Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema, Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE offices of the Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) have been a hive of activity and overall excitement as the sports’ governing body has been putting the final touches for today’s Annual National Sports Awards (Ansa).
The prestigious awards show will tonight make their grand return after a five-hiatus, with the ceremony scheduled to be held at the Cresta Lodge, Msasa.
“Yes, we are generally excited and we have been busy putting up the final touches for the awards ceremony,” said the SRC’s public relations officer, Arthur Choga.
“We are ready for the show, with the venue booked and all the athletes and nominees confirmed.”
Piet Benade and his Zimbabwe Sables team are set to headline this year’s awards as they were among the major talking points to come out of the nominees’ list.
Benade is vying for the Coach of the Year award, while his Zimbabwe Sables team will tussle it out for the Team of the Year.
Benade is set to battle it out with the duo of Elliot Mujaji and Triathlon’s Pamela Fulton in the Coach of the Year category, while the Sables are up against the Lady Chevrons in the team event.
Other big names on the list include the duo of Olympian Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba, who will battle it out for the Sportsman of the Year award together with Zimbabwe tennis ace, Benjamin Lock.
A total of 12 categories and awards will be up for the taking with the main categories being the Junior Sportsman and Woman, Sportsman and Woman, Team and Coach of the Year.
This is in addition to the acknowledgment awards, which will be unveiled and awarded tonight, as has become the norm.
In accordance with this year’s theme, “Setting the gold standard” the SRC have introduced a couple of new categories in an attempt to breathe new life into the awards.
These include the boxing categories, which will be chosen by a separate committee that includes Stalin Mau Mau, Patrick Mukondiwa and renowned boxing reporter Gilbert Munetsi.
This comes against the backdrop of the arrival of the Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board as a partner in the awards.
Another change is the addition of the “People’s Choice Award,” which puts the power back into the hands of the fans.
Voting for this category has been done strictly via social media, with the winner set to be announced tonight also.
This year’s People’s Choice Award’ attracted 15 athletes from as many as 12 disciplines and will be headlined by the trio of Zimbabwe Chevrons’ talisman Sikandar Raza, France-based basketball star Vitalis Chikoko and Zimbabwe Warriors and Scottland midfielder, Khama Billiat.
The other nominees include Paige Van Der Westhuizen (swimming), Sasha Chimedza (tennis), Makarawu (athletics), Tapiwa Mafura (rugby), Benjamin Lock (tennis), Kellis Ndlovu (cricket), Isaac Mpofu (athletics), Scott Vincent (golf), Felistus Kwangwa (netball), Temba Gorimbo (mixed martial arts), Chido Maenzanise (strong man) and Kudakwashe Chiwandire (boxing). Despite qualifying for the Afcon finals in Morocco in December, the Warriors missed out because they qualified outside the qualifying period, which was 1 January to 14 October, 2024.
