Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Four Namibian athletes have made the final list of nominees for the 2025 Regional Annual Sports Awards (RASA), announced Thursday by AUSC chief executive officer Stanley Mutoya.
Lahja Ishitile is nominated for Sportswoman of the Year with a disability. She will compete against Taonele Banda of Malawi and Simone Kruger.
Pieter Benade, a rugby coach, is nominated for Coach of the Year.
He faces competition from athletics coaches Kebonyemodisa Dose of Botswana and Douglas Kalembo of Zambia.
Chris Kinda is nominated for Sportsman of the Year with a disability.
He will compete against Mpumelelo Mhlongo of South Africa and Moses Misoya of Malawi.
New Era sports journalist Limba Mupetami is up for the Sports Journalist Award of the Year, along with Cosmas Mulenga from Zambia and Ellina Mhlanga from Zimbabwe.
The awards will take place on Saturday, 24 May 2025, in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa will be the guest of honour, and he is expected to present the Sportsperson of the Year Award.
Mutoya said the awards have increased professionalism and ambition across the region.
“The growing excitement surrounding these awards has elevated performance standards and redefined the value of recognition in sport. The award ceremony is indeed a reflection of our RASA theme: ‘Celebrating Excellence, Inspiring Innovation’. Congratulations to all our top three nominees. You have already made us proud, and your journey continues to inspire the region,” he said.
