Volleyball South Africa’s (VSA) President, Anthony Kamohelo Mokoena was a popular choice among the ten members states to become the Zone V1 Vice President in the 2020 elections.
It came as no surprise when the delegates backed Mokoena as the Zone V! second in charge when the Zone hosted its 2020 Elective Congress virtually in November. The Zonal Elective Congress was graced by the newly elected President of CAVB, Madam Bouchra Hajij from Morocco.
After the election results were announced an emotional Anthony Mokoena reflected on his involvement in volleyball that spanned a 32 year period when he started his career as a manager of the Mickey Mouse Volleyball Club that catered for both boys and girls.
Given Mokoena’s managerial and administrative expertise the Free State Volleyball Association convinced him to serve as its Development Director, a crucial portfolio that spearheads programmes to grow the sport in the Free State Province.
Coming into regular contact with youngsters who were passionate about playing the sport at club level prompted Anthony Mokoena to start his own club in 1995, the 76ers a broad based club comprising youth girls and boys and women and men. The club went on to participate at district, provincial and national competitions over the years.
When the new millennium was ushered in it heralded a new beginning for Mokoena. In 2001 from the position of the Free State’s Development Director he was elected to the top provincial position of President. In 2002 Mokoena was elected as Volleyball South Africa’s Development Director. Six years later in 2008 he was elected as VSA’s Vice President.
As an executive member of VSA Mokoena served the organisation as a manager of various national teams for a number of years at international competitions on the African continent and in Asia.
In 2009 Anthony Mokoena had the privilege of being appointed as the Head Coach of the SAPS National Women’s Team for the prestigious Police and Fire Games hosted in Vancouver, Canada.
In 2013 Mokoena was elected as the Vice President of the SAPS National Volleyball Executive.
The long journey to the top position of Volleyball South Africa’s Executive shortened drastically when the VSA membership gave Mokoena the thumbs up sign in the run up to the 2016 elections. They went on to elect Mokoena unanimously as the President of the National Federation (VSA).
For Anthony Mokoena the crowning glory came in 2018 when he was pitted against an illustrious line up of sports administrators in the Free State for the title of, “Administrator of the Year”. Given Mokoena’s track record as an outstanding volleyball administrator in the Free State and his accomplishments as the first Black President of Volleyball South Africa the organisers had no hesitation in honouring him with the accolade of ‘Administrator of the Year’ in the Free State.
As the President of VSA seeking a 2nd term in office Mokoena has set his sights on transforming the sport as per the Government’s Transformation Charter at the level of the executive, national team officials and in the national teams. Mokoena makes it know all the time that he is passionate about the growth of female players and in particular women serving at all levels of administration: district, provincial and national levels.
According to the VSA President plans are afoot to usher in the changes recommended by the Government.
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DONOVAN NAIR
VSA SG
Please help me to “grow the game”