'CGA is home' - Simbine wins big at CGA Awards

Just a day after being officially recognised by President Cyril Ramaphosa for his performance at the Olympic Games, Akani Simbine enjoyed another night of success. The man who led South Africa's 4x100m relay team to the silver medal in Paris, scooped several awards at the Central Gauteng Athletics Awards. The 31-year old walked away with the CGA President's Lifetime Achievement Award, the Senior Male athlete of the year award as well as a number of certificates of recognition for representing the country at several international competitions including the World Relay Championships and the Olympics.

All smiles for Simbine after he was honoured at the Central Gauteng Athletics Awards. Photo Credit: Cecilia van Bers.

"I think it was important for me to attend these awards because CGA is home and it’s important to attend when you’re invited. CGA is home. No matter how big you become in your industry you cannot see yourself as bigger than the actual sport or industry that you are in. And also, I'm here to see the youth and show them that someone like me comes here and I can interact with them because we need the next generation of athletes to come out and be superstars and take on the world and represent South Africa," he told #TheTopRunner.

Simbine's coach Werner Prinsloo took home the coach of the year award for guiding his charge to an excellent 2024 season that saw him win yet another SA 100m title and run a 9.82 national record to claim fourth place in the closest Olympic 100m final of all time. Speaking at the Sandton Convention Centre after the glitzy awards ceremony on Saturday 30 November, Prinsloo explained that after a difficult period, the Adidas top runner rediscovered his love for running which made his job as a coach much easier.

Simbine and his coach Prinsloo flanked by CGA Acting President Karabo Mabilo (left) and Athletics South Africa President James Moloi (right). Photo Credit: Cecilia van Bers.

"I think in the last year, he turned a corner - mentally. Things in his personal life settled, he got a family and he was a lot happier. He knew what he was running for and I think that in terms of our dynamic between the two of us we’ve hit a groove now where we can take it forward. The relationships is stronger. Fantastic performance. I couldn’t ask for more for him. We didn’t walk away from Paris disappointed like other competitions in the past. We are happy and we are still chasing that individual medal. We will never give up!"

The Female Athlete of the Year Award went to long distance Cacisile Sosibo, while rising 200m star Chané Vermeulen won the Female Junior Athlete of the Year and World Junior Championships 400m gold medalist Udeme Okon took the male Junior Athlete of the Year. For her work in unearthing young race walkers, Mpho Mphehlane was named Development Coach of the year, as national junior cross country champion Zenzile Pheko and SA Champs 200m bronze medalist Kaili Botje took  most promising male and female junior athletes of the year awards. Legendary administrator Colleen McNally was honoured for her decades of service to race walking and road running with the Lifetime Achievement award.