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26 July 2022 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo Supplied
Robert Summers (left) and Caden Kakora
The University of the Free State duo of Robert Summers (left) and Caden Kakora have been playing badminton together since junior level. They are part of the South African badminton team at the Commonwealth Games.

“A reflection of the commitment and hard work by all stakeholders under challenging circumstances over the past few years.”

This is how Maryka Holtzhausen, Acting Director of KovsieSport, describes the journey of sportsmen and sportswomen from the University of the Free State (UFS) taking part in the Commonwealth Games.

She says the UFS is very proud of the current and former Kovsies who will be flying their national flag at the showpiece in Birmingham, England, from 28 July 2022 until 8 August 2022.

South Africa and Lesotho represented

A total of eleven athletes and coaches with UFS ties, featuring in seven different sporting codes, will be competing at the Games.

Ten of them will represent South Africa and are part of the 251 athletes included in the final squad, while one will participate in the colours of Lesotho.

Anneke Bosch (women’s T20 cricket), Shindré-Lee Simmons (women’s hockey), Khanyisa Chawane, Lefébre Rademan (netball), Neil Powell (rugby sevens coach), Yolandi Stander (discus; athletics), Jovan van Vuuren (long jump; athletics), Robert Summers, and Caden Kakora (badminton) are all in Team South Africa.

Simmons, Rademan, Stander, Summers, and Kakora are current students, while Bosch, Chawane, Powell, and Van Vuuren are former Kovsies. Simmons also recently represented South Africa at the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup.

The UFS triple jumper Lerato Sechele, who is the secretary of the Lesotho Athletes Commission, will represent Lesotho.

The Kovsie first-year student Elmien Viljoen (karate) will in turn be in action for South Africa at the Commonwealth Karate Championships, which takes place in Birmingham from 7 to 8 September 2022.

Power of sport

A proud Holtzhausen says their achievements also bring a future responsibility.

“It creates a sense of pride within the UFS community, but also instils a new responsibility to continue to strive for excellence and create opportunities to increase the UFS contribution on the highest levels.”

According to the former Protea netball captain, who represented South Africa in three Commonwealth Games, the power of sport is clearly visible at such an event. Holtzhausen played for her country at the 2010 Games in Delhi, in 2014 in Glasgow, and in 2018 in the Gold Coast.

“The Commonwealth Games eliminate all kinds of boundaries in South Africa, even between sporting codes. 

“It brings Team South Africa together: athletes, team officials, supporters, and spectators unite in their love and passion for sport.”


News Archive

Deaf Awareness Month empowers the hearing impaired
2015-09-21

There are more sign languages in the world than spoken languages. About 600 000 deaf South Africans have the South African Sign Language (SASL) as their first language. There are about 40 schools for the deaf in South Africa. 90% of all deaf children are born to hearing parents. Only about 30% of speech is visible on the lips.

How many of these fundamental facts did you know?

Deaf Awareness Month serves to educate hearing communities about issues that the deaf population face on a daily basis, as well as to honour the history and culture of people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. For the past 70 years, the University of the Free State (UFS) has dedicated September to hosting events around the topic of hearing impairment.

The theme of ‘With South African Sign Language rights, our children can!’

This year’s theme had learners from Bartimea School for the Deaf and Blind, hearing impaired UFS students, and Prof Jonathan Jansen engaged in a conversation around empowerment at a picnic held on Monday 7 September 2015 at the Red Square on the Bloemfontein Campus.

Through a sign language interpreter, Matshela, a grade 12 learner, explained that he felt empowered by the efforts the university has made to embrace and empower individuals with disabilities. He then revealed his intentions of pursuing Information Technology or Social Work studies at Kovsies.

Clifford Machete, a first-year Administration student at the university, stated how sign language interpreters gave him an ‘I can’ attitude when he first arrived at university.  “As a deaf person, I see that I am able to learn with the help of sign language interpreters. There is accessibility at the university, and I am so proud to be a student here and part of Deaf Awareness Month.”

Susan Lombaard, Lecturer and Acting Chairperson at the Department of South African Sign Language, believes that Deaf Awareness Month is about promoting human dignity.

“We want to show the world that deaf people can do everything, and that their language is as strong and important as any spoken language.”

For more information regarding Deaf Awareness Month activities, contact the South African Sign Language Department on 051 401 2251.

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