By Tirivashe Nheweyembwa
Two Zimbabwean athletes Tanyaradzwa Muzinda of Motor Cross and Elford Moyo of Wheelchair Racing shone like a beacon at the recently held Regional Annual Sport Awards (RASA) which was held in South Africa where they won top awards.
The Awards which are the brainchild of the African Union Sports Council Region 5 and they bring together all the 10 member countries of the Region are held annually. Each member country is required to have hosted its own Sport Award before taking part in the Regional Awards. The nominees for each category are drawn from the member country’s submissions and it is based on merit. Athletes or teams with the highest achievement stand a better chance of winning the Awards at RASA.
In Zimbabwe the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) organizes the Annual National Sport Awards (ANSA) and they submitted the winners and initially 5 athletes and 1team was nominated for the Awards and these were:
- Tanyaradzwa Muzinda from Motor Cross– Junior Sportswoman of the Year Annual
- Helen Sinclair Costa from Bodybuilding – Sportswoman of the Year National
- Margret Bangajena from Wheelchair Racing – Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability
- Elford Moyo from Wheelchair Racing – Sportsman of the Year with a Disability
- Samson Muripo from Karate – Sportsman of the Year
- Rugby National Team – Team of the Year
The above list was trimmed and this saw Helen Costa and the Sables Team being dropped.
“It is however pleasing to note that 4 of our athletes made it through to the top 3 and this speaks volumes of our depth and quality of the athletes that we have as a country. This is also a vote of confidence in the ANSA adjudication process and the entire system of sport in the country.
“This also serves as a clarion call on the need for all Zimbabweans to support sport and the athletes so that they can participate in various competitions that will be taking place across globe. It normally works better if the athletes compete in many competitions as it does not only improve their performance standards but it also enhances their chances of making to the podium at the RASA awards”, said Tirivashe Nheweyembwa SRC Spokesperson.
Elford Moyo one of the winners thanked the organizers and SRC for paying for his air tickets and all the support that was granted to him along the way.
“I am very happy to have won this award, and this is going to spur me to work even harder in training so that I may surpass what I have achieved so far. I must also admit that I was taken by surprise when my name was called because I thought there were better athletes than me but I guess it’s all through the hard work and determination which has paid off”, said Elford Moyo.
Tanyaradzwa the 13 year old Motor Cross sensation also ecstatic about the awards and like Elford Moyo she thanked the SRC, all her fans and her parents for the support that they have rendered to her. Tanyaradzwa dedicated the award to all the Africans.
The next RASA awards will be held in Namibia, South Africa has hosted the awards for 3 consecutive years as a way of promoting the awards thereafter they are to be hosted by member countries on a rotational basis.
