Rewarding excellence in sports
SUNDAY greetings! We are clearly living up to our promise.
God willing, this will be a year to remember for our people in the sports movement. Our organisation, the Eswatini Sports and Recreation Council (ESRC), has already set the tone very early in the year with the announcement of the return of the Eswatini National Sports Awards. Make no mistake about it, the awards’ return after an almost three-year absence, is no mini ceremony, as it has been announced.
It may not be the gala dinner event the nation is now used to but the bigger picture suggests that this will be a huge and massive event for our sports, as we reward our heroes and heroines. It will be massive for so many reasons. First and foremost, history will indeed remember the winners fondly. Their names will be immortalised in our annals.
Secondly, winners on the day will qualify for the Regional Annual Sports Awards (RASA). These will be hosted in May. That is why we are saying, there is nothing small about the forthcoming awards ceremony. The Awards in truth should be hosted biannually but under the circumstances, we couldn’t practically deliver this important programme, since they were re-launched in 2017, which makes it about six years ago.
We recall with so much pride and joy that the country was conferred with the Country of the Year Award during the RASA, hosted in South Africa in 2017.
It was a glorious moment for the country. It, therefore, follows that we also celebrate and honour our local stars. The awards are meant to celebrate excellence, to appreciate, cherish and honour our all-conquering sons and daughters. These are the heroes and sheroh that defied the odds, swam against the tide, jumped over hurdles and fought bravely against strong opposition to conquer.
Of course we are alive to the fact that our underlying performance as a sports organ and that of the National Sports Associations is what will ultimately constitute a new story about the impact of sport on our people. Yes, as an organisation, we seek to unveil a visible positive impact of sport to human development. We intend to usher in a new story and song on the perception our people have on sport.
Needless to say, we at the ESRC are positioning ourselves to work on and deliver a sports system through collaboration with our key strategic partners. To this end we call upon our stakeholders, partners and of course the business community to support and cooperate with us, as we embark on the ambitious project to build and develop our nation through sport. This national rewards sports programme is but just one of many ways the ESRC intends to use make a statement of intent on the direction we are headed.
As an affiliate of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region V, each of the other member States are required to host their respective National Sports Awards. Winners from these then contest for the ultimate regional recognition, which comes in the form of the RASA. We are also alive to the perceptions and expectations of the populace regarding sports in the country. Our people are demanding greater government intervention towards sports development and sports for human development.
Our National Sports Associations should submit their nominees on or before Friday, February 17, 2023. Period to be reviewed is between January, 2020 and December 31, 2022. Nominations can be forwarded to zama@sportscouncil.org.sz
Alternatively nominations can be sent to ntiwane@ sportscouncil.org.sz
The bid day is scheduled for March 1, 2023. It will surely be a day to remember.
Until next week, sport for all; sports for life!
OUR CONTACTS;
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) dlomo@sportscouncil. org.sz - 24041590
Senior Marketing Officer – Dumisani Ntiwane ntiwane@sportscouncil.org.sz - 7669 1992/7969 1992 Marketing Officer – Siphesihle Dacunha siphesihle@ sportscouncil.org.sz - 7644 8422/7936 3545 Marketing Officer – Philisiwe Mhlanga phili@ sportscouncil.org.sz 7696 6779/7964 8650