From the badminton court to the athletics track and karate mat, the Free State’s mens athletes continue to shine on continental and global stages.
The nominees for this round of recognition at the Free State Sport Stars event at Monte Bello on
9 October have showcased not only personal excellence, but also contributed meaningfully to national team successes. Nominees for Sportsman of the Year have demonstrated skill, consistency, and competitive spirit across multiple formats.
Robert Summers (Badminton)
Summers played a pivotal role in South Africa capturing the bronze medal at the All Africa Mixed Team Championships in February 2025. He competed in men’s singles (reaching the Round of 16), men’s doubles (quarterfinals), and mixed doubles (quarterfinals) − demonstrating versatility across disciplines. At the SA Open in November 2024, an international tournament, he earned silver in both men’s doubles and mixed doubles, while again reaching the singles Round of 16.
Caden Kakora (Badminton)
Like Summers, Kakora contributed to SA’s bronze medal at the All Africa Mixed Team Championships in February 2025, taking part in singles and doubles for the team event. At the 2025 African Badminton Championships he reached the Round of 16 in men’s singles and the quarterfinals in men’s doubles. Notably, he also captured a bronze in mixed double. In the SA Open, he won gold in mixed doubles, secured bronze in men’s doubles, and made it to the Round of 32 in singles.
Mthi Mthimkhulu (Athletics)
Selected for South Africa’s squad at the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, Mthi earned two silver medals: one in the mixed 4x400m relay and another in the men’s 4x100m relay. He also delivered a personal bests of 45.4 in the 400m and 20.5 in the 200m − signifying his growth and elite capability. Additionally, in September 2025 he secured a place on the national team to compete in the 4x400m relay at the World Athletics Championships. Here he contribute to both the men’s and mixed 4x400m teams that qualified for the World Athletics Senior Track and Field Championships, where he earned a gold medal in the men’s 4x400m relay.
Karabo Khanye (Karate)
Khanye was honoured with South African national sporting colours at the National Karate Awards in Durban. Internationally, he won two silver medals at the Commonwealth Karate Championships. On the domestic university front, he successfully defended his U60kg elite title at the University Sports South Africa Karate Championships (June 2025, Pietermaritzburg) − a testament to consistency and supremacy in his weight category.
Wernich van Rensburg (Athletics)
Van Rensburg displayed significant development, earning medals at both university and senior levels, and competing on the global stage. He represented SA in the 400m hurdles at the World University Games in July 2025 − clocking 51.35 in his heat − and competing among the top student-athletes internationally.
At the ASA Grand Prix 2 in Johannesburg, he claimed the 400m hurdles with a world leading time of 49.24, earning 1 168 World Athletics Table points. He also secured silver in the senior men’s 400m hurdles at the ASA Senior Championships (49.90), and gold in the U23 400m hurdles at the USSA Track and Field Championships (51.26).
Ian Bezuidenhout (Air Rifle Benchrest)
Bezuidenhout, from Bloemfontein, has rapidly emerged as a world-class competitor in the precision sport of air rifle shooting.
His recent performance at the World Rimfire and Air Rifle Benchrest 6th World Championship, held at the Ruutikangas Shooting Centre in Finland, was nothing short of exceptional. Not only did he bring home multiple medals, but he also equaled the world record in the Unlimited 50m class − a feat that firmly announced his presence on the international stage.
Since August 2024, Bezuidenhout has remained unbeaten in the 50m benchrest category in SA, he stands as South Africa’s undisputed top shooter in the discipline. In Finland, he secured a silver medal in the Unlimited 50m class, matching the winner’s score and equaling the world record. He also claimed a bronze medal in the heavy gun class, while the SA team took silver in both the heavy gun and 50m categories.
Perhaps most impressively, Bezuidenhout achieved the second-best overall average score across all major classes − air rifle heavy, air rifle, and overall − a distinction he regards as his greatest personal accomplishment.
