Milestones to drive United forward

Trustco United’s Sports Awards 2023 on Friday night was a display of a club back on the rise – specifically as far as its netball and rugby teams are concerned.

The Philistines’ dramatic 30-29 triumph in the Namibia Rugby Premier League final against FNB Wanderers with a last-second penalty by Renier Benade has been well recorded.

This result presented an impressive turnaround from the previous season’s seventh-place finish, while head coach Robbie Dickson have moulded the wearers of the blue jersey into a fierce unit once again.

Players such as loose forwards Thehard Lintvelt (Namibia U20 in 2023) and Feddy Mazila enhanced their reputation and were among the awards winners on Friday night.

United’s netball club also had a great season. Their first team won the Khomas first division, which means promotion to next year’s Khomas Top 10 – the division just below the MTC Namibia Premier League. United A lost only one of their 14 matches this season and under head coach Enrica Farmer is determined to make further inroads during 2024, after the netball club had been dormant for a few years.

Another promising sign was that United’s second netball teams finished in third place behind their A team, out of eight teams in the same Khomas first division. Both teams had progressed from the Khomas second division last year.

Friday’s award winners for 2023:

CRICKET

T20 premier league: Francois Rautenbach (best batsman), Melrich Robyn (best bowler), Ramsay McDonald (best fielder).

One-day premier league: Henry Hayes (batsman), Michael van Lingen (bowler and fielder).

T20 first league: Wynand Zwart (batsman and fielder), Riaan de Witt (bowler).

40-overs first league: William de Ath (batsman), Frank Bergh (bowler), Tobias Verwey (fielder).

T20 second league: Leon Fleming (batsman), Christiaa van der Westhuizen (bowler), Francois Steyn (fielder).

30-over second league: Michael Muller (batsman), Armin Fleming (bowler), Derick Colmer (fielder).

Wooden spoon (most ducks by recognised batsman): Franko Bergh.

Basket award (most dropped catches): Christo Greeff.

Junior player of the year: Michael Muller.

Senior player of the year: Handre Klazinga.

NETBALL

Second league: Julia Kandjimbi (defence), leane gabrielsen (attack), Lianri de Beer (shooter), Miche Lauren (most improved), Zoey Schiefer (players’ player).

1B (junior team): Bernice Jamela (defence), Anabel Bergh (attack), Reze Garbers (shooter and players’ player).

1A senior team: Maria Prokas (most improved), Chantel Swanepoel (defence), Zanté Farmer (attack), Juzelri Garbers (shooter), Tania Shindi (players’ player).

Sport personality of the year: Elzinre Burger.

Sport icon of the year: Simoney Janse van Rensburg.

Netball club sport woman of the year: Zanté Farmer.

WOMEN’S RUGBY

Most devoted: Valindi Rosaria.

Best defender: Rhevonne de Klerk.

Most tries: Roberta Fabio.

Player of the year: Michelle Slinger.

Sportswoman of the year: Geraldine de Klerk.

MEN’S RUGBY

Second team: Mbiri Mbai (forward), Hardus Louwrens (back), Llevellyn Koopman (most valuable player).

Clubman of the year: JD Nel.

Best progress: Hanno Husselmann (juniors), Panduleni Iilonga (seniors).

Player of the year and best defender: Feddy Mazila.

Most tries: Eloff du Plessis.

Sportsman of the year: Thehard Lintvelt.

CLUB HONOURS

Honorary member: Winmar Rust (20+ years service to rugby).

Honorary member: Riaan Walters (20+ years service to cricket).

Honorary member: Amanda de Jager (41+ years service to netball).

Service awards to the grounds keepers: Patrick Awoseb, Tangeni Jonas, Abraham Daniel, Llewlyn Eitabeb.

Coach of the year: Enrica Farmer (netball).

Team of the year: First rugby team (NRU premier league champions 2023).