The 15-year-old local football assistant referee, Awonke Fani, from Manzana Village in Engcobo, has been named in a group of match officials who will officiate at the 2022 South African School Sports Championships, scheduled for July 11-15 in Benoni and Kempton Park, in the Gauteng Province.
The SA School Sports Championships, also known as Winter Games, are organised by the Department of Basic Education in partnership with the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture.
The young referee passed his first ever provincial referees’ fitness test that was held in KwaBhaca in May with flying colours and will represent the Chris Hani District in Gauteng.
The Engcobo-born referee was one of the officials who handled the final of SAB Regional League District play-offs between MK Academy and Xalanga Blues in Komani earlier this month.
The Grade 8 learner at Engcobo Village Senior Secondary School is one of the promising talents from the region and has mastered the art of running up and down the line.
SAFA Chris Hani vice president, Mzwamadoda Vonya, who is also responsible for referees in the region, praised Fani on his appointment.
“This is a good reward for the boy. He has been delivering consistency in excellence over the last couple of months,” said Vonya.
“It is also a good reminder for our region that we are doing things right and a good motivation for all the referees involved to keep delivering best efforts.
“To be rated among the best referees on the national stage is a big feat, and this is a just reward for all his hard work and discipline. We want to congratulate him and wish him the best of luck, I am confident he will represent us well.”
The SA School Sports Championships enable the government to deliver on its strategic objective of increasing the participation of sport and recreation from grass roots level to national, through a structured pathway for sport and the development of South African youth.
