Bondo, Makwala snubbed
Mqondisi Dube | Friday May 17, 2019 11:43
The cricket team will also feel hard done by after winning back-to-back titles towards the end of the year. The nominees were released on Tuesday but Bondo and Makwala’s names were missing.
Bondo has received just about each and every continental assignment and is in line to handle his second Africa Cup of Nations finals in June. Makwala bagged two gold medals at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. Makwala won his first major championship gold medal with a well-run 44.35 in the men’s 400m final. He was also instrumental in assisting the men’s 4x400m relay team to a gold and season’s best of 3:01.78.
Last year, Makwala won the sportsman of the year award, but missed out on the big one- the sportsperson of the year gong.
The cricket team also had a good 2018.
The team won the Africa Cup in October, just a week after progressing to the second round of the ICC Africa men’s T20 World Cup qualifiers. Australia will host the World Cup next year. Cricket captain, Karabo Motlhanka said it was disappointing not to get recognition for their hard work.
“I am a bit disappointed that we didn’t get the recongtion for or efforts in 2018. It was a remarkable achievement by the team to win back-to-back tournaments at home, that has seen us rise to an ICC T20i ranking of 30th in the world.
Cricket is not popular in the country, but it would have been a nice boost going to the qualifiers that we are now being appreciated, for the whole country to see. But with that said, we still look to do even better at the next round of qualifiers,” Motlhanka said.
The cricket team left for Uganda on Thursday, where it will take part in the second round of the 2020 T20 World Cup qualifiers.
Meanwhile, there was consolation for Makwala, as, while a prophet has no honour in his country, Makwala has been nominated for the sportsperson of the year in the Regional Annual Sports Awards (RASA) scheduled for Namibia next weekend. He will fight it out with Wilfred Mashaya of Zimbabwe and Chad le Clos from South Africa.
Botswana men’s 4x400m relay team has been nominated for the sports team of the year and they would battle it out against Banyana Banyana and Malawi netball.
Nominees for the Botswana National Awards:
Junior female sportsperson of the year:
Entle Maungwa (karate), Besa Masaite (chess), Oarabile Tshosa (athletics)
Junior male sportsperson of the year: James Freeman
(swimming), Bernard Olesitse (athletics), Denzel Seetso (tennis)
Sports administrator of the year: Tshepho Bathai (BOKA president), Duncan Segabo (communication and marketing officer)-BOTESSA, Mothokomedi Thabano (president BCF)-chess Non-citizen sports award: Sean Irish (BRU vice president technical)-rugby, Sumod Damodar -cricket
National team of the year: men 4 x 400m relay, chess national youth team, Police VI men volleyball club.
National Sport Association (NSA) of the Year: Botswana Chess Federation, Botswana Cricket Association, Botswana Karate Association
Sportswoman of the year: Thabang Maleke-karate, Gaoleseletse Gasekgonwe –volleyball, Christine Botlogetswe - athletics
Sportsman of the year: Ofentse Bakwadi-karate, Baboloki
Thebe-athletics, Phemelo Khetho-chess.
Umpire/Referee of the year: Gaone Poane-tennis, Emmanuel Kgaboetsile-badminton, Mpho Bakwadi-karate.
Coach of the year: Mogomotsi Otsetswe-athletics, Peter Molefe-karate.
Sportsperson with disability (female) Gorata
Malehaneng-Special Olympics, Ontlametse Sebokolodi -Special Olympics.
Sportsperson with disability (Male) Edwin Masuge-PASSOBO, Bose Mokgwathi-PASSOBO, Bonolo Joseph-Special Olympics.