As was expected, Botswana’s celebrated 400m runner, Amantle Montsho, dominated the annual Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) awards.
Montsho won the coveted P50 000 price that was sponsored by Debswana. As if that was not enough, she also bagged the Sports Woman of the Year award.
Montsho, who is currently based at the high performance centre in Senegal, won both awards for the third time in a row. She is currently the world champion for the 400 m race.
The two-time African Championships gold medalist did not hide her excitement as she went on stage to collect her awards.
The Best Sportsman of the Year was awarded to Oteng Oteng who was in the same category with footballer Jerome Ramatlhakwane. Although missing in action at the awards, the national football team coach Stanley Tshosane was also a winner for the night as he was awarded the Coach of the Year award while his senior national football squad, the Zebras, scooped the Team of the Year award.
The Zebras this year impressed football fanatics and made the nation proud as they qualified for the African Nations Cup. In addition, the team was elected the best African National Team for 2011.
Junior Male Athletics was taken by Nigel Amos while Leungo Matlhake was awarded the junior Female Athlete, an award which she took home last year as well.
The Botswana Boxing Association scooped the Best Executed Plan for the fifth time in a row while Etsogile Ngwako got the Referee/Umpire of The Year award.
The Non Citizen award went to Botswana Cricket Association’s Girish Ramakhrina while Daniel Molaodi got the Best Administrator’s award.
Other winners for the evening were Seipei Gaolesiwe for Netball, Mpho Bakwadi for Karate and the Special Olympics walked away with the Group Code of the Year while Volleyball was awarded the Sports Code of the Year. Government media dominated the media categories as Botswana Television’s Bethani Mando was awarded Electronic Journalist of the year, Daily News Godfrey Mpuse got the Photo Journalist of the year and Kutlwano’s Lucrea Chima Print Journalist of the Year.
Mmegi walked away with Print Media house of the Year and Radio Station Duma Fm scooped the Electronic Media of the Year. The Chairperson’s awards were presented to the Botswana Defense Force and Boyce Sebetlela in honor and recognition of their contribution to sports in Botswana.
Zambian sportsman and FIFA 2010 World Cup Ambassador, Kalusha Bwalya, said that good planning yields positive results. Speaking at the 32nd Botswana National Sports Council Annual Awards on Saturday evening, Bwalya said that there is no short cut when it comes to winning. The Zambian sportsman acknowledged the Zebras qualification to the African Cup of Nations and said that it is through hard work that they managed to achieve getting that far. He further said that BNSC should celebrate their achievement in the development of sports as a whole around the country.
