The Sunday News
Sports Correspondent
THIS year’s nominees for the Annual National Sports Awards will be announced at the end of the month with a panel of judges currently going through the national sports associations’ submissions to that effect.Sports and Recreation Commission corporate communications officer Tirivashe Nheweyembwa said following the close of nominations on 31 October they appointed judges who were currently going through the nominations to come up with a final list of the top three in each category.
The top three nominees will then be announced at the end of the month ahead of the ANSA ceremony scheduled for 17 December in Harare.
“The process is moving smoothly and the adjudicators are busy at work right now going through the submissions and they would be ready with the final nominees list by the end of the month,” said Nheweyembwa.
At the ceremony an athlete will be crowned the Sportsperson of Year, with more awards being dished out in other categories at the event meant to honour the effort and achievements of the most successful Zimbabwean athlete.
The reigning Sports Person of the Year is Cara Black who was last year rewarded for her exploits on the women’s tennis association tour.
The tennis star remains the firm favourite to land the ANSA Sports Person of the Year crown again, following notable successes this year that includes winning the WTA Portugal Open in May, the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan in September and the WTA Finals in Singapore also in September.
These were achieved with her doubles partner, Sarnia Mirza. Other categories that will be up for grabs include junior sports person of the year that was won by rower Peter Purcell Gilpin last year, sportsman of the year (karateka, Samson Muripo) and sportswoman of the year won by Black last year.
The Sportsman of the Year with a Disability, Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability, Junior Sportsman of the Year, Junior Sportswoman of the Year, Junior Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability, Junior Sportsman of the Year with a Disability, Team of the year, Coach of the Year, Technical Official of the Year, Sports Administration of the Year, Sport Development of the year and Women in Sport Award will be crowned at the award ceremony.
