The spotlight will shine on Free State’s finest athletes at the highly anticipated Free State Sport Star Awards, taking place on 9 October at Monte Bello Estate in Bloemfontein. This promises to be an unforgettable night of recognition, inspiration, and sporting pride. Nine female athletes are competing to be recognised as Sportswoman of the Year.
Rolene Streutker (Netball)
Rolene delivered a phenomenal season. In local competition, she helped the UFS Kovsies clinch the 2024 Varsity Netball Championship and was FNB Player of the Tournament. On the global stage, she represented SA in multiple series. In November 2024 she played in a test series against Malawi; and in December 2024 during the Africa Netball Cup Championships; in January 2025 she represented SA as a finalist in the Netball Nations Cup; and in September 2025 she played in a series with New Zealand. Her breakthrough in the UK’s Netball Super League with Nottingham Forest Netball mirrored these successes. In the 2025 season, she swept NSL Player of the Season, Gilbert Top Scorer, Soft & Gentle Super Shooter, players’ player of the season, and made the All-Star VII as goal shooter.
Ané Retief (Netball)
Ané played a crucial role locally for UFS Kovsies in securing the Varsity Netball Championship with her defensive consistency, tactical leadership and composure. Internationally, she earned her debut cap in the November 2024 test series against Malawi and contributed throughout the Africa Netball Cup in 2024. In 2025 she represented the country during the Jamaica tour in January, as well as the Netball Nations cup in February. She continued to apply her defensive prowess abroad, playing for Manchester Thunder in the 2025 Netball Super League.
Khanyisa Chawane (Netball)
As captain of the SPAR Proteas, Khanyisa led her side to a 3 − 0 win over Malawi in November 2024 at the SPAR Women’s Netball Challenge at Ellis Park Arena. In December 2024, she captained the team to victory in the Africa Netball Cup and was player of the tournament. In January 2025 she steered her team through the tour against Jamaica, the February Nations Cup final against England, and September’s tests against New Zealand. In the UK Netball Super League, she brought her leadership and mid-court versatility (wing attack, centre, wing defence) to the LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons.
Refiloe Nketsa (Netball)
Refiloe is recognised for leadership and high-level performances. She captained the UFS Kovsies to 2024 Varsity Netball Championship victory, leading her team to a dramatic extra-time win in the finals. Her performance earned her the player of the match award. She was likewise integral to the SPAR Proteas throughout the international season competing in the test series against Malawi in November 2024 and the Africa Netball Cup in December 2024. In January 2025 she competed in the test series against Jamaica and in January 2025, as well as the Netball Nations Cup in February 2025.
Johanita “Nita” Scholtz (née Arendse) (Badminton)
Johanita showcased dominance nationally and on the African continent. Fresh from her Olympic debut, she won both women’s singles (21-9, 21-13) and women’s doubles (with Megan de Beer: 21-10, 20-22, 21-9) at the 2024 South African Badminton Championships in Cape Town. In 2025, she secured women’s doubles gold at the All Africa Senior Championships in Douala alongside Amy Ackerman (24-22, 21-10), playing a pivotal role in the All Africa Mixed Team Championships. Her year record shows consistency: singles: 6 played, 4 wins; doubles: 6 played, 6 wins; mixed doubles: 4 played, 3 wins.
Rumé Burger (Athletics)
At the senior ASA National Track and Field Championships in Potchefstroom, Rumé claimed gold in the senior women’s 200 m with a time of 23,49 seconds. At 17 years old she also took bronze in the senior 100m. At the 2025 ASA Junior Nationals in Cape Town, she won 200 m (23.69 s) and silver in the 100 m (11.75 s). During the SA Schools Championships in Bloemfontein, she broke the U17 100 m record twice (11.50 s in semis, 11.43 s in final) and set a new U17 200 m record with 23.35 s. She captured three national titles (U17 100 m, U17 200 m, senior 200 m) and earned her first national team selection for the CAA African U18 and U20 Championships in Nigeria, as the sole U18 athlete from the Free State in a 70-member squad.
Donna le Roux (Tennis)
Transitioning into senior women’s professional tennis in 2025, Donna played in six W-level ITF tournaments, winning two titles. With a senior-level record of 14 wins and 4 losses (77.8 % win rate), she excelled right out of the gate. In October 2024, she was crowned Tennis South Africa U18 Junior Masters Champion in Pretoria with a 6-2, 6-0 final.
Bambanani Mbane (Soccer)
On 7 July 2025, at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Bambanani was named woman of the match in SA’s 2 − 0 group-opener win over Ghana. She earned inclusion in the CAF Best XI as one of the top defenders. Domestically, she was named SAFJA Women’s Player of the Year and played a central role in Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies’ treble − securing the Hollywoodbets Super League, COSAFA CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers, and the inaugural CAF Women’s Champions League.
Kgalebane “Lydia” Mohlakoana (Soccer)
Kgalebane joined TP Mazembe in 2024, helping them win the CAF Women’s Champions League. In April 2025, she was recalled to the South African senior national team for friendlies against Malawi. She was later included in the final preliminary 28-player squad for the 2025 WAFCON and, as of 11 July 2025, had earned 23 caps for SA.
Karla Victor (Netball)
At just 18, Karla Victor is making waves in South African netball, taking up dual leadership roles and starring on the international stage.
Karla served as the youngest Puma Brand Ambassador in South Africa. Her appointment underscores both her on-court promise and off-court potential in representing elite sporting brands.
During the 2024–2025 season, Karla was appointed Vice-Captain of the South African Under-21 netball team – a testament to her leadership qualities at a young age.
In January 2025, Karla led from the front as SA U/21 toured Jamaica for a three-match international test series. South Africa emerged undefeated, winning all three matches.
September 2025 saw Karla take her leadership and playing ability to the SA U/21 World Cup in Gibraltar. As Vice-Captain, she helped steer South Africa to a fourth-place finish in the Netball Youth World Cup, narrowly missing out on a podium spot but reinforcing her status among the world’s rising netball talents.
Karla Victor
You must be logged in to post a comment.