Full Circle: Melody Miya Returns to UJ to Celebrate Sporting Excellence
It’s a full-circle moment for renowned sports presenter and media personality Melody Miya, who will return to his alma mater, the University of Johannesburg (UJ), to host the UJ Sports Gala Awards on Friday, November 14th.
The annual awards ceremony celebrates sporting excellence and recognizes student-athletes, coaches, and teams who have represented the institution with pride and distinction.
For Miya, the moment carries deep personal meaning as a proud UJ alumnus with a Sports Management Honours degree, and having been a lecturer within the same department, he returns to celebrate the very environment that shaped his journey.
When asked how he feels about this moment, Miya shared:
“Words fail me, I entered UJ as a young man who didn’t know where the next destination was for my life but with merely this ball of energy, this heart of gratitude that I finally get my own room to identity myself not based on what I don’t have but on what I am willing to do to actually achieve and excel.” He said.
“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to showcase to fellow students that there is nothing impossible in the world of a believer in a great environment.”
Reflecting on the significance of hosting the awards and his academic background, he said:
“Sport management as a course gave me a great idea of what it truly means to be in the business of sports from Human Anatomy to facility management to later leadership development. To see the number of UJ Graduates who are now the elite athletes and players across sports codes and understand the 360 cycle is just a rare site for many!”
“ The UJ Sports Gala Awards, celebrating 20 years of excellence of UJ is an honor considering how many great legends who have been through the Orange tank yet I am among the privileged to present them alongside alumni Kate Nokwe.”
As UJ celebrates 20 years of excellence, Miya’s journey stands as a reflection of how the institution continues to nurture talent, leadership, and purpose.
“The University of Johannesburg has to at the center of my transition from being a shy young man who struggled to speak to 2/3 people to leading 90 000 people at FNB Stadium, I was the one who never believed in what I thought and seemed validation to hosting Africa’s biggest Youth Daily Talk Show on SABC 1 – Daily Thetha and most importantly, I taught me the power of community, being a helper, being a neighbour, being an honorable man in Society.”
“Sports saved my life and from playing, studying and living in it 15 years later after my 1 st year, I would do it all over again given the opportunity thanks to University of Johannesburg.”
Known for his infectious energy and passion for sports, Melody Miya’s return to UJ as the host of the Sports Gala Awards perfectly captures the essence of homecoming, gratitude, and giving back. As the university marks two decades of impact, Miya’s story serves as an inspiring reminder of how sport and education can transform lives and how true excellence always comes full circle.