THE GIFT OF SPORT: Thomas Mlambo takes you through December

Ahead of the first weekend of action in December, we have a festive gift for you - Mr Football, Thomas Mlambo! Get to know the presenter extraordinaire a little bit better as he takes us through his journey, and what he's excited about on the SuperSport channels this Xmas month.

Who are you and what do you do?

I'm Thomas Mlambo, and I'm a sports broadcaster on all platforms - from TV to radio, and now on social media to well over a million followers. Essentially, I I talk sport...

Take us through your SuperSport journey

As a law student at the Rand Afrikaans University (now UJ) and as a footballer at Wits University FC development structures, I saw an ad in the newspaper classifieds, and it said 'looking for a TV sports presenter'.

I called the employment agency, and they recommended me to SuperSport and after about six months of screening and auditions, I became SuperSport's first black South African sports presenter.

And I've never looked back, and I've also never worked today in my life, love what I do. The passion has never died.

Which sports do you enjoy watching and why?

I enjoy watching football and then I guess rugby, because it's kind of the greatest team sport on earth. There's room for individual superstars, but you've got to do it as a team. Otherwise, you lose as individuals

Those would be the ones I enjoy the most, but I enjoy all sport, you know. I love the contest, I love the stories, but those would be pretty much top of the list.

SuperSport turns 30 this year. What was your sports highlight from the past 30 years?

2010 people woke up because Africa showed the world the most memorable World Cup for colour and festivities. And for football, our rhythm, as Africans and as South Africans, the world's danced and cheered to football to an African beat.

And I was at the centre of it. I was hosting, I was broadcasting. Oh, it was amazing, so yes, 2010.

But I can't give you one because WAYDE...!!

He has a 74-year-old Granny coach - Tannie Ans - and he breaks the world record at the Olympics in Rio in 2016!

His time of 43.03secs - I mean, that only makes sense to us South African, right? Like, you can't understand that back story if you're not South African, because crazy things happen here. Amazing, but crazy things.

And then I'm going to say - and probably cheating here - but Messi v Ronaldo over a decade. Oh, that was just great.

And then Messi wins the World Cup, and joins Maradona in the seat. Maybe they share the seat, the Greatests of all Time. Yeah, the last 30 years have been epic.

Share a personal highlight from your time at SuperSport?

I have to go way back, and I'm going to say that it's probably the bid to host the World Cup in South Africa. Not the failed bid, but the successful bid because as a young presenter and sports anchor (and journalist of sorts), I had the opportunity to travel with Dr Irvin Khoza and Danny Jordaan for over a year and visit the 24 FIFA executive members who were going to make the decision.

And I had to get the story I had to do the interviews, try and bring something back from every trip for a show that we were doing on SuperSport, called 'Bid Diaries'.

It was a very, very, very proud moment, and I was in the room when Sepp Blatter opened the envelope at FIFA headquarters with uTata - Nelson Mandela - in the room as well, and he said "South Africa".

I mean that story that was just perfection from start to finish, and I was there the entire way. I had the best seat in the house. And to tell the story, ah, wow, that was amazing.

What’s your guilty viewing pleasure?

You've gonna be surprised, but it's athletics. There is nothing better than athletes doing their thing. It doesn't need interpretation. It doesn't need referees, really, especially when you're on the track.

It's just you ran faster, you jumped higher or further, you threw it past everyone. I love athletics - I don't miss a single Diamond League or World Athletics Grand Prix event.

I even remember back in the 90s when I went to the Joburg Stadium to watch Linford Christie run under 10 seconds. It gave me goosebumps. I couldn't believe it, seeing someone run that fast.

Athletics is literally one of my favourite things to do, a massive guilty pleasure. If I can't watch it live, I'm recording it.

Looking at all the sports happening in December – what will you be watching?

Decembers used to be fairly quiet - not any more!

Last round of Champions League, lots of Premier League, and of course Afcon! Cannot wait to see how Broos and the boys do in Morocco.

SA20 starts early, so we can see all that action from Boxing Day, but before that we have Temba, Aidan and the rest of the Proteas wrapping up the ODI and T20 series in India.

Looking forward to seeing our Boks back in action in the Champions Cup and URC tournaments, and the F1 comes to an unbelievable finale on 7 December in Abu Dhabi. How amazing has that title race turned out?!

I do love my golf, so watching the pros in the NGC and Alfred Dunhill will be great, and then there's the final two episodes of MVP Talent Search, so I get to see who my future colleagues are! That finale is on 14 December, don't miss it....

-------------------------------