No contempt to Cara Black and all she did this year after her well-publicised comeback in 2013.
HENRY MHARA SPORTS REPORTER
Absolutely nothing against Scott Vincent who won the prestigious players amateur title in July and his impressive form this year that also saw him becoming the first-ever golfer at Virginia Tech University, US, to be named to the Ping All-American Team.
Karateka Winston Nyanhete was incredible in winning gold for the country at this year’s Zone VI Games in Lusaka, Zambia.
But where was the love for Charles Manyuchi?
The Masvingo-born boxer won the WBC welterweight belt last year, yes, the WBC title, after beating the lights out of Ghanaian Patrick Allotey.
But what he got was a second position at the Annual National Sports Awards (Ansa) in the sportsmen of the year category that year.
He stunningly defended that prestigious title in November after defeating Colombian Delvis Navarro and the 26-year-old was recently quoted in the media blasting the government for not recognising that enormous achievement – claiming the Sport, Arts and Culture minister Andrew Langa had not offered him even a handshake.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
So finally, it was good to see Manyuchi getting some recognition he has been craving for all along when the Sports and Recreation Commission named him both the sportsperson of the year and the sportsman of the year winner at the Ansa awards night in the capital yesterday.
The Ansa awards are designed to recognise and celebrate sporting excellence among top performing athletes and officials each year.
For the sportsperson of the year award, which is the more significant of the two, Manyuchi beat strong competition from last year’s winner Black, who recorded 49 wins this season with her Indian partner Sania Mirza.
The 35-year-old, who has over 50 WTA titles under her belt, rose to world number four on the doubles rankings after clinching the WTA Tour finals doubles title with Mirza in Singapore last month.
For the sportsman of the year award, Manyuchi beat Vincent and Nyanhete who won silver and bronze respectively.
Black did not go empty handed though; her supreme achievements this season earned her the sportswoman of the year, ahead of golfer Yollander Mubaiwa (silver) and longdistance runner Rutendo Nyahora.
Junior sportsperson of the year award went to BMX rider Rebekah Oberholzer who also won the junior sportswoman of the year while rower Kyle Hinde won the junior sportsman award.
The Davis Cup team secured the country promotion to the 2015 Euro-Africa Zone Group II, for the first time in eight years, and in a country where national teams constantly disappoints, it was only proper for the SRC to give the Martin Dzuwa-coached team the team of the year award.
Dzuwa was, however, beaten to the coach of the year award, which was won by Junior Golf Team coach Phillip Tshuma, who led his team to the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan this year.
Athlete Patricia Bhebhe got the junior sportswoman of the year with a disability while the junior sportsman of the year with a disability was won by golfer Munyaradzi Musariri.
While there are no major qualms on the list of winners last night but some critics still think there were some key exclusions on the nomination list.
Many believe marathon runner Cuthbert Nyasango who broke the long-standing national marathon record at the Volkswagen Prague marathon in the Czech Republic this May deserved to be nominated.
Nyasango crossed the finish line in two hours, 9mins and 52secs on his way to finishing third at the prestigious IAAF Gold Label race to break Tendai Chimusasa’s record of 2hr, 10mins, 57secs which had stood for the past 16 years.
The country’s leading female junior tennis player Nicole Dzenga should also be wondering what she has to do to finally win the junior sportsperson of the year award.
After coming second at the awards last year, Dzenga had a memorable season on the ITF Junior Circuit winning three singles titles and five doubles titles in a mazy run that saw breaking into the top 200 on the ITF Junior World rankings for the first time in her junior tennis career.
Despite all that success, she did not even make it on the shortlist.
Other notable absentees was, Czech Republic based footballer Costa Nhamoinesu, who was this year voted the best African player in that country – the saying “a prophet is not without honour, but in his own country”, aptly describe his situation.
Winter Olympic Games trailblazer Luke Steyn and junior golfer Danielle Bekker are some of the athletes who deserved recognition.
The full list of winners
Junior sportswoman of the year Rebekah Oberholzer — BMX (Gold)
Daniella Cara Du Toit — Rowing (Silver)
Enrita Ncube — Athletics (Bronze)
Junior sportsman of the year Kyle Cameron Hinde — Rowing (Gold)
Drew Michael Williams — Triathlon (Silver)
Raphael Mukondiwa — Karate (Bronze)
Junior sports woman of the year with a disability Patricia Bhebhe — Athletics (Gold)
Ashley Matanhire — Athletics (Silver)
Talent Kasera — Athletics (Bronze)
Junior sportsman of the year with a disability Munyaradzi Musariri — Golf (Gold)
Lovemore Chimufombo — Athletics (Silver)
Batanayi Muroyiwa — Athletics (Bronze)
Sportswoman of the year Cara Black — Tennis (Gold)
Yollander Mubaiwa — Golf (Silver)
Rutendo Nyahora — Athletics (Bronze)
Sportsman of the year Charles Manyuchi — Boxing (Gold)
Scott Vincent — Golf (Silver)
Winston Nyanhete — Karate (Bronze)
Sportswoman of the year with a Disability Thandiwe Ndlovu — Wheelchair racing Gold)
Margret Bangajena — Wheelchair racing (Silver)
Magadaline Madzivire — Wheelchair racing (Bronze)
Sportsman of the year with a disability Viren Mehta — Golf (Gold)
Elford Moyo — Wheelchair racing (Silver)
Samson Muroyiwa — Wheelchair racing (Bronze)
Junior sportsperson of the year Rebekah Oberholzer — BMX
Sportsperson of the year Charles Manyuchi — (Boxing)
Team of the year Zimbabwe Davis Cup team — Tennis
Coach of the year Tshuma Philip — Junior golf team
Technical official of the year Rick Fulton — (Gold)
Muchenu — (Silver)
Patrick Mukondiwa — (bronze)
Sports administration of the year Zimbabwe Karate Union
Sport development of the year National Darts Association of Zimbabwe
Women in sport award Joanne Lyn Swanepoel — Rowing
Special acknowledgement award
Provincial Ragi Moodi
Glo Petroleum
National
Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe
NetOne,
Dairiboard Zimbabwe
Nestlé Zimbabwe
