BY SABELO GWEBU
SPORTS – The Ladies Chess Junior National Team was named the most outstanding sports team today National Sports Awards at the Happy Valley Hotel.
Hosted by the Eswatini Sports and Recreation Council (ESRC), the National Sports Awards returned for the first time post COVID-19 with nine categories presented by the Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga.
The chess national team won big during the 44th Chess Olympiad 2022 in Chennai, India. Eswatini’s magnificent run at the Olympiad, an equivalent of world championships saw the country move to 109 in rankings.
The team now stands a chance to win in the Regional Annual Sports Awards (RASA) to be hosted by the country in June. The RASAs are celebrated across the continent as ‘Africa Month’ – when citizens embrace their African heritage and join in celebrating African sporting excellence, innovation and achievement nationally, regionally, continentally and internationally.
As announced by the minister, each of the nine category winners each took home a prestigious trophy, national jacket and E10 000. Bulunga urged the ESRC to intensify its preparations for the RASA awards and congratulated all winners.
Taekwondo dominated the list of winners; producing the outstanding junior sportsman, outstanding sports coach and the outstanding national sports association.
ESWATINI NATIONAL SPORTS AWARDS WINNERS:
OUTSTANDING JUNIOR SPORTSMAN- Sihlelelwe Matsebula (Taekwondo)
OUTSTANDING JUNIOR SPORTSWOMAN- Hayley Hoy (Swimming)
OUTSTANDING SPORTSMAN WITH DISABILITY- Vusi Xaba (Athletics)
OUTSTANDING SPORTSWOMAN WITH DISABILITY- Lihle Mngometulu (Athletics)
OUTSTANDING NATIONAL SPORTS ASSOCIATION- Eswatini Taekwondo Federation
OUTSTANDING SENIOR SPORTSMAN- Zweli Dlamini (Boxing)
OUTSTANDING SENIOR SPORTSWOMAN- Nolwazi Nkwanyane (Chess)
OUTSTANDING SPORTS COACH- Mancoba Motsa (Taekwondo) OUTSTANDING SPORTS TEAM- Eswatini Ladies Chess Team 44 Olympiad
