It’s that time of the year when the nation comes together to celebrate sporting excellence, with top local athletes from various sporting disciplines gathering at the annual Namibia Annual Sports Awards (Nasa)
The event is set to take place tomorrow night at the MTC Dome in Swakopmund.
The Nasa awards are designed to celebrate and reward top-performing athletes and sporting officials. This year marks the 19th edition of the awards, and it promises to be a memorable event. Last year, the awards ceremony was hosted in the town of Lüderitz.
One of the most anticipated categories at this year’s awards is the Nasa Sportsman of the Year. In this category, Gerhard Erasmus from Cricket Namibia will face tough competition from Roman Wantenaar (swimming), Fillemon Nghutunanye (boxing), and Vejakojao Hinda (MMA).
Another category to watch out for is the Nasa Sportswoman Award. Veera Looser, who had an exceptional year, will compete against Suzelle Pronk of Karate for this honour.
In an interview, Sensei Llewellyn, the president of the Namibia Karate Federation (NKF), expressed his support for Suzelle, saying she has a good chance of winning the award after an outstanding year. He stated, “It’s a tough competition. I know she is up against Looser, who has also excelled this year, but I believe Suzelle stands a good chance of winning this year’s Sportswoman of the Year. She has worked hard, and as a federation, we are rallying behind her to bring this award home.”
Similarly, the president of the Namibia Cycling Federation (NCF), Axel Theissen, echoed Llewellyn’s sentiments, acknowledging that the competition in this category is tough. However, he expressed his belief that Veera Looser deserves the award this year after two previous attempts. He mentioned, “This would be a fantastic birthday gift for Veera if she wins on Saturday, as she turns 30 on that day. She has performed exceptionally well this year, excelling in numerous events, and I believe it’s her time to secure this well-deserved recognition.”
-mkambukwe@nepc.com.na