Manyuchi retains award

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
WORLD welterweight boxing champion Charles Manyuchi last night retained his Sportsperson of the Year award during the Annual National Sports Award banquet held in Harare.

Rower Kyle Hinde was named Junior Sportsman of the Year, while the senior national netball team beat the Olympics bound women’s national soccer team, the Mighty Warriors, to the Team of the Year accolade.

Senior netball team coach Ledwin Dondo was also named Coach of the Year.

For his effort, Manyuchi walked away with $5,000 while Hinde pocketed $2,500.

Manyuchi won the top one ahead of swimming sensation Kirsty Coventry, who grabbed three gold medals at the African Games, but it was probably the boxer’s defeat of Italian Ginanculla Frezza in Italy that won him the award.

The banquet also saw five legendary sportspersons, the late former Dynamos great Freddy Mkwesha, Bernard Dzomba (athletics), Patricia Molly Pretorius (tennis), Gay Alison Erskine (squash) and John Keyter (swimming) being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Winners

Sportsman of the Year: Charles Manyuchi (boxing)

Sportswoman of the Year: Helen Costa Sinclair (bodybuilding)

Junior sportsperson of the Year: Tanyaradzwa Muzinda (motor racing)

Junior Sportsman of the Year: Kyle Hinde (rowing)

Junior Sportswoman of the Year: Tanyaradzwa Muzinda (motor racing)

Junior Sportswoman of the Year with a disability: Nyasha Karima (athletics T13 Special Olympics)

Junior Sportsman of the Year with a disability: Michael Mudyanadzo (golf Special Olympics)

Sportswoman of the Year with a disability: Dadirai Jack (golf Special Olympics)

Sportsman of the Year with a disability: Lucky Chitembe (athletics T12)

Team of the Year: Senior National Netball Team

Coach of the Year: Ledwin Dondo (Senior Netball Team)