Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
AFTER weeks of anticipation, Zimbabwean sport’s Grammy night is now here with the Annual National Sports Awards gala set for this evening in Harare.
The staging of the event will also end nerves that have been building among the nominees and the organisers, and Sports and Recreation Commission media manager Arthur Choga acknowledged as much.
“As with any major event, in the build up to it, actors, athletes and everybody who has to get onto a stage will tell you that nerves come with the territory,” said Choga.
“There are bound to be nerves, but we are confident that we are going to put on a show.
“The event will go on well, and the preparations that we put in will help us put on a show that lives up to the gold standard, as that is the theme for this year.
“Preparations have gone on quite well as we have been working tirelessly with our partners, pulling our minds and energy together to ensure we have a flawless event,” he said.
The 2025 ANSA promises to be a very compelling event with some obvious favourites and some unpredictable categories.
Among those who are a shoo-in to walk the podium are the Zimbabwe Sables and their coach Piet Benade.
They were nominated for the Team and Coach of the Year, respectively, following the Sables’ successful defence of their Africa Cup title in Uganda, which qualified them for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
The Sables will be up against the Zimbabwe Chevrons and the Under-21 ladies hockey team.
The Chevrons had a near-flawless campaign to qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup that was held in India and Sri Lanka back in February.
Sadly, their exploits at the World Cup tournament are now included in their case as they fell outside the ANSA window period, which is January to December 2025.
The Chevrons made the Super Eight stage of the competition with Brian Bennett and Blessing Muzarabani among their top performers.
At the World Cup, Zimbabwe beat Australia, co-hosts Sri Lanka and Oman.
It was the same scenario which has prevented Zimbabwe’s 4×400-metre relay team from contention.
The team, which consists of Gerren Muwishi, Dennis Hove, Leeford Zuze and Thandazani Ndhlovu, had a big start to the 2026 season where they qualified for the World Athletics Relay Championships in Gaborone, Botswana.
Although they broke a national record during the heats when they finished with a time of 2 minutes 59.01 seconds, the relay team would have to contend for the 2026 accolades.
“The awards season has always and will always have its own question marks.
“However, we do try to ensure that the integrity of the process protects the awards.
“For the Annual National Sports Awards, just to recap, we issue out a call to the national sports associations to submit their nominations of their top performers.
“We then have a team of adjudicators, who sit and go through these nominations to come up with a long list that is then trimmed to a short one, which we unveiled a few weeks ago.
“As the list gets shorter, teams and individuals fall out.” Choga also indicated that such individuals, like Brian Bennett, whose exploits fell outside the window would, however, be in the running for the People’s Choice Award, which makes a return after its introduction last year. Another hotly contested award in this year’s edition is the Sportsman of the Year, and it is here that Chevrons captain Sikandar Raza will be going up against speed merchant Tapiwanashe Makarawu.
The US-based sprinter is also set to fight for his second consecutive Sports-person of the Year gong alongside Raza and tennis player Sasha Chimedza.
Makarawu had another outstanding season, walking away with the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor 200m titles last year.
The Zimbabwean 200m record holder went on to reach the finals at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
He finished seventh, proving his sixth-place finish at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was not a fluke.
He was crowned the overall Athlete of the Year at the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe 2025 Excellence Awards in Bindura to cap off an impressive season.
Raza opened the year by getting shortlisted for the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year based on his stellar 2024 performance.
He then reached the number one spot in the ICC ODI all-rounder rankings for the first time in early 2025.
Raza, later also, achieved the world number one T20I all-rounder ranking in late 2025.
The 15 include Vimbayi Maisvoreva, Tapiwanashe Makarawu, Isaac Mpofu, Makanakaishe Charamba (athletics), Sikandar Raza, Brian Bennett (cricket), Kudzai Mashawi (rugby), Wilfred Mashaya (martial arts), Chido Maenzanise (strength sports), Sasha Chimedza (tennis), Marshall Munetsi, Tawanda Maswanhise, Emmanuel Jalai (football), Beavan Sibanda (boxing) and Thandazile Ndlovu (netball).
ANSA Nominees:
Sportswoman of the Year
Sasha Chimedza — Tennis Zimbabwe
Rutendo Tom — Tennis Zimbabwe
Chido Maenzanise — Zimbabwe Strongman Federation
Sportsman of the Year
Tapiwanashe Makarawu — National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe
Sikandar Raza — Zimbabwe Cricket
Wilfred Mashaya — Zimbabwe Karate Union
Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability
Thandiwe Ndlovu — Zimbabwe National Paralympic Committee
Stella Jongwe — Zimbabwe National Paralympic Committee
Moleen Majoni — Zimbabwe National Paralympic Committee
Sportsman of the Year with a Disability
Sellai Chiwisa — Special Olympics Zimbabwe
Simbarashe Mushayi — Special Olympics Zimbabwe
Samson Muroyiwa — Special Olympics Zimbabwe
Junior Sportswoman of the Year
Ruvarashe Makunike — Tennis Zimbabwe
Anje Van As — Zimbabwe Aquatics
Rachel O’Donoghue — Triathlon Zimbabwe
Junior Sportsman of the Year
Joel Badza — Tennis Zimbabwe
Rohnan Nicholson — Cycling Zimbabwe
Zander Botha — Triathlon Zimbabwe
Junior Sportswoman with a Disability
Ashley Mudzukira — Special Olympics Zimbabwe
Makanaka Kaiyo — Special Olympics Zimbabwe
Tawananyasha Mlanda — Special Olympics Zimbabwe
Junior Sportsman with a Disability
Ryan Chigwedere — Special Olympics Zimbabwe
Isaac Gutu — Special Olympics Zimbabwe
Spelogy Kachembere — Special Olympics Zimbabwe
Technical Sports Official of the Year
Collen Jimu — National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe
Precious Pazani — Zimbabwe Rugby Union
Friedlander Kadzombe — Tennis Zimbabwe
Team of the Year
Hockey U21 Ladies — Hockey Association of Zimbabwe
Rugby Senior Men’s Sables — Zimbabwe Rugby Union
Cricket Chevrons Men’s T20 Team — Zimbabwe Cricket
Coach of the Year
Wilfred Mashaya — Zimbabwe Karate Union
Pieter Benade — Zimbabwe Rugby Union
Justin Sammons — Cricket Zimbabwe
Professional Boxing and Wrestling Promoter
Lindsay Earle — Boxing
Prosper Chibaya — Boxing
Outstanding Professional Female Boxer
Tarisai Mutsau — Boxing
Monica Mkandla — Boxing
Outstanding Professional Male Boxer
Tinashe Majoni — Boxing
Ndabezihle Phiri — Boxing
Beaven Sibanda — Boxing
Junior Sportsperson of the Year Award
Zander Botha — Triathlon Zimbabwe
Ruvarashe Makunike — Tennis Zimbabwe
Makanaka Kaiyo — Special Olympics Zimbabwe
Sportsperson of the Year
Tapiwanashe Makarawu — National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe
Sasha Chimedza — Tennis Zimbabwe
Sikandar Raza — Zimbabwe Cricket
