TO MANY he’s a new breath of life and commentator par excellence.
Mthuthuzeli Scott, Umhlobo Wenenes sports commentator has been inducted in the SAB Sports Hall of Fame, at the SAB Sports Awards held in Jozi.
To you and I, Scott is best celebrated whenever he does rugby commentary and of late, he was the voice behind the mic as and when our rugby team Boks clinched the 2019 RWC in Japan.
His reading of the game, in-depth analysis and extensive research, brings a listener closer or right inside the stadium, as he tip-toes with players skill and talent, notably when Makazole Mapimpi (speedy winger) scored his winning try against England in the finals.
One can’t help but embrace that invigorating voice!
Such is his brilliance on air that he has amassed listeners across all races, and one of those is yours truly- a MoTswana speaking.
To many bra ‘Mthura‘ (as he’s known to his peers) is a genius to broadcasting, such is the case of a jealous girlfriend is to his boyfriend…Amen!
In the same league as the great Clement ‘CC’ Manyaapelo and other fallen commentators of note- we bow before you mhlekazi.
The 39th Annual SAB Sports Media Awards also recognizes up and coming sports journos across all platforms countrywide.
For SAB it honours excellence in sporting journalism for close to four decades, with flagship brand Castle Lager sponsoring sport in the country for more than 50 years as the inaugural sponsor of both Bafana Bafana and the Proteas since the country’s return to international sport in 1992.
Winners in each category received a cash prize of R15,000 with the winner of the Photography sub-category “Action Shot of the Year” and the ‘Newcomer of the Year’ in each category receiving R5,000.
The SAB Sports Media Award winners for 2019 are:
INTEGRATED MEDIA AWARDS
· Winner: Lloyd Burnard, News24.com
· Newcomer of the Year (photography, written, video and audio media): Joint award to Ahmed Kajee and Michael Pedro, both EWN
AUDIO MEDIA AWARDS
· Sports Commentator of the Year: Johan Le Roux, Radio 2000
· Sports Presenter of the Year: Thabiso Mosia, SAfm
· Sports News Reporter of the Year: Mosibodi Whitehead, Kaya FM
· Sports Producer of the Year: Jody Hendricks, RSG
· Newcomer of the Year: Sibusiso Mjikeliso, TimesLive
WRITTEN MEDIA AWARDS
· Sports Feature Writer of the Year: Sibusiso Mjikeliso, Freelance
· Sports Columnist of the Year: Simnikiwe Xabanisa, City Press & SA Rugby Mag
· Sports News Reporter of the Year: Marizanne Kok, Beeld & Rapport
· Newcomer of the Year: Lorenz Kohler , Kick Off
PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS
· Sports Photographer of the Year: Sydney Seshibedi, Gallo Images
· Action Shot of the Year: Wessel Oosthuizen, SASPA
VIDEO MEDIA AWARDS
· Sports Commentator of the Year: Matthew Pearce, SuperSport
· Sports News Reporter of the Year: Ronald Masinda, eNCA
· Sports Producer of the Year: Tyrone Bailey, SuperSport
· Sports Presenter of the Year: Julia Stuart, SuperSport
· Newcomer of the Year: Benjamin Leshoro, Newzroom Afrika
GENERAL AWARDS:
· Journalists’ Journalist of the Year: Simnikiwe Xabanisa, freelancer
· Hall of Fame: Mthuthuzeli Scott, SABC
Seasoned rugby writer and award winning Simnikiwe Xabanisa got the Sports Journalists’ Journalist of the Year award.
The judges were all extremely passionate about the industry, said convenor of judges, John Perlman.
“Comments from judges included that some of the entries were ‘simply breath-taking and restored my faith in South African journalism’, while others spoke with equal passion about problems: ‘Because of the unrelenting pressure of daily shows, hourly bulletins and the beast of the 24-hour news cycle, a lack of creativity and originality has crept in’. Whether positive or negative these sentiments reflect a desire to see South African sports journalism flourish.”
Perlman said the Awards showed that there was “much to celebrate and lots to work on. Which is at is should be”.
“We aim to encourage new entrants into covering sport, increasing competition and further increasing quality of sports reporting. We are very proud of our deserving journalists who have done some excellent work,” said Refilwe Masemola, SAB Director of External Communications: Africa Zone.
Image (SAB Sports Hall of Fame inductee utata Mthuthuzeli Scott and Refilwe Masemola, SAB Director of External Communications- Africa Zone, at the awards ceremony held last night).
