20 Jun 2016

Teenage 200m and 400m runner Karabo Sibanda scooped the prestigious Sports Person of the Year Award as well as the Junior Male Sports Person Award at the 2016 Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) awards ceremony held at Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC) on June 18.

Sibanda, who turns 18-years-old next month, has been enjoying a meteoric rise in athletics since winning a 400m gold medal at the Africa Youth Games two years ago.  

Last year he won a 400m gold medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games, and a 400m gold medal at the Africa Youth Athletics Championships.  

He has already qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and is also part of the national team for the Africa Senior Athletics Championships.

The beaming teenager, who scooped P70 000 prize-money for the award, thanked his coach Mogomotsi Otsetswe for shaping his athletics career and everyone who has supported him.  

To win the Junior Male Sports Person Award he saw off tough competition from other nominees Khaya Groth of Karate and James Freeman of Swimming.

The reigning Botswana Boxing Association boxer of the year Zibani Chikanda won the sports man of the year which was sponsored by Kenya Airways ahead of 400m athlete Isaac Makwala and Ofentse Bakwadi of Karate. 

The sports woman of the year award went to Lame Hetanang of Karate, who also won the people's choice award.

United States of America- based swimmer Naomi Ruele, who has qualified for the Olympic Games, won the junior female award.  

Cricket was recognised as the sports code of the year ahead of chess and football, while the Special Olympics were awarded the group code of the year gong. 

The 4 X 400m men's relay team won the national team of the year award.

Other award winners were: Roslyn Tebele of Special Olympics (Sports Administrator of the Year), Mogomotsi Otsetswe of Athletics (Coach of the Year), Tshepo Kgatlwane (Male Sports Person with Disability), Unice Ketsile (Female Sports Person with Disability), Fazel Sherriff of Cricket (Non-Citizen award), Mpho Bakwadi of Karate (Umpire/ Referee of the year), Joel Mogorosi of Football (Chairman's award) and the Special Olympics Team (Minister's award).

In the media awards category Duma FM was selected as the electronic media house of the year, while Mmegi newspaper won the print media award. Leatile Mmutle of Duma FM won the electronic journalist award, Taolo Tlouetsile of Midweek Sun won the print journalist award and Gothusang Lesego of Botswana Press Agency won the photographer of the year award.

Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture Thapelo Olopeng said the fact that Botswana athletes continued to win medals at global and continental level showed  that sports in this country had  grown at a tremendous rate since independence. 

“We have indeed come a long way in sports. 

It is therefore befitting for Batswana to celebrate our various achievements as we gear up for greater celebrations towards this year's independence celebrations and indeed the future of sports. Winning medals at international events is always a product of hard-work, dedication and commitment by our athletes, technical teams, the sports bodies, sponsors and government,” Olopeng said.

He advised that more investment was required at grassroots level and youth development to sustain success on the international arena. ENDS