The Best Newcomer Award for 2019 goes to...

Blake Govender was South Africa's flag-bearer at IESF's 11th World Championships - Seoul.

Every year at Mind Sports South Africa's (MSSA) Annual General Meeting (AGM), the member clubs have agonized over who should be awarded the Best Newcomer Award - well that is from 1987...

The award may only be awarded to the Registered Player who, in the eyes of the Annual General Meeting (AGM), has done exceptionally well in his/her initial stages of membership.

Blake Govender (Oakhill School) from the Western Cape has been awarded such award for the 2019 year.

Having excelled in many an official school championship and league event, Blake caught the eye of the Selection Committee which catapaulted him into the highest levels. However, none would have been possible without the support of the club as well as of the Educator-in-Charge, Diana Barnard.

Blake was selected to represent South Africa at IESF's 11th World Championships. His sportsmanship was a credit to South Africa, and he was selected to be South Africa's flag-bearer at tthe opening ceremony.

His achievements over the past year is an adventurous tale that may rank with most romances.

The total list of those awarded such prestigious award are as follows:

YEAR	BEST NEWCOMER	CLUB
2019	Blake Govender	Oakhill School
2018	Sebolelo Motlhabi	North West University - Vaal
2017	Simone Beck	Valhalla
2016	Joel van Wyk	All Stars
2015	Wynand Meiring	BeZerK Gaming
2014	Barry West	Knights Mind Sports Club
2013	Mohamed Wasim Lorgat	Energy eSports
2012	Lyrene Kűhn	Knights Mind Sports Club
2011	Robert Botha	PolarFluke
2010	Jonathan Grobler	Hillcrest Wargames Club
2009	Xola Magwaza	Knights Mind Sports Club
2008	Benjamin Williams	Pretoria Boys High School
2007	Jonathan Grobler	Hillcrest Wargames Club
2006	Werner Buter	Maritzburg Christian School
2005	Thembile Nquezo	Castrol Team
2004	Jonathan Newman	Maritzburg Christian School
2003	Simphiwe Maphumulo	Alexandra High School
2002	Teresa Chen	Maritzburg Girls' High
2001	David Scholtz	Maritzburg Griffons
2000	Attilla Molnar	Westville Historical and Military Modelling Society
1999	Andre Tonkin	Krugersdorp High School
1998	Rudolph Joubert	Peninsula Wargames Group
1997	Thembinkosi Hambiyane	Gauteng Draughts Association
1996	Richard Ligault	Technikon Witwatersrand
1995	Jaco Vermeulen	Potchefstroom Krygspele Vereeniging
1994	Damien Enslin	Peninsula Wargames Group
1993	David Smith	Old Edwardian Wargames Club
1992	Jethro Marks	Old Edwardian Wargames Club
1991	David Young	Northern Suburbs Wargames Club
1990	Dennis White	Easterns Wargames Group
1989	Bruce Cahill	Easterns Wargames Group
1988	Grant Casey	Johannesburg Wargames Society
1987	Hal Couzens	Johannesburg Wargames Society

Also read:

• Esports titles selected for all MSSA's Premier Provincial and National Championships.
• Esports titles selected for all MSSA's School Championships.
• Esports titles selected for all MSSA's Student championships.
• 2020 Calendar of Events
• The various events held by Mind Sports South Africa.
• Why schools and universities should invest in esports.
• New National Team Selection Criteria