The Institute held its Sports, Arts and Culture awards at the historic Mgolombane Hall on Thursday, 06 November 2025

The occasion served to celebrate the incredible athletic & competition achievements of Fort Cox’s student athletes.

As sports teaches valuable lessons about teamwork, perseverance, and pushing one’s limits, the awards were about recognizing victory, the spirit of sportsmanship and personal growth.

Under the theme of the day: There’s no “I” in team, the take home was to be a successful team, one must understand that personal strengths, combined with those of teammates create something far more powerful than any single person could achieve alone.

Guest Speaker for the day and former Fort Cox Student Msimelelo Baleni, said teamwork extends beyond working together during games or practices. It involves supporting each other off the field too and lifting a teammate when they’re struggling, celebrating their successes as if they were your own, and always having each other’s backs.

Baleni, who is also the Acting Manager at Fort Cox’s Centre for Entrepreneurship, Incubation & Rural Development, added that great teams don’t just happen; they are built & formed through shared experiences, wins & losses, early morning practices & late-night strategy sessions. They come together when individuals decide to set aside their egos and work towards a common goal.

“To our awards recipients, wear your achievements with pride, but let them also serve as a reminder of your capabilities.

Let this success fuel your ambition and drive you to reach even greater heights and remember, this is not the end of your journey, but a steppingstone to future accomplishments,” said Baleni.

The main awards of the day were awarded as follows:

Team Manager of the year – Nomaindia Bakajana

Sports Personality of the year – Cheikh Samb

Team of the Year – Rugby Squad

Coach of the Year – Phumzile Mani

Sportswoman of the year – Sinoxolo Dubase

Sportsman of the year – Makadunyiswe Vundle