Mozambique: Best athletes of 2019 awarded by Secretariat of State for Sports

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Mozambique: Best athletes of 2019 awarded by Secretariat of State for Sports

3:53 CAT | 15 Dec 2020

All photos: Courtesy of Secretariat for Sports

The State Secretariat for Sports has organised, for the first time since its constitution earlier this year, a National Sports Gala, awarding more than a dozen athletes who stood out during 2019 in various modalities.

At the event in Maputo on Thursday were athletes, sports agents and representatives of public-private institutions which support and develop sport in Mozambique.

According to the Secretary of State for Sports, Carlos Gilberto Mendes, this event is held in high regards by professionals in the class “because it aims to reward and award those who stand out as being the best of the best in national sports”.

Altogether, more than a dozen athletes were awarded – and did not shy away from expressing their feelings at seeing their achievements publicly recognised.

The ceremony also served to recognise the importance of the contribution, over the years, of some retired national sportspeople who, in their active role, have done everything they can to raise Mozambique’s sporting profile inside and outside the country.

African champion basketball player for Clube Ferroviário de Maputo, Ingvild Mucauro, who was elected Best Woman Athlete of 2019, praised the role of the Government and the entire national sports machine for recognising the achievements of its athletes. “I have no words to thank you for being honoured in this way. When we start training, we often do not know where we are going,” she said.

For her part, new Mozambican boxing star Rady Gramane highlighted the commitment of the different national entities that make sports in Mozambique possible. “It is with great honour that I receive this award. It means the recognition of my sport and what the Federation is doing for boxing,” she said.

Although the country has seen seven previous galas, organised by the now-defunct Ministry of Youth and Sports, this was the first gala organised by the State Secretariat for Sports, under the leadership of Carlos Gilberto Mendes.

Below is the complete list of winning athletes.

Athlete of the Year (Men)

Winner: Kevin Loforte – Judo

Gold in the National Championship;
Silver Medals at the Senegal and Yaoundé Open;
Gold medal in the South African Championship (66 kg category);
Seventh place in the African Championship;
Second finals in the category’s world championships.

Athlete of the Year (Women)

Winner: Ingvild Mucauro – Basketball

National champion in the Seniors category;
Africa Women’s Champions Cup, by Ferroviário de Maputo;
Named the MVP of the FIBA Africa Women’s Champions Cup 2019 and headlining All-Star Five.

Adapted Sports Athlete of the Year (Men)

Winner: Armindo Andrisse Zavala – Athletics

Gold medal in the 100 meters;
Gold medal in the 200 meters at the Manica School Games 2019;
Selected for the CPLP 2020 games.

Adapted Sports Athlete of the Year (Women)

Winner: Elisabeth Salatiel Guambe – Athletics

Gold medal in the 400 meters;
Silver in the 200 meters;
Bronze in the 100 meters;
Participation in the Tunisian meeting having qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Revelation Athlete

Winner: Jennie Moneme – Judo

National Junior Champion
Gold Medal in the South African Championship;
Second round in the African and World Championships.

Revelation Athlete in Adapted Sports

Winner – Armindo Andrisse Zavala

Team of the Year (Men)

Winners: Nordino Mussá and Mussá Chamaune – Double Canoeing

African champions in class C2-200;

Sixth in the World B;
Fourth place in the World Cup in Portugal;
Ninth place in the World Cup in Germany.

Team of the year (Women)

Winner- Ferroviário de Maputo

National Champion, African Champion Clubs’ Cup.

Coach of the year

Winner: Lucas Sinoia – Boxing

National Champion;
Several achievements in competitions in the zone;
Continent qualifiers for the Japan Olympic Games.

Referee of the year

Winner: Arsenio Marrengula – Football

Auxiliary referee; participates regularly in African competitions at different levels and is part of the elite of CAF referees.

Popular Athlete

Winner: Rady Gramane – Boxing

Prestige Award

Winner: Marcelino Macome

The Prestígio award is attributed to a personality for his/her distinctive trajectory and sporting trajectory in the development, organisation and promotion of sports.
Marcelino Macome was one of the founders of the Mozambique Olympic Committee. He was subsequently its chairman for more than 20 years. He participated in more than six editions of the Olympic games. It was during his term that Mozambique, through Maria de Lurdes Mutola, achieved its only Olympic gold medal