By George Bukenya
Fortebet Real Stars Sports Monthly awards continue to play a vital role in sharpening sportsmen’s performances, with Hassan Alwi joining the strides as one of March’s top notches.
After his announcement as the best Rally driver of the month at an event held at Nanjing Restaurant in Kololo, Alwi, accompanied by his co-driver stated, “It has been a great surprise to be recognized, thanks to Fortebet. We are very honored to be chosen and we want to continue raising the Ugandan flag and it is a kind of motivation.”
Alwi for his KCB National Rally opening race win overpowered the stiff competition raised by Oscar Ntambi who went on to win the Africa Rally Championship 2 and Moses Lumala who finished second at the NRC opener in Mbale.
The event had three more winners with Jacob Kiplimo returning to the podium in a minimal time, beating Sarah Chelangat and Abbey Chelangat for the Athletics accolade with his performance at the World Half Marathon in Lisbon standing enough.
Kiplimo who won the same accolade in January for his Cross country performance in Tallahassee-Florida, on March 8th, set a new World Half marathon record at 57 minutes and 20 seconds to hand in hisu third Real Stars Athletics award in a space of six months.
Elsewhere, in boxing, David Ssemujju Kavuma who defended his WBO Asian Pacific and a Japanese National welterweight title, beat Kiplimo’s fellow winner of October, Farahat Manirola who was seeking his third accolade from Real Stars Sports Agency.
In the race for the accolade, Saiya Nsubuga the best boxer at the recently concluded Intermediate Boxing Championship was ranked third behind Manirola who became the first Ugandan boxer to win a bout on Russian soil.
Lastly in football, women mattered the most by occupying the entire podium which saw Maureen Kizza of Uganda Martyrs Lubaga beating Kenyan Marion Serenga who trades her game at St. Noa Girls in Uganda women Super League and Jovia Nakagolo who features for Kawempe Muslim Ladies.
The event drew the presence of representatives from sponsors such as Jude Colour Solutions, Fortebet winners and winners’ representatives to collect the accolades on behalf of others.