

The two sisters and Yamikani Guba (below)
* As Sports Council unveils final top 3 list of 2024 Awards Gala scheduled for Friday at BICC
* Malawians to expect a colourful and memorable event which they will live to remember
By Victor Singano Jnr
Sensational sisters, Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga; quadruple winning coach for Nyasa Big Bullets Kalisto Pasuwa; Malawi’s only heavyweight professional taekwondo athlete based in the UK, Yamikani Guba, headline the list of top three nominees in the categories set to be decorated at the 2023 Malawi Sports Awards.

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The country’s sports disciplines mother-body, Malawi National Council of Sports has unveiled the final list of top 3 candidates who have been selected from 14 categories, whose winners are set to be announced at the Awards Gala scheduled for Friday, February 16 at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe.
Making the announcement today at Sports Council offices at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, chairperson of sports development committee, Hellen Mpinganjira-Tasosa said the nominees have been selected through an independent adjudication committee following recommendations from the first stage of selection by the media committee.
Mpinganjira-Tasosa assured Malawians to expect a colourful and memorable event which they will live to remember, saying: “However, we would like to continue requesting for more partners who can come in and support towards this occasion as it is national initiative.”

Mpinganjira-Tasosa
The two Malawi Scorchers foreign-based women football stars, Tabitha and Temwa have have been nominated in the category of the Sports Woman of the Year whereas Nyasa Big Bullets gaffer, Kalisto Pasuwa is appearing in the Non-Citizen of the Year.
The year 2023 had been such a colorful one for Tabitha Chawinga, won prestigious the Serie A Femminile’s Golden Boot with an outstanding 23 goals in 2022/23 league season.

Tabitha in action for PSG in France
She went on to be named in the Italian Women’s League’s Best XI and was nominated for the 2023 CAF Women Player of Year award as well as being named in Best Africa XI by FIFPRO Africa alongside 2023 African Player of Year Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria.
She is currently one of best players of the Paris Saint-Germain of France while her sister Temwa led Malawi Scorchers to win the 2023 COSAFA Women Championship where she was attained three accolades — Player of the Tournament; won the Golden Boot as well as two Player of the Match accolades.

Temwa Chawinga
She was also named third on the ranking of Women’s World Best Top Division Goal Scorer 2023 — identified after bagging 30 goals in China’s Super League playing for Wuhan.
“This ranking is managed by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS)
For the Sportsman of the Year, Yamikani Guba has been recognised for winning 15 medals in 2023 in taekwondo in his host country, UK where he is serving in the British Army — 6 gold medals; 6 silver and 3 bronze.
Guba, who holds a Malawian passport, has represented Malawi at international level and he fights in UK representing the Army Taekwondo WT Team.

Guba, aiming high
The gold medals he won in 2023 were Ultimate Taekwondo Championships in January; Midlands Open Taekwondo Championships in March; Army Open Taekwondo Championships also in March held at the Army Combat Centre in Aldershort in the Vets +87 category; Seniors at the Scottish Open Championships in September and Vets +87 category at the England Open Championships in November held at Leeds Beckett University;,
The silver medals were at the 50th Anniversary Dutch Open Taekwondo Championships in March in Eindhoven in the Netherlands in March 23 which is used as the World Taekwondo Ranking event; at the Inter-Services Championships in June; at the European Masters Games 2023 held in Finland in July and Vets +87 category & Seniors at the Scottish Open Championships in September.
Guba was also nominated for the 2019 Malawi Sport Awards’ Sportsman of the Year alongside men’s footballer Gabadinho Mhango and women footballer Tabitha Chawinga but the award went to Tabitha.

Pasuwa and his charges
For the Non-citizen of the Year, alongside Arjun Menon (cricket) and Priyasha Santos (chess), Zimbabwean coach, Kalisto Pasuwa will be considered for winning a historic quadruple — the TNM Super League, FDH Bank Cup, Castel Challenge Cup and the Airtel Top 8 and the TNM Super League, which is his 5th consecutive, five years after he was appointed as Nyasa Big Bullets coach.
Alongside Para-Athlete trainer, Agnes Chikwakwa, Lovemore Fazili is also on the list for Coach of the Year after guiding Malawi Scorchers to their first-ever international title, the 2023 COSAFA Women Championship — coming after finishing 2nd in past two editions.
The full list of the nominated candidates and their categories:
* Junior Female Sportsperson of the Year (up to the age of 17, or born in 2006 or later): Victoria Mkwala (schools women’s football); Tionge Phiri (taekwondo); Mphatso Duwe (taekwondo)
* Junior Male Sportsperson of the Year (up to the age of 17, or born in 2006 or later): Luke Chimwemwe Smit (swimming); Brave Kamanga (taekwondo); Gift Ronex Lambulira (taekwondo)
* Sportswoman with Disability: Melisa Phapa (Special Olympics); Hannah Winess (lawn tennis); Estere Nagoli (Paralympic)
* Sportsman with Disability: Mphatso Saukila (Paralympics); Patrick Sichamba (Special Olympics); Emmanuel Banda (Special Olympics)
* Sportswoman of the Year: Tabitha Chawinga (women football); Temwa Chawinga (women football); Susan Kachepa (draughts)
* Sportsman of the Year: Yamikani Guba (taekwondo); Enock Banda (draughts); Mphatso Saukile (visually impaired)
* National Team of the Year: Malawi Scorchers; draughts; Special Olympics
* Sports Association of the Year: Football; Hockey; Draughts
* Best executed sport development program: Cricket; Golf; Para Sport Against Stigma
* Sports District of the year: Karonga; Salima; Chitipa
* Umpire/Judge/Referee of the Year: Eneless Gumbo (football); Gift Pasanja (boxing); Daniel Matavata (Hockey)
* Coach of the Year: Lovemore Fazili (Malawi Scorchers); Agness Chikwakwa (Para-Athlete)
* Media House of the Year: Mibawa Television; Times Group; Timveni Radio.—Additional reporting by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express

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