By Ntokozo Magongo
MBABANE – The country’s four sporting personalities are set for the big stage after being nominated for this year’s African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Regional Annual Sports Awards (RASA), which will take place in Lusaka, Zambia, on May 25.
They are swimmers Hayley Hoy, Luca Fraser, long distance runner Mancoba Nhlabatsi and Eswatini TV Sports Journalists Fabrice Musonera. The four nominees were winners during the Eswatini National Sports Awards held in March in the country by the Eswatini Sport and Recreation Council (ESRC) at George Hotel, Manzini.
Each category consists of three nominees who will compete for the ultimate prize during a gala dinner.
The RASA aims to converge business and sport in a celebration of the Region’s biggest achievers of the year, as a way of appreciating the sportsmen and sportswomen’s efforts and inspiring a new generation of sportsmen and sportswomen to strive for excellence.
Last year, the RASA event was hosted by the country through ESRC at Esibayeni Lodge, Matsapha and the biggest winner in the country was taekwondo star Sihlelelwe Matsebula won the junior man sports person of the year award.
Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) long-distance runner Mancoba Nhlabatsi, who won most Outstanding Senior Sportsman uncontested during the Eswatini National Sports Awards, will be up against South Africa’s rugby star Siya Kolisi and Bayapo Ndori in the best sportsman of the year award.
Swimmer Hayley Hoy will be facing Malawi’s Victoria Mkwala athlete Obakeng Kamberuka from Botswana in the Junior Female Sportsperson of the Year category.
Eswatini TV Sports Journalist Fabrice Musonera has been nominated in the Sports Journalist of the Year category. He will be facing competition from Virginia Chilongo of Zambia and Malawi’s Times Television journalist Mphatso Malidadi.
Luca Fraser got nominated under the Sportsperson of the year award and he would be up against Letsie Tebogo and Rady Gramane.
The Eswatini Nominees:
- Sports Journalist of the Year Fabrice Musonera
- Junior Female Sportsperson of the Year Hayley Hoy
- Best sportsman of the year award Manqoba Nhlabatsi
- Sportsperson of the year Luca Fraser
