Malawi Scorchers nominated for African Union Region 5 Sports Team of the Year award
Malawi national women’s football team, the Scorchers have been nominated for African Union Sports Council Region 5 annual sport awards (RASA) 2023 African Union Region 5 as Sports Team of the Year while boxer, Sean Joseph is in the category of Junior Sportsman of the Year.
Peter Kanjere has been nominated for Journalist of the Year alongside Hloni Mtimkula of South Africa and Zambian Memory Malisawa while The Scorchers are alongside Botswana’s 4×400 meters men’s athletics relay team and Zambia’s Copper Queens football squad.
Sean Joseph will be voted alongside Sihlelelwe Zwakele Matsebula (taekwondo, Eswatini) and Zambian William Chinzewe (draught).
A statement from the organisers says the 5th edition of the RASA awards is scheduled to be hosted in Eswatini on June 24 to be commemorated under the theme, ‘Celebrating Excellence, Inspiring Innovation’, which is expected to attract about 300 invited guests and dignitaries.
They will include six ministers of sport from Region 5 member countries, legends and sports celebrities from across the region.
AUSC Region 5 chief executive officer, Stanley Mutoya is quoted as the voting voting process began on May 19-31 and the top three deserving athletes per category were now in the public domain.
“We now wait with bated breath for the night of the event where the winners will be coronated” he is quoted as saying. “The voting process which consists of a very thorough process under the watchful eye of Grant Thornton Botswana audit firm involved all the Region’s stakeholders.”
Eligibility for the RASA is based on the country hosting its own national awards whose winners automatically qualify on the list of RASA from which the top three are selected.
Entries came from 8 of the Region 5 member countries with the exception of Angola and Lesotho for the awards made up of 12 categories to recognise athletes, coaches, member countries, regional confederations, journalists and teams that have produced outstanding performances in sport at regional and international level.
Winners of 10 of these categories are selected through a voting process with the confederation of the year and country of the year being selected through an adjudication panel.
The statement further said this year’s panel is scheduled to sit on June 13 in Gaborone, Botswana and comprises of Charles Dzimba (former SCSA Zove VI general manager — now AUSC Region 5); Gideon Sam, (former chairperson of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee) and Miriam Moyo (former president of Zambia National Olympic Committee and current Commonwealth Games Federation Regional vice-president for Africa.
The Confederation of the Year award will be conferred to that confederation that is in-good standing in corporate governance, participates in the Region’s programmes and activities and runs regular competitions in the region.
The respective regional confederation must be geared in the goal of producing talent that will represent the Region at the world stage events.
The Country of the Year award will go to a country that would have taken a leadership role in the implementation of the AUSC Region 5 programmes, has well-executed sport and recreation development programmes and produces athletes and teams that are excelling and bringing home medals from international championships and events.
The nominees are as follows:
Junior Male Sportsman of the Year
* Sihlelelwe Zwakele Matsebula (taekwondo, Eswatini)
* Sean Joseph (boxing, Malawi)
* William Chinzewe (draught, Zambia)
Junior Female Sportswoman
* Hayley Hoy (swimming, Eswatini)
* Christine Mboma (athletics, Namibia)
* Jade Phiri (swimming, Zambia)
Sportsman of the Year
* Peter Shalulile (football, Namibia)
* Pieter Coetzee (swimming, South Africa)
* Tebogo Letsile (athletics, Botswana)
Sportswoman of the Year
* Lara Van Niekerk (swimming, South Africa)
* Naledi, Marape (chess, Botswana)
* Halalia Johannes (athletics, Namibia)
Sportsman of the Year with a Disability
* Jonathan Ntuntu (athletics, South Africa)
* Edwin Masuge (athletics, Botswana)
* Ananias Shikongo (athletics, Namibia)
Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability
* Minkie Janse van Rensburg (swimming, South Africa)
* Lahja Ishitile (athletics, Namibia)
* Ivy Chanda (football, Zambia)
Sports Team
* Botswana 4 x 400 meters (men athletics relay, Botswana)
* Malawi (The Scorchers football, Malawi)
* Copper Queens (football, Zambia)
Coach of the Year
* Justice Dipeba (athletics, Botswana)
* Cheryl Tafadzwa Hove (Special Olympics, Zimbabwe)
* Lucas Sinoia (boxing, Mozambique)
Journalist of the Year)
* Peter Kanjere (Malawi)
* Memory Malisawa (Zambia)
* Hloni Mtimkulu (South Africa)
Sportsperson of the Year
* Andile Dlamini (football, South Africa)
* Rady Adosinda Gramane (boxing, Mozambique)
* Tebogo Letsile (athletics, Botswana)
The breakdown of the finalists by countries for 2023 is: Botswana (6); Eswatini (2); Malawi (3); Mozambique (2); Namibia (6); South Africa (6); Zambia (5) and Zimbabwe (1).
The 2022 Malawi Sport Award’s Overall Sports Personality of the Year went to Frank Gabadinho Mhango, who also won the Sportsman of the Year while Sportswoman of the Year was won by Tabitha Chawinga.
The Scorchers were named National Team of the Year; Sean Joseph was Junior Male Sportsperson of the Year; Veronica Manda (Junior Female Sportsperson); James Chiutsi (Sports Administrator); founder of Ascent Academy George Maguire (Non Citizen Award); Henry Moyo (Male Veteran Sportsperson; Martha Nyekanyeka (Female Veteran Sportsperson); Enos Chatama (Coach of the Year); Bernadettar Kwimbira (Referee of the Year); Dedza (Sports District of the Year); Ascent Academy (Best Executed Sports Development Program of the year); Moses Misoya (Sportsman with Disability); Taonga Kamwendo (Sportswoman with Disability) Times Media Group (Sports Media House of the Year.
The Sports Minister’s Award winner was Asimenye Simwaka while Sports Council’s Board chairperson’s Award Winner was Susan Namangale (then as Chess Association of Malawi president).
All qualified for the AUSC Region 5 Awards, organised by the African Union Sport Council, which is the sports arm of the AU — formerly named the Organisation of African Unity, which was formed in the 1960s with its headquarters is based in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
The main aim of the AUSC is to use sports to achieve peace, integration and unity in Africa i.e. sport as a vehicle of encouraging people to develop and come together, irrespective of colour, economic status, political, class, or gender.
The AUSC divided Africa into seven competition zones due to the vastness of the continent and for financial prudence. The main consideration was the countries’ geographical positions — thus AUSC Region was born.
Member countries of AUSC Region 5 are Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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