18 Apr 2026

 The Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) has released names of the nominees for the 45th Botswana Sports Awards, with Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) dominating with eight nominations.

Three Botswana top athletes; Collen Kebinatshipi of athletics, Goitseone Phoko of football and Tumiso Phuthego of judo have been nominated for the Sportsman of the year while the Sportswoman of the year category has Oratile Nowe of athletics, Centy Kgosikoma of karate and Naledi Banda of chess.

Justice Oratile of athletics, Ntungamili Raguin of tennis and Edwin Nyoka of bowling have been nominated in the Junior Male Sportsperson of the Year category, while the Junior Female Sportsperson of the Year has Same Mhutsiwa of athletics, Swimmer Melodi Saleshando and Neelo Modise from Judo.

Team of the year category has the men’s 4x400m relay team from athletics, Davis Cup team from tennis and 4x400m mixed relay from BOTESSA.

Botswana Athletics Association, Botswana Swimming Sport Association and Botswana Table Tennis Association have been nominated for the National Sport Assoiation of the year.

Oratile Ndadziila of athletics, Abel Mataboge from softball and Doroth Okatch of basketball will be eying the Umpire of the Year award while Coach of the Year category has Chilume Ntshwarang from Botswana Athletics Association, Phenyo Matong form Botswana Tennis Association and Botswana Football Association under 20 national team coach, Tapaphiwa Gaebolae.

In other nominations, Omphile Botlhasitse of tennis and Gloria Majaga of Paralympics Association of Botswana will battle it out for the Female Sportsperson with disability while table tennis president, Kudzani Motswagole, bowling president Marea Modutlwa and Botswana Football Association president Tariq Babitseng have been nominated for the Sport Administrator of Year.

Chairperson adjudication panel, Dr Lobone Kasale said the athletes’ categories were adjudicated based on the holistic assessment, which was based on the athlete’s performance, which was quantitatively scored based on where the athletes competed; whether national, regional, continental, international, commonwealth, world, or Olympics and how they competed; if they reached semifinals, finals, or brought bronze, silver and gold medals.

As for administrators, officials and coaches, he said the holistic assessment accounted for their performance, with regards to places and levels where they coached or officiated at national, regional, continental, international, Commonwealth, World or Olympics.

He further said their improvement, impact and discipline were also qualitatively assessed. ENDS