Wheelchair Tennis South Africa received the biggest recognition at the SA Sports Awards nominees announcement on Wednesday.

US Open quads champion, Lucas Sithole has been nominated for the SA Sports Star of the Year, alongside last year’s winner Chad Le Clos.

The awards function will take place at Sun City next month.

The public will vote for the Sports Star of the Year, who will walk away with R1 million and a brand new car.

Olympic gold medalist Le Clos faces stiff competition from Sithole, PSL Footballer of the year Itumeleng Khune, and SA Cricketer of the Year Hashim Amla.

Mapaseka Makhanya, whose only success was in local marathons, completes the nomination list.

Sports Minister, Fikile Mbalula says: “These are the flowers of the nation that people have come to follow and basically support them. So, if you ask me about the product on Wednesday, I could not have asked for more.”

Sithole, the first African man to win a US Open title of any kind, is also up for Sportsman of the Year with a disability.

The nomination of his coach, Holger Losch, for the Coach of the Year, caps Wheelchair Tennis South Africa’s glorious year.

“I was surprised when I was nominated for the Sports Star of the Year, I was not expecting it really. However, I am happy to be nominated with those guys, they are big sports stars of South Africa, they are big icons to the youth. I am very honoured.”

SASCOC’s President Gideon Sam acknowledged that there are deserving athletes who didn’t make the final list.

Cyclist Daryl Impey, the first South African to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, should feel hard done by.
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