Annual Awards 2017

The 2017 Shotokan-ZA Annual Awards took place on Saturday, 02 September 2017 at the Kyalami Country Club.

A word from our Chairperson, Sensei Elmarie van Zyl:

We thank you for your unwavering and loyal support over the past two years, we congratulate you on your achievements and we wish you the very best of luck in your future participation in the sport of karate.

I would also like to thank the members of the Executive Management Committee for all your help in running SZA. Without you, it would not be possible to host an event like today.

Mr Urs Honegger, our Master of Ceremonies, thank you for being here. We most appreciate it.

The ideal would be for the ceremony to be much earlier in the year as we acknowledge the achievements of the previous year.  However, since we are still a young organization and in view thereof that this is our first one, the decision was taken at the beginning of the year to hold it only in September, also due to the very busy schedule we had so far.  The plan is to hold this event in future, as early as February.

We are here today to award the achievements of our students, but also the hard work and effort put into reaching their goals.  Shotokan South Africa is very fortunate to have such a large number of talented individuals.  Looking back at the achievements of our athletes in 2016, I think the Organization was able to achieve one of its goals, namely to—

“diligently invest time and effort in the training of its members, presenting the necessary opportunities for each individual member to fulfil his or her own potential to the fullest extent in his or her participation in karate.”

However, the award a student receives today, does not automatically put him or her on the invitation list next year. Remember there are many karatekas at the dojos, training hard for this opportunity.

2017 SZA Annual Awards for the 2016 Achievements 

Awards: Officials – Presented by Sensei Ryan Bateman

  1. Sensei Mari du Preez
  2. Sensei Henk du Preez
  3. Sensei Casper Dreyer
  4. Sensei Lisel Steyn
  5. Sensei Marjolein Lewis
  6. Sensei Sampie van Zyl
  7. Sensei Elmarie van Zyl

Awards: Junior Colours – Presented by Sensei George Modikwe; Sensei Henk du Preez and Sensei JJ Maasberg

  1. Daniel Nunes – SZA National Gold medallist in Kata and Basic Kumite
  2. Caleb Stirling – SZA National Gold medallist in Kata and Basic Kumite
  3. Dheeya Patel – UWKFSA National Gold Medallist in Kata; SZA National Gold Medallist in Basic Kumite
  4. Shané du Plooy – SZA National Gold Medallist in Kata
  5. Shannon Olivier – UWKFSA National Gold medallist in Free Style Kumite; SZA Gold Medallist in Basic Kumite and Unison Kata
  6. Camdon Pillay – SZA National Gold medallist in Kata and Basic Kumite
  7. Demira Naran – SZA National Gold medallist in Basic Kumite
  8. Gerard van Helsdingen – SZA National Gold medallist in Basic Kumite
  9. Kritvi Mistri – SZA National Gold medallist in Kata and Basic Kumite
  10. Viksha Mistri – SZA National Gold medallist in Basic Kumite
  11. Danielle Martin – UWKFSA National Gold medallist in Free Style Kumite; SZA National Gold medallist in Kata, Free Style Kumite and Unison Kata
  12. Stefan Schönborn – SZA National Gold medallist in Kata, Grand Champion Kata and Unison Kata
  13. Shanay Naran – SZA National Gold medallist in Free Style Kumite
  14. Ricko van Zyl – SZA National Gold medallist in Kata and Free Style Kumite
  15. Simoné Meyer – SZA National Gold medallist in Unison Kata
  16. Chanae van Zyl – SZA National Gold medallist in Free Style Kumite
  17. Nianza Tshabalala – UWKFSA National Gold medallist in Kata
  18. Bronwyn Lewis – SZA National Gold medallist in Basic Kumite
  19. Bryce Hornby – SZA National Gold medallist in Kata, Basic Kumite and Free Style Kumite
  20. Cody Scholtz – SZA National Gold medallist in Kata
  21. Chloë Claassen – SZA National Gold medallist in Kata and Basic Kumite
  22. Zanel van der Westhuizen – SZA National Gold medallist in Kata
  23. Nico Prins – UWKFSA National Gold medallist in Kata; SZA National Gold medallist in Kata and Grand Champion Kata

Awards: Half Colours – Presented by Sensei Casper Dreyer

  1. Sanet Claassen – SZA National Gold medallist in Kata
  2. Mari du Preez – UWKFSA National Gold medallist in Kata; SZA National Gold medallist in Kata
  3. Henk du Preez – SZA National Gold medallist in Free Style Kumite
  4. Ryan Bateman – UWKFSA National Gold medallist in Free Style kumite; SZA National Gold medallist in Grand Champion Kata and Team Kumite
  5. Sampie van Zyl –  UWKFSA National Gold medallist in Kata and Free Style Kumite; SZA National medallist in Kata

Awards: Trophies for the Best Individuals in the different age categories – Presented by Sensei Elmarie van Zyl

  1. Best Female u/13yrs – Danielle Martin
  2. Best Male u/13yrs – Stefan Schönborn
  3. Best Male u/18yrs – Bryce Hornby
  4. Best Male Seniors – Ryan Bateman
  5. Best Female Veterans – Mari du Preez
  6. Best Male Veterans – Sampie van Zyl

Awards : Floating trophies for the Best Individuals in Kata and Kumite in the different age categories – Presented by Sensei Marjolein Lewis and Sensei Lisel Steyn

  1. KATA u/13yrs – Stefan Schönborn
  2. KUMITE u/13yrs – Shanay Naran
  3. KATA u/18yrs – Nico Prins
  4. KUMITE u/18yrs – Bryce Hornby
  5. KATA Seniors – Ryan Bateman
  6. KUMITE Seniors – Ryan Bateman
  7. KATA Veterans – Mari du Preez
  8. KUMITE Veterans – Sampie van Zyl
  9. KUMITE Masters – Henk du Preez

Dan Certificates – Presented by Sensei Sampie van Zyl and Sensei Mari du Preez

  1. Natalie Stirling – SHODAN
  2. Nico Prins – NIDAN
  3. James Junior Maasberg – NIDAN
  4. George Modikwe – SANDAN
  5. Elmarie van Zyl – ROKUDAN