Monitor scribes: Choice Awards will push us to double our efforts

Talented Trio. Ssemugabi (L), Kyeyune (C) and Muziransa won big at the Sports Choice Awards on Tuesday. PHOTO: JB SSENKUBUGE

KAMPALA. “Glory be to God. This has been my most difficult year in sports journalism yet, but it comes with a few highs that stand out,” said an emotional Darren Allan Kyeyune as he held his Sports Journalist of the Year trophy.
This was Kyeyune’s second trophy Tuesday night because he had already won the Social Media category—for the third consecutive year since these awards started in 2016—at the Sports Journalists Choice Awards at Route 256 in Lugogo.
Kyeyune, a regular reporter with Daily Monitor, presenter on NBS TV and Radio One, has won the overall accolade for the second successive year.
But after picking the gong from Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) president William Blick, he told fellow cheerful scribes on the chilly night that “it wasn’t easy.”
“It’s easy to get to the top but the most difficult thing is to stay there. That is why the world lauds Sir Alex Ferguson. I look forward to stretching the boundaries of sports journalism more at the continental front,” he added before thanking his colleagues at Monitor.
Two of those: Abdul-Nasser Ssemugabi and Makhtum Shafic Muziransa were relishing their own gold, having won the Sports Feature of the Year and Young Sports Journalist of the Year gongs respectively.
“This award is special to me in two ways,” Ssemugabi told the attentive journalists.
“Every award I have contested in for the first time I have won gold. But tonight is more special because the story which has won this one is about disability sport. I appeal to you colleagues disability sport deserves the attention we give other sports.”
Kyeyune’s colleague at NBS TV, Grace Mbabazi was the inaugural Female Sports Journalist of the Year beating Bukedde’s Olivia Nakate and CBS FM’s Peace Diane Bagala to the Bunga Bet-sponsored accolade.
Brian Mugenyi, also of Monitor finished second twice: behind Muziransa and Step Radio Mbale’s Javier Omagar in the Regional Sports Journalist category.
In addition to trophies, winners at the awards sponsored by Pepsi, Guiness, Uganda Lodges and Media Vision Academy bagged cash prize from Post Bank and Blick. Kyeyune, Ssemugabi and Omagar also got DStv decoders.

Sports Journalist Choice awards
Sports Journalist of the Year
Darren Allan Kyeyune (Monitor/NBS)
Female Journalist of the Year
Grace Mbabazi (NBS)
Sports Feature of the Year
Abdul-Nasser Ssemugabi
Young Sports Journalist of the Year
Makhtum Muziransa (Monitor)
Social Media Journalist of the Year
Darren Allan Kyeyune (Monitor/NBS)

Photo of the Year
Fred Kisekka
Regional Reporter of the Year
Javier Omagar (Step Radio)
Sports Website of the Year
Kawowo Sports
News Report of the Year
Amon Ngabo (UBC)
Breakthrough Journalist of the Year
Rose Nakyeyune (Top TV)