THIS year’s best sportsman and -woman in Namibia will be honoured at a gala event in three weeks’ time.
The panel of judges for the annual Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) and Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) Sports Awards yesterday announced five finalists in each of the 12 categories.
Former sport commissioner Callie Schaëfer, who is part of the four-member panel, said they were dedicated to fulfilling their task in an unbiased way.
The winners in the various categories will receive cash prizes as acknowledgement for their input and achievements.
‘We as the judging panel have a great responsibility to do justice to the nominees,’ said Schaëfer shortly before he announced the nominees for this year’s awards.
‘The nominees this year represent a good balance of sport codes from the larger to smaller ones.’
Also on the judges’ panel are NNOC member Ailly Hangula-Paulino, sport journalist Helge Schutz, and Monica Dahl, a former Olympic swimmer and NNOC member.
Renowned former South African swimmer Penny Heyns will grace the awards ceremony as this year’s guest speaker. She is best known for being the only woman in the history of the Olympics to have won both the 100 and 200-metre breaststroke events – at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
The awards ceremony will be held at the Safari Hotel and Conference Centre on Friday, October 29. Tickets to the event cost N$100.
The full list of nominees is as follows:
Sportsman of the Year: Paulus Ambunda – Boxing, Robert Honiball – Gymnastics, Jacques Burger – Rugby, Graham Snyman – Bowls, Dan Craven – Cycling;
Sportswoman of the Year:
Kimberly Ann van Zyl – Gymnastics, Johanna Benson – Disabled sport, Diana Viljoen – Bowls, Beata Naigambo – Athletics, Gaby Ahrens – Shooting;
Junior Sportsman of the Year: Morihei Anderson – Gymnastics, Jason Afrikaner – Wrestling, Jesse Urikhob – Athletics, Abraham Louw – Triathlon, Gerhard Lotter – Cricket;
Junior Sportswoman of the Year: Corlia Kruger – Athletics
Bonita Bredenhann – Golf, Alice Krenz – Endurance Riding, Anica Profitt – Rhythmic Gymnastics, Christine Briedenhann – Swimming;
Sports Team of the Year: Namibia Amateur Boxing, Namibia Senior Endurance Riding, Namibia Junior Rhythmic Gymnastics, Namibia Senior Rugby, Namibia Men’s Bowls;
Disabled Sportsman of the Year: Martin Aloisius, Ruben Soroseb;
Disabled Sportswoman of the Year: Johanna Benson, Namutenya Sondaha, Elvira Goagoses;
Most Improved Sportsperson of the Year: Bethuel Uushona – Boxing, Chrysander Botha – Rugby, Collin Tjanda – Endurance Riding, Vikapita Meroro – Boxing, Ben van Wyk – Archery;
Development Programme of the Year: Badminton Federation of Namibia, Namibia Rugby Union, Cricket Namibia, Namibia Hockey Union, Namibia Football Association – Galz and Goals;
Coach of the Year: Michael Hamukwaya – Disabled Sport, Johan Diergaardt – Rugby, Jacob Gariseb – Boxing, Vasile Bogdan – Gymnastics, Nestor Tobias – Boxing;
Administrator of the Year: Valereis Geldenhuys – Gymnastics, Carlos Manuel – Basketball, Marcia Reed – Cricket, Dietlind Siedentopf – Swimming, Jacky Gertze – Women’s Football;
Umpire/Referee of the year: Wynand Louw – Cricket, Herman Garus-Oab – Boxing, Dongina Risser – Gymnastics, Reinhold Shikongo – Football, Hiskia Shigwedha – Boxing.
