Dr Strydom is described.

According to the Agricultural Writers, Dr Strydom is blessed with the rare skill of bringing to his engagement with the agricultural community at large the same excitement and focus with which he approaches his students and his research.

“Strydom has perfected the art of disseminating complicated theory, and the intricacies of the South African Futures Exchange to the agricultural community.”

Dr Strydom epitomises the new generation of young scholars emerging from the PSP. This new breed of academic is very aware of the need to translate published scholarly discourse into practical usefulness for the broader public.

Hence Dr Strydom’s emphasis on the duty of the scholar to share vital innovation, intricate research, and its applications, not only with students but with the community at large.

The award is recognition for Dr Strydom’s work by the agricultural community.

He was also the recent recipient of an award from the Brahman breeders for his “outstanding scientific contribution” to their industry.

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