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Harare Bureau
TENNIS coach Martin Dzuwa says it will be a huge achievement if he scoops the Coach of the Year award at this year’s Annual National Sports Awards tonight at the Rainbow Towers.

Dzuwa is in the running for the prestigious award after his success story with the Zimbabwe Davis Cup team this year.

“I used to think that the only sport which has a lot of recognition, at the end of the year, was football,” said Dzuwa.

“I’m very happy and excited and even if I don’t win the award I’ll always remember the day.

“This is a special day for me because I’ve been working hard and I just hope that I’ll be recognised.

“To be one of the finalists means a lot to me as a coach.

“There’ve been good results from our players this year and I believe it’s all because we’ve been there for them and they’ve been following their training sessions well.

“The Davis Cup team’s performance was good this year.”

Dzuwa (Davis Cup team), Dhlamini Mtonzima (darts) and Phillip Tshuma (Junior Golf team) are the nominees for this year’s Coach of the Year award.

Football, which has had a miserable year on the international front, was not nominated.

The Davis Cup team has also been nominated for the Team of the Year category.

Young golfer Yollander Mubaiwa, who is also in the running for the awards, says she has had a good year.

“It’s my first time to be up for the ANSA awards and I’m very happy,” said Mubaiwa.

“I won the female amateur Golfer of the Year award in June after an impressive performance in a number of tournaments.

“I won six local tournaments.”

Mubaiwa has a tough battle for the Sportswoman of the Year award against reigning Sportsperson of the Year, Cara Black, and Rutendo Nyahora, who excelled in tennis and athletics. Boxer Charles Manyuchi is favourite to win the Sportsman of the Year and the Sportsperson of the Year award after a landmark year.

He won the World Boxing Council welterweight title in March in Lusaka, Zambia, after beating Ghanaian boxer Patrick Allotey.

He then defended his title in Lusaka.

Karateka Winston Nyanhete and young golfer Scott Vincent are also vying for the Sportsman of the Year award. Bowling has been nominated in the Sports Development of the Year category.

Unfortunately, talented motocross rider Daiyaan Manuel was overlooked for the Junior Sportsman of the Year award despite an outstanding year in which he was crowned the South African 50cc pro national champion.