The Namibia Annual Sport Awards’ (Nasa) adjudicating panel chairman Lesley Tjiueza has warned sport administrators to give accurate information on athletes’ performances at national and international competitions.
Tjiueza was speaking this week during the announcement of the Nasa sport awards finalists ceremony, saying some sport administrators provided information to the panel of judges with no dates.
“That is a pity because sometimes we have to dig around for information about the athletes, while some administrators rely heavily on past glories,” he said.
He reminded local sport administrators that the time needed to be considered for awards covering a 12-month period, from September to September.
He said information is given, yet in reality an athlete has not competed at any event.
“That is where the administrators really have to put in the administrative part to say that an athlete performed at this event within the considered time.”
“We need more information and data to be provided and we hope that we can get benchmarking exercises from other countries on how they do it because sometimes it is very difficult to be able to judge an athlete that plays in a team sport against an individual athlete,” said Tjiueza.
This is a complex exercise, he said, while appealing to the Namibia Sport Commission (NSC) to try and be fair.
“Because we are given a cricketer, rugby player, chess player and a footballer in one portfolio, but the chess player uses his/her mind against an opponent, while the football player relies on 10 other players to score, for example.”
Tjiueza said a total of 105 entries were received for this year’s sport awards, and they have to adjudicate over 19 categories.
“There are certain levels that we have to look at when looking for that one athlete that will be able to excel. There are different levels where athletes compete throughout the year and the levels that we look at when we are adjudicating is how the athlete performs, looking at national competitions by looking at all the 14 political regions and whether they have excelled and gone to represent Namibia.”
He said competitions being considered are the Region 5, inter-continental games, world championships, Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games, including the All Africa Games.
The Nasa 2023 finalists are as follows:
Sportsman of the year: Gerhard Erasmus (cricket), Ronan Wantenaar (swimming), Fillemon Nghutenanye (boxing), Veja Hinda (Mixed martial arts)
Sportswoman of the year: Suzelle Pronk (karate), Vera Looser (cycling)
Sportsman of the year with a disability: Ananias Shikongo, Johannes Nambala (both paralympics), Rodney Snewe (Special Olympics)
Sportswoman of the year with a disability: Caitlin Botha, Lahja Ishitile, Louise Sagaria (all paralympics)
Junior sportsman of the year: Alfeus Domino (boxing), Josia Katroli (athletics), Kevin Lowe (cycling)
Junior sportswoman of the year: Christine Röttcher (inline hockey), Maja Brinkmann (triathlon), Nyanyukweni Frans (athletics).
Junior sportsman with a disability: Alvin Iita, Jeromuis Rooi, Lowisa Shehama (all paralympics)
Junior sportswoman with a disability: Lahja Iipinge, Lize Meyer, Martha Nengola (all paralympics)
Sport team of the year: Cana Zone 5 swimming team, Richelieu Eagles cricket team, Namibia junior women’s inline hockey team, Special Olympics basketball team
Coach of the year: Brian Sobel (inline hockey), Letu Hamhola (athletics), Pierre de Bruyn (cricket), Trevor Cormack (hockey)
Umpire/referee of the year: Claus Schumacher (cricket), Lars Dobberstein (inline hockey), Pieter de la Rey (triathlon).
Development programme of the year: Ashburton Kwata Mini Cricket development programme, BMX Kids on Bikes programme, Physically Active Youth, Standard Bank Junior Hockey Initiative
Professional athlete in the diaspora: Gerhard Erasmus (cricket), Doodwill Khoa (chess), Peter Shalulile (football)
Sport journalist of the year digital: Brian Munango (NMH), Strauss Lunyangwe (New Era)
Nasa sport journalist of the year broadcasting: Michael Ditu (NBC), Strauss Lunyangwe (One Africa TV)
Sport journalist of the year print: Andrew Poolman, Jesse Kauraisa, Limba Mupetami (all NMH)
Sport federation of the year: Cricket Namibia, Namibia Hockey Union, Namibia Triathlon Federation
Standard Bank community inspiration award: Delano Muller (kickboxing), Run Along (paralympics), Physically Active Youth (cycling), Namibia Volleyball Federation
Sports star of the year: Ananias Shikongo (paralympics), Gerhard Erasmus (cricket), Vera Looser (cycling).
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