The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Kusema
IS veteran newscaster Steve Vickers the man to finally steer the Annual National Sports Awards from the murky waters of controversy to the podium of prestige and credibility?
That was one of the biggest takeaways from the Ansa Awards unveiling ceremony held last week.
Vickers and his new selection panel, which includes Joyce Kapota, Stephen Mudawarima, Ginny Rose, Witness Magugula, Ignatius Vambe and Lovemore Dube, made their first public address and announced the 2019 finalists. On the list are some usual customers, with the likes of Emmanuel Bako and Christi-Rose Pretorius in the running for the Junior Sportsman and woman award, while Pride Mafira is vying for the Junior Sportsman gong. Margret Bangajena staking her claim for the Sportswoman with a Disability award.
Long-distance runner Rutendo Nyahora looks like a runaway favourite for the Sportswoman of the Year award, while United States-based and reigning triple jump collegiate champion Chengetayi Mapaya is tipped for the male award.
The Zimbabwe senior netball team are also in contention for the Team of the Year Award following their exploits at the World Cup in Liverpool. Their mentor, Lloyd Makumbe, has been shortlisted for the Coach of the Year award. However, much of the talk has been centred on some of the big names missing from the list, among them the senior rugby team — the Sables. Shihan Samson Muripo, French-based basketball talisman Vitalis Chikoko, Aston Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, Kaizer Chiefs’ Khama Billiat and Gems’ goal shooter Joyce Takaidza are also not on the list.
For his part, Vickers and his new committee have welcomed the debate on their nominations. “We welcome the debate. Sport is all about differences of opinion. We can always argue about who the best team is, or the best sports star. That is part of the excitement of sport,” he said.
“It’s an arduous task, quite a difficult one. There will always be people who disagree and agree, but I’m definitely happy to serve.
“It’s all about service to sport, we all love sport so much. There was no way I could say no when I was asked to return to the judges’ panel, having previously served between 2002 and 2006,” said Vickers.
However, the Ansa Awards’ judges panel continues to work with an outdated and ambiguous constitution. Others have even argued that the panel lacks autonomy as it mostly relies on submissions from sports administrators, some of whom are vulnerable to manipulation.
The panel also relies on the Sport and Recreation Commission’s tracking system.
Over the years, the Zimbabwe Football Association has refused to play ball and take the awards seriously.
As a result, very few football personalities have won an Ansa award, which probably explains why some in-form football stars are not on the list. Yet the essence of the awards is to reward the country’s best performing sportsmen and women, regardless of discipline.
What then makes a best performing athlete? For now, the panel answers that through an achievement-based blueprint. They are using a point system based on local, regional, continental and international achievements.
ln that regard, some names are put under scrutiny. While the Gems were by far the biggest newsmakers of 2019 after writing a fairytale story at the Vitality World Cup, they finished in position eight out of a possible 16.
Under the said point system, should they be finalists for the awards?
On the other hand, the Zimbabwe Sables, who are regional champions after lifting the Victoria Cup last year, are not on the list.
Chikoko, currently the talk of French basketball having made an expensive move from Élan Béarnais Pau-Lacq-Orthez to Levallois Metropolitans, is also conspicuous by his absence.
Chikoko also reached the 13 000-point milestone in the French League.
Vickers admitted that the system was flawed but pledged to work tirelessly to plug the loopholes. “We have been following the sportspeople every year, taking note of who wins, who is nominated and who is not.
“There have been some shortcomings, particularly in how to compare the different sports and how to judge the merit of a sporting achievement,” said Vickers.
“For instance, international performances carry a lot of marks in the criteria on the judging sheet, but there are different levels within an international performance.
“Some have won at invitational tournaments, some have gone on to win on circuit level, which might not be the highest level. At the same time, we had some World Championships like Doha last year and the Olympics this year.
“There is need to differentiate these levels,” he said. However, Vickers applauded the SRC for the few changes that he has seen since his return.
“Some years back, all the nominees would come from the associations. That led to some embarrassing situations as the names of some great athletes were not submitted. We were powerless to intervene then.
“At least the tracking system has improved on that. The criteria now needs to be looked at, it needs to be sharpened up a bit. We are also mandated to use our common sense, especially in instances where you can’t quantify everything.
“At the conclusion of this year’s awards, we will write a report on the processes that we are going through in selecting outstanding sportspeople. I intend to highlight some of these issues and offer recommendations,” he said.
