Springbok Women Latsha Features As Triple Finalist In gsport Awards

August 3, 2020

BRAKPAN, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 13: Babalwa Latsha of South Africa during the Women's World Cup qualifier match between Kenya and Uganda at Bosman Stadium on August 13, 2019 in Brakpan, South Africa. (Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images)

Springbok Women’s prop Babalwa Latsha on Saturday topped the list of finalists in the 15th edition of the annual Momentum gsport Awards featuring in the Momentum Athlete of the year, Woman of the Year and Global Woman in Sport categories.

Her Springbok Women’s team-mate, centre Zinhle Ndawonde, meanwhile, is a finalist in the Style Star category.

Latsha led the Springbok Women’s team to victory in the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in Johannesburg in 2019, which guaranteed their place in the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, and she made history earlier this year by becoming the first South African woman to play professional rugby after signing a three-month contract with Spanish club SD Eibar Femenino.

Unfortunately for Latsha, her stay in Spain was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Latsha will go up against two-time Paralympian, Anrune Weyers, and reigning South African women’s surfski champion and canoeist, Hayley Nixon, for the Momentum Athlete of the Year award, while she will compete with golf and rowing administrators, Sarah Braude and Virginia Mabaso, in the Woman of the Year category.

The three finalists in the Global Women in Sport category are Latsha, 2019 Netball World Cup Player of the Tournament, Karla Pretorius, and Proteas star batter, Mignon du Preez.

The winners will be determined following a public voting process on the gsport Voting Hall at www.gsport.co.za/voting, which closes on Monday, 10 August at 18h00, while the winners will be announced on Monday, 31 August.