Tanzania Sports Writers Association (TASWA) picked Zanzibar’s first President the late Abeid Amaan Karume as the winner of Sports Hall of Fame award during the Sports Personality of the Year 2013/2014 Awards, at the Diamond Jubilee VIP Hall in Dar see Salaam on Friday night.
Zanzibar President, Ali Mohammed Shein presents a Hall of Fame Award to Mama Fatuma Karume, on behalf of his late husband Abeid Amaan Karume, during an event to award the best sports personalities. (Photos by Mohammed Mambo)
The late President Karume won the award as part of TASWA’s recognition of his efforts in development of sports in the country, which includes building headquarters of the country’s giant football clubs Young Africans and Simba.
The gala night was graced by President of Zanzibar Ali Mohammed Shein, who presented the award to Fatma Karume, the widow of the late president, who acknowledged TASWA for the honour and insisted on people to take sports seriously since sports is good for health.
After presenting the award, president Shein revealed that despite his many responsibilities, he is also a sport fanatic because he knows the importance of sports in the welfare of any nation.
He commended TASWA for its good work in developing sports in the country and its efforts to conduct the annual event, which is not an easy task to carry with a country of about 45 million inhabitants.
Apart from that, president Shein lamented on the poor performance of the country in various sports in international arena, saying that it’s high time athletes and sports leaders change and restore the lost glory in sports.
“Sports associations must fortify their performance and they should invest in youth programmes if they really want to take our sports to another level,” said president Shein.
Before winding up his speech, president Shein said that he has agreed with TASWA’s request of being the association’s Patron and that he will do all his best to ensure the association sustains its good work.
He later named the country’s top sports personality for the year 2013/14 as Sheridah Boniface, who also scooped the Best Women Footballer of the Year Award by outshining the national women soccer team ‘Twiga Stars’ former captain Sophia Mwasikili.
The reigning Vodacom Premier League champions Azam FC defender and national team player Erasto Nyoni, was named the Best Footballer of the Year, defeating Yanga dependable central defender Nadir Haroub and Simba striker Elias Maguri.
In the Best Foreign Footballer Award, Azam FC’s Ivorian striker Kipre Tchetche emerged the winner, outshining last season’s league top goal scorer, Simba’s Burundian international striker Amis Tambwe and Yanga fullback Mbuyu Twite.
Congolese side TP Mazembe and ‘Taifa Stars’ ace striker Mbwana Samatta was named the winner of the Best Tanzanian Professional Footballer in the category he vied against his TP Mazembe compatriot Thomas Ulimwengu and cyclist Richard Laizer.
Others who won the awards in Basketball: Lusajo Samwel (men), Sajda Ahmed (women) Netball: Doritha Mbunda, Kevin Peter (volleyball-men) and Teddy Abwao (volleyball-women) and in athletics the winners are Alphonce Felix, (men) and Zakia Mrisho (women).
Yohana Wilson and Kidawa Selemani are the winners of volleyball in men’s and women’s category respectively while Omar Sulle and Rehema Athumani are winners of Tennis category while in disable tennis winners are Novatus Emmanuel (men) and Rehema Selemani Saidi (women).
Hassan Kadio scooped the professional golf award and Nuru Mollel won the amateur category, and in Judo category Godfrey Mtao won in men’s category and Grace Mhanga (women),
Handball: Hemedi Salehe, (men); Veronica Mapunda, (women) Cycling: Sophia Adson (women) and Richard Laizer (men) and in Special Olympics: Raphael Kalukula (men), and Blandina Blasi, (women) won the category .
Other winners of the awards are in amateur boxing and in professional boxing, where Francis Cheka won the award for the second consecutive year.
TASWA 2013/14 Sports Personality of the Year Awards was sponsored by Selcom Wireless Paypoint, Said Salim Bakhressa (SSB) group of companies, Independent Power Tanzania Limited (IPTL), National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and the Public Service Pensions Fund (PSPF).