Finalists of Murray & Roberts sports awards announced

The awards, which are held in conjunction with the South African Sport Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), recognise the character and ideals of Jack Cheetham, a former director of Murray & Roberts and captain of the South African cricket team in the 1950s and reward those who contribute to the development of sport in South Africa.

The Jack Cheetham Award is for sports development projects for able-bodied persons, while the Letsema Award targets sports development projects for people with disabilities. "These Awards are the highlight of our year," says Murray & Roberts Group CEO, Henry Laas. "Over the past few decades we have made a positive difference in the lives of those who make a positive difference every day."

Olympic Gold Medallist

The Jack Cheetham Award finalists are Golden Lions Gymnastics, Paarl Canoe Club Development Programme, and Sedibeng Korfbal Region. The Letsema Award finalists are Judo Institute for Special Needs, Rowing for the Physically Disabled, and Shumbashaba Horses Helping People.

Previous winners of the Jack Cheetham Memorial Award include London 2012 Olympic Gold Medallist, Lawrence Ndlovu, who emerged from the 2002 award-winning Rowing South Africa's (RowSA) school transformation programme and Ross McGreath, 2010's winner who won for the Tiger Titans Cricket Club for youths from the impoverished Nolukanye township outside Bathurst in the Eastern Cape.

2011 Letsema award-winner Chaeli Mycroft recently won the International Children's Peace Prize from 1976 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Mairead Maguire.

Winners, runners-up and second-runners up each receive R500 000, payable over five years, R150 000, payable over three years and R75 000, payable over three years respectively.