IT was not Kirsty Coventry. It was not boxer Charles Manyuchi, but rather a dark horse, bodybuilder Helen Costa-Sinclair who won the Sportsperson of-the-Year award in this year’s edition of the Annual National Sports Awards held on Wednesday in Harare. It was Costa-Sinclair who emerged the winner of the country’s most prestigious award (Sportsperson of-the-Year) ahead of favourites Manyuchi and Coventry. The duo have won the award before but Manyuchi went home with a consolation prize of the Sportsman of-the-Year award. Manyuchi won the Sportsperson of-the-Year award last year.
But what did Sinclair do to win the top accolade? The bodybuilder has won two Ms Zimbabwe fitness titles as well as Ms Musclemania titles locally. She is the current Ms International Fitness Figure and Miss Universe Figure and for those efforts, Costa-Sinclair went home with an early Christmas present of US$5 000.
After outwitting Coventry and Micheen Thornycroft in the Sportswoman of-the-Year award, Sinclair went on to outshine Manyuchi and Coventry in the Sportsperson of-the-Year award.
Another surprise was on the Team of-the-Year. The nominees were the Netball team, The Mighty Warriors and the Sevens Rugby team. Many expected the Mighty Warriors who qualified for the Olympics to be crowned the Team of-the-Year but it was the Netball team who are the African champions who scooped the award.
Their coach Ledwin Dondo was also crowned Coach of-the-Year ahead of Daniel Hondo of rugby and Shadreck Mulauzi the Mighty Warriors coach.
The award winners
Sportsperson-of-the-Year: Helen Costa Sinclair – Bodybuilding
Sportswoman-of-the-Year: Helen Costa-Sinclair – Bodybuilding
Sportsman-of-the-Year: Charles Manyuchi – Boxing
Junior Sportsperson-of-the-Year: Tanyaradzwa Muzinda – Motor Racing
Junior Sportswoman-of-the-Year: Tanyaradzwa Muzinda – Motor Racing
Junior Sportsman-of-the-Year: Kyle Hinde – Rowing
Junior Sportswoman-of-the-Year with a Disability: Nyasha Karima – Athletics T13 Special Olympics, Junior Sportsman-of-the-Year with a Disability: Michael Mudyanadzo – Golf Special Olympics, Sportswoman-of-the-Year with a Disability: Dadirai Jack – Golf Special Olympics
Sportsman-of-the-Year with a Disability: Lucky Chitembe – Athletics T12,
Team-of-the-Year: Senior Netball Team, Coach of-the-Year: Ledwin Dondo – Coach Senior Netball Team,
Technical Official-of-the-Year: Joyce Muchenu –Basketball
Sports Administration-of-the-Year: Zimbabwe Karate Union,
Sport Development-of-the-Year: Zimbabwe Karate Union,
Women-in-Sport Award: Mary Kloppers – Zimbabwe Aquatic Union (Swimming and Water Polo), Special Acknowledgement award: Prophetic, Healing and Deliverance Ministries, Zimplats, City of Harare, Daniel Moyo, Plan Zimbabwe – Kwekwe, Stanlous Nyachowe.
Hall-of-Fame: Bernard Dzoma – athletics, Patricia Molly Pretorius – Tennis, Gay Alison Erskine – Squash, John Keyter – Swimming, Freddy Mukwesha – Football