Award ‘rejuvenates’ Agnes

NAMIBIA’S middle-distance ace Agnes Samaria says she feels more rejuvenated and confident about her career after she scooped the sportswoman of the year award on Friday night.

Samaria bagged the award for the fourth consecutive time at a fabulous event hosted by the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) in the capital. Boxer Japhet Uutoni received the sportsman of the year award for the first time in his short career as a flyweight boxer at the prize-giving which saw MTC pumping in about N$250 000 for the entire function and pre-organisation.Samaria told The Namibian Sport yesterday that the award has given her the necessary boost and she now looks forward to an exciting 2006, where she aims to capture medals.She has not won any major medals this year.Despite an inconsistent 2005 season, Samaria set a new 1 000 metre Namibian indoor record in England, while she also shattered her won 800m record twice in Germany and Sweden.”I need to work harder now.The Commonwealth Games are on the cards and I aim to at least land a medal next season.The award just sort of rekindled my career, which was plagued by injuries and several setbacks this year.I am extremely excited and feel optimistic about the future and I just hope that I will be injury free.I feel blessed for this award,” she said.Uutoni pipped veteran cyclist Mannie Heymans, bowler Douw Calitz and endurance rider Armin van Biljon to the title.Uutoni was considered as an outsider for this award as he had never featured on any of the previous ceremonies.In other awards, gymnasts Ramona Beukes scooped the junior sportswoman of the year award ahead of sensational cyclist Heletje van Staden.Van Staden was rewarded with a merit award for her excellent performances on the cycling scene, both locally and abroad.Jurgens Strydom emerged as the junior sportsman of the year as expected due to his fantastic performances at the Junior Wimbledon championships, winning the junior title of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Zimbabwe and also having a bite in the famous Davis Cup tournament.Hockey star Billy Beukes beat nine other nominees to grab the award for the most improved sportsperson of the year, which also had Jurgens Strydom and boxer Paulus Ambunda as finalists.Boxing collected two more awards, that of achiever of the year which was taken by Paulus ‘The Hitman’ Moses, while the code also walked away with the best development programme of the year.Ruben Soreseb became the first Namibian to win the sport personality award for people with disability.The category was only introduced this year.Namibian football and Fifa-accredited referee Arvo Mufeti was named as the winner in the umpire/referee of the year category, while former Namibian national rugby coach Danie Vermeulen took the honours as the best mentor for the 2005 season.President of the Namibia Hockey Union (NHU) Jesse Schickerling walked away with the best administrator of the year award.The Namibian under-18 rugby side, which has qualified for the under-19 World Cup in Dubai next year, was voted the best junior team of the year, while the Welwitschias (senior national rugby team) took the best senior team award.South African rugby boss Brian van Rooyen spoke at the event, while the Deputy Minister of Sport, Pohamba Shifeta, delivered a keynote speech during the occasion, which was aired live on national television.Boxer Japhet Uutoni received the sportsman of the year award for the first time in his short career as a flyweight boxer at the prize-giving which saw MTC pumping in about N$250 000 for the entire function and pre-organisation.Samaria told The Namibian Sport yesterday that the award has given her the necessary boost and she now looks forward to an exciting 2006, where she aims to capture medals.She has not won any major medals this year.Despite an inconsistent 2005 season, Samaria set a new 1 000 metre Namibian indoor record in England, while she also shattered her won 800m record twice in Germany and Sweden.”I need to work harder now.The Commonwealth Games are on the cards and I aim to at least land a medal next season.The award just sort of rekindled my career, which was plagued by injuries and several setbacks this year.I am extremely excited and feel optimistic about the future and I just hope that I will be injury free.I feel blessed for this award,” she said.Uutoni pipped veteran cyclist Mannie Heymans, bowler Douw Calitz and endurance rider Armin van Biljon to the title.Uutoni was considered as an outsider for this award as he had never featured on any of the previous ceremonies.In other awards, gymnasts Ramona Beukes scooped the junior sportswoman of the year award ahead of sensational cyclist Heletje van Staden.Van Staden was rewarded with a merit award for her excellent performances on the cycling scene, both locally and abroad.Jurgens Strydom emerged as the junior sportsman of the year as expected due to his fantastic performances at the Junior Wimbledon championships, winning the junior title of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Zimbabwe and also having a bite in the famous Davis Cup tournament.Hockey star Billy Beukes beat nine other nominees to grab the award for the most improved sportsperson of the year, which also had Jurgens Strydom and boxer Paulus Ambunda as finalists.Boxing collected two more awards, that of achiever of the year which was taken by Paulus ‘The Hitman’ Moses, while the code also walked away with the best development programme of the year.Ruben Soreseb became the first Namibian to win the sport personality award for people with disability.The category was only introduced this year.Namibian football and Fifa-accredited referee Arvo Mufeti was named as the winner in the umpire/referee of the year category, while former Namibian national rugby coach Danie Vermeulen took the honours as the best mentor for the 2005 season.President of the Namibia Hockey Union (NHU) Jesse Schickerling walked away with the best administrator of the year award.The Namibian under-18 rugby side, which has qualified for the under-19 World Cup in Dubai next year, was voted the best junior team of the year, while the Welwitschias (senior national rugby team) took the best senior team award.South African rugby boss Brian van Rooyen spoke at the event, while the Deputy Minister of Sport, Pohamba Shifeta, delivered a keynote speech during the occasion, which was aired live on national television.