Story by Stefan de Villiers
The road to the 2020 Mpumalanga Sports Awards has started in earnest with the opening of the nomination process.
The process was initiated on July 1 and will end on July 29. Nominations can be done on www.mpsawards.co.za, via WhatsApp on 079-888-0246 or via email at info@mpsawards.co.za.
During this period, federations and the public are requested to submit names of players and teams who have excelled on the field of play from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020, and those who represented Mpumalanga with honour, dignity and excellence on big stages.
According to spokesperson for the Department of Sports, Arts and culture, Sibongile Nkosi, the Mpumalanga Sports Awards celebrate local individuals and teams who have excelled in the world of sport.
“The awards are aimed at honouring and celebrating those who put the province on the sporting map in 21 categories, with two of them conferred by culture, sport and recreation MEC, Lindiwe Ntshalintshali,” said Nkosi.
Last year, chess player, Banele Mhango, was the biggest winner at the awards when he was named sports star of the year.
Categories that will be voted for by the public are sports star of the year, sports journalist of the year, sports photographer of the year and sports fan of the year.
The rest will be chosen by a panel of independent individuals from provincial sporting federations. The winners will be announced during a virtual ceremony on September 27, which will be shown on SuperSport on DStv.
The categories are as follows:
• Sport administrator of the year
• School team of the year, developing
school of the year
• Newcomer of the year, volunteer of the
year
• People’s choice sports star of the year
• Indigenous games star of the year
• Recreation body of the year
• Team of the year
• Coach of the year
• Sports club/federation of the year
• Sportswoman of the year (with disability)
• Sportswoman of the year
• Sportsman of the year (with disability)
• Sportsman of the year
• Sports journalist of the year
• Sports photographer of the year
• Sports star of the year
• Sports fan of the year
• Lifetime achievement and sport legend
(these will be conferred by the MEC).
Source: The Corridor Gazzete