- Has a preponderance of 9 out of the 10 announced nominees
Athletics has emerged as the dominant sport in the highly-anticipated 42nd Botswana Sports Awards, with nine out of the 10 announced nominees coming from the athletics realm.
Scheduled for 12 August 2023, the prestigious awards will recognise exceptional athletes and administrators for their outstanding contributions to sports development and excellence in Botswana.
At the recent launch of the nominees, the Chairman, of Botswana National Sports Commission, Marumo Morule, emphasised the significance of the Botswana Sports Awards as a highly sought-after honour. “It is no surprise that the Botswana Sports Awards have become a cornerstone of our nation’s sporting calendar where deserving accolades are bestowed upon our sports heroes in a befitting manner,” he said. On 12 August, the 42nd edition of the awards will honour another cohort of sportsmen and sportswomen who have shown remarkable performance throughout 2022.
Morule acknowledged the challenges faced by the sporting community during the COVID-19 pandemic and commended its resilience as a reason optimism about the future. “Now is the time for us to look forward and celebrate the future,” he said. “Tonight everyone is a winner because merely being nominated is a remarkable achievement in itself.”
The nominees for various categories reflect the prominence of athletics in this year’s awards. The Junior Sportswoman of the Year award features Obakeng Kambureka of athletics against Bafitlhelanyi Matlhare of Volleyball and Ekua Youri pf Tennis. In the Junior Sportsman of the Year category, Letsile Tebogo of Athletics is against Denzel Seetso of Tennis and Mmoloki Sekwaipe of Boxing. The Sportswoman of the Year sees Lethabo Modukanele of Boxing vying for the title against Tsaone Sebele of Athletics and Centy Kgosikoma of Karate.
Similarly, the Sportsman of the Year category has Bayapo Ndori of Athletics, Gofaone Mosupiemang of Karate, and George Molwantwa of Boxing. The Team of the Year award presents an exciting competition between the Senior Men’s 4x400m Relay Team of Athletics, the Female Team Kata of Karate, and the duo of Jack Sekao and George Chiswaniso of Beach Volleyball. In the Coach of the Year category, Kebonyemodisa Dose of Athletics will contend with Thebe Setlalekgosi of Boxing and Gasegarona Pabalelo of Bowling for the title. The Umpire/Referee of the Year category features Dorothy Okatch of Basketball, Kavin Tshepo Kelaotswe of Athletics, and Abel Mataboge of Softball as nominees.
For the Sports Administrator of the Year, the nominees are Paphane Botlhale of Athletics, Gilbert Khunwane of Boxing, and Keorapetse Setlhare of BOTESSA (Botswana Table Tennis Association). The National Sports Association (NSA) of the Year category features Botswana Athletics Association, BOTESSA and Botswana Boxing Association as contenders. The Non-Citizen Sports Awards will see Sensei William Rene Matike-Ndoumbe of Judo and George Ngata Kieni of Bowling vying for recognition.
