09 Jun 2019

Botswana’s 400m sensation, Baboloki Thebe has scooped the prestigious  Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) Sportsman of the Year and Sportsperson of the Year awards at the commission’s 39^th awards ceremony in Gaborone on June 7.

 

Thebe has qualified for the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar scheduled for September 28.

 

He qualified after winning the 21^st Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) African Senior Athletics Championships title after clocking 44:81 in the finals last year. 

 

Also in his bag, is the silver medal from  Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in 2018, among others.

 

Botswana Chess Federation also dominated the awards scooping three awards; with Besa Masaite winning the Junior Sportsperson of the Year, Motlhokomedi Thabano winning the Sport Administrator of the Year award and the National Sport Association award.

 

Bose Mokgwathi and Gorata Malehaneng won Sportsman  and Sportswoman Disability awards respectively, while Malebogo Molefhe also under disability, won Chairperson’s Award for her contribution in basketball.

 

In the media category, Botswana Press Agency (BOPA) also dominated the media awards category, winning Photographer of the Year (Gothusang Lesego), Print Journalist of the Year (Anastacia Sibanda) and Print Media House of the Year (Daily News).

 

Congratulating the winners, Vice President Slumber Tsogwane encouraged them to keep working hard and remain competitive at all levels. 

 

To those who did not win, he urged them to keep the faith and hope as they had also contributed to the success of others.

 

He said government consider sport as one of the key factors in national development. 

 

He said sport was a catalyst for the development of communities and played an important role in building the character of youth. 

 

He assured that government would continue to support sport development initiatives so as to help in marketing the country, adding that government will also support stakeholders involved in sport.

 

Held under the theme, Aspire to Rise Higher, Tsogwane indicated that all were challenged to work hard for the success of the country at various levels.  

 

He noted that the role of the private sector and other stakeholders in the development of sport was important. ENDS