Mhango wins big at Mpumalanga Sports Awards
29 July 2019
MBOMBELA –Young chess player, Banele Mhango (16) is the toast of the
Mpumalanga sporting world after he walked away with top
honours – Sports Star of the Year - at the local sports
awards
The Mpumalanga Sports Awards were held recently at
Emnotweni Arena in Mbombela and attracted all the big names
in the sporting world. Among the dignitaries who attended the
awards, was the President of South African Football Association,
Danny Jordaan, legends from Witbank Black Aces, Orlando
Pirates Captain, Happy Jele and Mpumalanga Sports
Confederation President, Linda Zwane among others. The
Awards were broadcast on Supersport Channel and people
across the country were able to see what Mpumalanga offers in
terms of sport.
Mhango, who hails from Pienaar in the Ehlanzeni District, is
regarded as the best thing to have happened to chess in a long
time and the coveted award confirms that the Lihawu High
School pupil is indeed the real deal. The Master, as he is
affectionately known in the sport, beat a strong field to win the
top award. In a short period of time, he has secured his place as
the hottest young talent in the province. A status he achieved
after being crowned national u/16 champion and joint African
Youth Champion.
He also won a gold medal at the South African Open Rapid
Chess Tournament and a bronze medal at the South African
Open Classic Championship.
The Mpumalanga Sport Awards is a platform used by the
Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation to honour,
celebrate and reward sport excellence in the province.
Speaking at the event, MEC Lindiwe Ntshalintshali said, "We
want to express the high regard that we hold for our
sporting stars who have flown the Mpumalanga flag sky high
by recording noticeable achievements that made us proud as
a province as we are slowly but surely living to our mandate
of creating champions in the province of the rising sun.
Sport remains an important and essential factor in our
efforts of fostering social cohesion and nation building in the
province. We remain committed to use sport to heal the
wounds and divisions of the past so that we can together
build a democratic, non racist and progressive country where
citizens will be patriotic and biased towards the
developmental agenda of government
Enquiries: Sibongile Nkosi on 082 492 4886.