Hot on the heels of Dimension Data’s success at a number of international tours, team manager Douglas Ryder has been recognised for his contributions at the Sports Industry Awards in Johannesburg on Thursday night.
Ryder, who stepped up as team manager last year, received the sports industry personality of the year award.
Dimension Data’s team manager Douglas Ryder won the sport industry personality of the year award. Photo: Sport Industry Awards
The award recognised work in the business of sport, specifically focusing on individuals who had had a distinguished year in the industry. Nomination criteria included someone who had shown their sport in a positive light and had used PR, marketing or social media to bring about positive change.
For Ryder, that meant taking his team to the biggest cycling race in the world (Tour de France), where they won five stages, and being registered as a World Tour Team in the premier division, which has been extended to 2019. The team was also the fifth most winning team in the World Tour in 2016
This year the team have had strong performances, most recently at Giro d’Italia. Their Spanish rider Omar Fraile currently wears the maglia azzurra and the team has had a number of top ten finishes throughout the stages.
Ryder was nominated alongside paddling pioneer Hank McGregor, Cape Town City FC founder John Comitis and netball Mimi Mthethwa-Zulu.
A full list of awards can be viewed below:
Participation Event of the Year: Parkrun South Africa
Best New Sponsorship: New Balance – Proteas
Best African Sponsorship: SportPesa Super8 League
Best Use of PR: New Balance Feel the Fire
Sport Industry Personality of the Year: Douglas Ryder
Creative Activation of the Year: Audi Bowling Lab
Cutting Edge Sport: Absa Cape Epic
Best use of Social Media: SuperSport Euro 2016
Best Sponsorship of a team or Individual: BrightRock associate sponsorship of Western Province Rugby
Brand of the Year: New Balance
Commercial of the Year: Cricket South Africa – Fireball
Development Programme of the Year: Royal Bafokeng Jr. NBA Programme
Best Sponsorship of an Event or Competition: New Balance Made for Comrades Best Live Experience: SA Rugby HSBC Cape Town Sevens 2016
Digital Platform of the Year: SuperSport Pan-African
Campaign of the Year: SportPesa Made of Winners
Agency of the Year: Levergy
Leadership in Sport Business: Haroon Lorgat
Campaign of the Year: New Balance Feel the Fire
Sportsperson’s Lifetime Contribution Award to Community and Development: Gary Player
