Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)
27 April 2011
TANZANIAN professional basketball player Hasheem Thabeet, Taifa Stars midfield dynamos Henry Joseph and Nizar Khalfan have been nominated for various 2010 Sports personality awards.
Thabeet who is currently featuring for the NBA side Houston Rockets of the US, will be up against Joseph (Kongsvinger IL–Norway) and Nizar who features for Vancouver Whitecaps of Canada for an award of the best Tanzania athletes who is trading professional career outside the country.
The list also features professional pugilist Rogers Mtagwa who has taken his career to another level in the US. However, Thabeet No. 2 pick to the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Draft two years ago, has struggled to live to the NBA expectations.
The 7 foot, 3 inches, has since been dealt to the Houston Rockets, languishing with the team’s DLeague affiliate. And, ahead of the annual event, which recognizes and awards individuals who have made their mark on the sporting scene that will be held at the Movenpick Hotel in Dar es Salaam on May 6, Thabeet will definitely face stiff opposition from the flourishing Nizar and Joseph.
Announcing the nominees yesterday, the Tanzania Sports Writers Association (TASWA) Secretary General Amir Mhando told journalists that the nominees were picked by their respective sports associations.
He named nominees for an award of best foreign athlete featuring in local sports scenes as Simba’s Ugandan hit-man Emmanuel Okwi, Yanga’s Ghanaian custodian Yaw Berko and kickboxing star Kanda Kabongo from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Mhando said nominees from the categories that will be up for the Sports personality of the year award, in which; among them one will drive home a brand new car (Toyota GX 100) as a top prize for the winner include Samson Ramadhan, Marco Joseph and John Bazil (athletics-men), while ladies category has Zakia Mrisho, Mary Naali and Magdalena Mushi.
In football, nominees are Khamis Mcha (Zanzibar Ocean View), Mrisho Ngasa (Azam FC), Shadrack Nsajigwa (Yanga) and Juma Kaseja (Simba), while in ladies category nominees are Asha Rashid, Mwanahamisi Omary and Fatuma Omary.
Netball (women) has Lilian Sylidion (Filbert Bayi School), Mwanaid Hassan and Sekela Dominick from JKT Mbweni, while in basketball nominees for men category are George Otto Tarimo (Savio- Dsm), Lusajo Samwel Mwakipunda (Oilers-Dsm) and Gilbert Batungi.
Those picked for ladies category are Faraja Malaki (Jeshi Stars), Doritha Mbunda ( JKT Stars) and Zakhia Kondo (Lady Lioness). In cricket (men) nominees are Kassim Nassor, Seif Khalifa and Benson Mwita, while ladies are Hawa Salum, Mariam Said and Sophia Hemed.
Karama Nyilawila, Mbwana Matumla and Francis Cheka have been nominated for professional boxing while those in amateur boxing are Revocatus Shomari, Selemani Kidunda and Said Dume.
In ladies golf nominees are Hawa Wanyeche, Madina Iddi and Vailet Peter while those for men are Frank Roman, Adam Abbas and Isaac Anania.
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