As BNSC, BNOC hosts Annual Sports Awards
TLOTLO KEBINAKGABO
Local sports persons from across different sporting codes will this Saturday be awarded for their hard-work in the field during the 39th edition of Annual Sports Awards. The glamorous sporting awards are scheduled for Ba Isago Convention Centre.
Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) has been hosting the annual sports awards aptly dubbed The Night of The Stars, since 1981, intermittently partnering with various corporate players to host awards ceremonies for the sake of recognizing attainment by active athletes from across the spectrum of sporting disciplines in the country.
As it has always been the case in the previous years, the awards to look for in the night are the sportsman, sportswoman and sportsperson of the year. The sportsman of the year award have pitted karateka Ofentse Bakwadi against 400m athlete Baboloki Thebe and Phemelo Khetho of Chess.
Bakwadi’s achievements last year include a bronze medal during the Commonwealth Karate Championships and attaining a silver medal during the Africa Karate Championships. Thebe on the other hand won a bronze medal in 400m at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and a gold at the Africa Senior Athletics Championships.
Khetho completes the sportsman of the year nominees,he secured a silver medal at the Zone 4.3 Chess Championships and also qualified for the World Chess Olympiad.
The sportswoman of the year remains another category to look for on Saturday. It has put together Christine Botlogetswe of athletics (400m), Thabang Maleke of karate and volleyball player Gaoleseletse Gasekgongwe.
Botlogetswe’s previous year achievements include scooping a silver medal at the Africa Senior Athletics Championships and finishing fourth at the GoldCoast Commonwealth Games. Maleke on the other hand settled for a silver medal in kumite at the Commonwealth Karate Championships. Gasekgongwe on the other hand played a instrumental part on her team (Mag Stimela)’s 2018 Mascom Volleyball League success.
Meanwhile, the sportsperson of the year accolade has no nominees and it is announced on the night of the awards. The award was scooped by a badminton umpire in Emmanuel Kgaboetsile last year ultimately breaking athletics’s dominance in winning the award.
Awards nominees list
Junior female sports-person of the year:Entle Maungwa (Karate), Besa Masaite (Chess) and Oarabile Tshosa (Athletics)
Junior male sports-person of the year:James Freeman(Swimming), Bernard Olesitse (Athletics), Denzel Seetso (Tennis)
Sports administrator of the year:Tshepho Bathai (BOKA president), Duncan Segabo (communication and marketing officer-BOTESSA) and Mothokomedi Thabano (Botswana Chess Federation president)
Non-citizen sports award: Sean Irish (BRU vice president technical) and Sumod Damodar (Cricket)
National team of the year:The men’s 4 x 400m relay, Chess national youth team and Police VI men volleyball club.
National Sport Association (NSA) of the Year: Botswana Chess Federation, Botswana Cricket Association and Botswana Karate Association.
Sportswoman of the year:Thabang Maleke (Karate), Gaoleseletse Gasekgonwe (Volleyball) and Christine Botlogetswe (Athletics).
Sportsman of the year: Ofentse Bakwadi (Karate), Baboloki Thebe (Athletics) and Phemelo Khetho (Chess).
Umpire/Referee of the year:Gaone Poane (Tennis) , Emmanuel Kgaboetsile (Badminton) and Mpho Bakwadi (Karate).
Coach of the year: Mogomotsi Otsetswe (Athletics) and Peter Molefe (Karate).
Sportsperson with disability (Female) Gorata Malehaneng (Special Olympics) and Ontlametse Sebokolodi (Special Olympics).
Sportsperson with disability (Male) :Edwin Masuge (PASSOBO), Bose Mokgwathi (PASSOBO) and Bonolo Joseph (Special Olympics)