Nominees for annual SA Sports Awards announced

Hashim Amla, who was last year's winner in the Sports Star of the Year category, is among the top names that will be voted for by the public through different voting mediums. However, Amla faces stern competition from Paralympics Gold Medallist Natalie du Toit. Others are Oscar Pistorius, who this year made history by competing at both the Olympics and Paralympics, and the man who brought the country's first gold medal at the Olympics, Chad le Clos. Siyabonga Nomvete, Caster Semenya and Vernon Philander are also strong contenders.

Nominees for best coach

Chad le Clos finds himself again competing with other stars for the Sportsman of the Year category against stiff competition from Cameron van der Burgh, Hashim Amla, Siyabonga Nomvete and Vernon Philander. The nominees for the Sportswoman of the Year are South African hockey captain, Marsha Marescia, Caster Semenya, Olympic Medallist Brigette Hartley and Portia Modise who has scored arguably the best goal of the Football Olympic Tournament.

The adjudication panel will find it hard to choose their overall winner in the Coach of the Year category. Nominees are the Proteas coach, Gary Kirsten, Joseph Mkhonza who took Banyana Banyana to the Olympic Games for the first time in the South African history, swimming coach Graham Hill, former Moroka Swallows coach and now Bafana Bafana mentor Gordon Igesund, and Stormers coach Allister Coetzee who took the team to the final of the Super 15.

Sportsman of the Year with Disability is competed for by Oscar Pistorius (athletics), Charl Bouwer (swimming), Lucas Sithole (wheelchair tennis), Arno Fourie (athletics) and Samkelo Radebe (athletics).

The organisers of the SA Sports Awards have set aside R3.7 million rand with the first prize of R1 million, plus a luxury car going to the Sports Star of the Year.