France-based Malawian women’sfootball star Tabitha Chawinga says she felt honoured for being named Sportswoman of the Year at the Regional Annual Sports Awards (Rasa).
The ceremony, which is organised by the African Union Sports Council (Ausc) Region 5, was held in Harare, Zimbabwe on Saturday evening.
Tabitha becomes only the second Malawian to win a regional award after athlete Moneyi Chingaipe, who clinched the Junior Female Sportsperson of the Year in 2019.
In an interview yesterday, the Olympique Lyannois forward said she is excited with the recognition.
Said the Scorchers skipper: “I thank God for the award. As a regional recognition, I understand that it comes with a responsibility to serve and represent this region with pride and purpose.
“Many young girls and boys are looking up to me and I remain committed to inspiring them to embrace a mindset of possibility. Our stories of success are written every day if we believe, work hard and maintain a positive attitude in all seasons of life. Mulungu ndi wabwino [God is good].
“I also want to sincerely thank the Malawi National Council of Sports and all stakeholders who worked tirelessly to submit my nomination. This win is not just mine, it is a victory for Malawi!”
In a statement, the Ausc Region 5 said the Sportswoman of the Year Award was presented to Malawian football star Tabitha Chawinga for her excellence and leadership in football.
Sports Council chief executive officer Henry Kamata also hailed the 29-year-old forward for doing the nation proud.
He said: “We are excited that we got the Sportswoman of the Year Award at Rasa 2024 through our Tabitha Chawinga. This is great news to the country as it is a recognition that Malawi has athletic talent. “
However, Kamata had a word of caution.
He saidL“One area that we need to do as a country is to expose our athletes to the world through frequent participations at international competitions. We need to invest more in athletes’ development programmes and capacity enhancement of our technical officials.
“The competition at Rasa is getting tougher and we cannot afford to do our business as usual in sports. This award should give us more reason to soldier on with the development of our sport.”
National Women’s Football Association chairperson Adellaide Migogo also said they are excited with Tabitha’s achievement.
“To be recognised as the best sportswoman in the region is not a small feat. We are proud that she continues to fly the nation’s flag high,” she said.
Tabitha was also nominated for the Sportsperson of the Year Award.
Apart from her, other nominees from Malawi were Taonele Banda and Moses Misoya, who were shortlisted for the Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability and Sportsman of the Year with a Disability awards, respectively while the Malawi Under-19 Women’s National Team, which was nominated for the Team of the Year.
