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Nomsa overcame obstacle to reach football heights

15 March 2023 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo Supplied

Nomsa Mathontsi senior member of the University of the Free State (UFS) Women’s Football team has, despite enormous challenges excelled and achieved remarkable heights on and off the field.

Ms Mathontsi has been an avid sportsperson from an early age. Among her many extraordinary achievements the talented Ms Mathontsi has also been on the South African Women’s National Soccer squad Banyana Banyana.

What many may not know though, is that this is notwithstanding the obstacle Ms Mathontsi overcame in order to reach such heights. The Kovsie striker has limited hearing in her right ear and received a cochlear implant before she began her UFS journey in 2018.

I got affected when I was really young. I was doing athletics. This one time I had a very hectic race, which blocked my right ear –

At the University of the Free State Kovsie Health takes into account the medical history of its’ high-performance athletes who are closely monitored with the aim of achieving optimal performance. As in the case of Ms Mathonsi it is most important that the medical practitioner, Dr Gerhard Jansen, and his team at Kovsie Health take into consideration her medical history.

Kovsie Health provides a range of services to the UFS football programme that include: medical screenings; injury diagnosis; treatment; and rehabilitation.

Compulsory medicals

“I got affected when I was really young. I was doing athletics. This one time I had a very hectic race, which blocked my right ear.

“At first my family thought it was going to be OK, until we realised it was extremely serious and we had to do medicals,” the versatile player says.

Ms Mathontsi, a BAdmin student in Economic and Management Sciences has an implant in her skull but cannot play with her hearing device.

“Even the implant itself can be dangerous. If someone hits me with an elbow or something hard or (on the) head, it will hurt.”

It is compulsory for all UFS football players to take the South African Football Association medicals. Kovsie Health assists players in this process. This is conducted before each new season and include a basic medical, family and practice history, basis line tests, injury assessments etc.

According to Jansen, Kovsie Health needs to be aware of Mathontsi’s medical history so that they may make informed decisions and provide guidance. We will document it and if she should get concussion you will have to take it into account. We for instance know we shouldn’t see a loss of hearing as a negative sign.”

Special Kovsie football family

Mathontsi has represented the UFS in two Varsity Football campaigns, three USSA tournaments and plays in the Free State Sasol League.

Although she hasn’t made her international debut, she received two call-ups to the South African women’s squad and trained with Banyana Banyana.

The number 8 loves her UFS football family and says she has also learnt to balance sport and university.

“I think it is the bond and relationships we have with each other on and off the field that makes it special.

“I have learnt a lot in terms of leadership and how to take leadership as a senior player in the team.”

News Archive

UFS honours young researchers

2006-02-10

Some of the guests attending the recognition function were from the left: Prof Magda Fourie (Vice-Rector: Academic Planning at the UFS), Mr Joseph Smiles (lecturer at the UFS Department of Political Science and Thuthuka grant holder), Prof Frans Swanepoel (Director: Research Development at the UFS) and Dr Carlien Pohl (lecturer at the UFS Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology and Thuthuka grant holder).
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

The guest speaker was Prof Jonathan Jansen, Dean: Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria (UP). He gave tips to young and promising researchers on how to be an outstanding scholar.
What is a Scholar

UFS honours young researchers

The University of the Free State (UFS) last night honoured 24 young researchers who are taking part in the National Research Fund’s (NRF) Thuthuka programme.

The recognition function is the first of its kind at the UFS. “The renewed focus on research development that was recently announced at the official opening of the UFS by the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Frederick Fourie, is an indication of the institution’s endeavour to create an environment in which research can be improved and flourish. This can only be obtained when researchers are being valued and that is why it is important to honour our young researchers,” said Mrs Annelize Venter, researcher at the UFS Research Development Directorate and coordinator of the programme.

The focus on research was also touched on recently by President Thabo Mbeki during the opening of Parliament when he said: “We will continue to engage the leadership of our tertiary institutions focused on working with them to meet the nation’s expectations with regard to teaching and research. For its part, the government is determined to increase the resource allocation for research and development and innovation, and increase the pool of young researchers."

According to Mrs Venter, research done in 2004 shows that the majority researchers who publish are white males above the age of 50. “Many students who undertake magister studies choose not to conduct research, but rather to do a thesis and additional subjects. This means that research is not stimulated. Students also find it difficult to obtain financial support for postgraduate studies,” she explained.
“Thutuka is a capacity building programme of the NRF that is aimed to
fund and support the qualifications of women and young black scientists and other researchers who do not have a rating for postgraduate research. It is based on a funding partnership between the UFS and the NRF,” said Mrs Venter.

Last night Prof Frans Swanepoel, Director: Research Development at the UFS, added to his by saying: “With the Thuthuka programme we aim to create and sustain a research culture at the UFS, promote international research and train researchers of a high quality and enhance the research capacity at the UFS by focusing on women, black researchers and other promising researchers.”

The programme was started by the NRF in 2001. At that stage only 17 grants were made countrywide. Last year 370 postgraduate students took part in the programme.

According to Mrs Venter the programme was implemented at the UFS in 2003. “At that stage we only had 5 grant holders. This year there are 24 Ph D and magister students on the programme,” she said.

A couple of young promising researchers, who will be participating in the programme in 2007, also attended last night’s recognition function.

The guest speaker was Prof Jonathan Jansen, Dean: Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria (UP). He gave tips to young and promising researchers on how to be an outstanding scholar.

Nine professors were also congratulated with their promotion to senior research professor, namely Proff Louise Cilliers (Department of English and Classical Languages), James du Preez (Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology), Johan Grobbelaar (Department of Plant Sciences), Dingie Janse van Rensburg (Centre for Health Systems Research and Development), Dap Louw (Department of Psychology), Philip Nel (Department of Afro-asiatic Studies and Language Practice and Sign Language), Louis Scott (Department of Plant Sciences), Dirk van den Berg (Department of History of Art) and Andries Raath (Department of Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law).

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
10 February 2006

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