A former national soccer referee, sports administrator and special Olympics volunteer, Mr Samuel Maduwa, received a volunteer award in Special Olympics during the annual South Africa Sport Awards ceremony at Emperor's Palace a fortnight ago.
The awards' aim is to recognise and honour individuals and teams who havte excelled both on and off the field.
During the event, Sports Minister Thulas Nxesi said it was good for sportsmen and -women to be honoured at home by people who knew them. He paid tribute to all the sports people and told them that their talent must not end in South Africa, but that they must also achieve international acclaim.
The MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture in Limpopo, Ms Onnica Moloi, said during the event that she believed that Limpopo was the hub of stars. She said young people should participate in sports and follow the trail of Caster Semenya and other Limpopo athletes, who were honoured with the highest national awards.
Maduwa urged the community not to push disabled people away. "We want to show that the disabled can participate in any sport and we love and accept them in our houses and community." He urged parents to stop abusing these people and to stop using them as sources of income. He said that disability grants should be used in the way they were intended.