MBABANE – Do you still remember the liSwati British Army soldier, Thando Dlamini, who was celebrated for excelling in taekwondo after a victorious two-year battle with cancer?
Last night, Dlamini stood tall, vying for one of the biggest accolades against three military counterparts for the top men’s gong.
Aged 33, Dlamini is contesting the Sportsman of the Year award against Rob Vincent from shooting and Marvric Pamphile from athletics.
According to the United Kingdom (UK) Army Sports Awards Brochure, the liSwati star is the current Welsh Open champion and is also highly-ranked in the kingdom’s martial arts.
The Level Two British taekwondo coach is recognised as the No.1 UKAF Taekwondo fighter and is said to have dominated military competitions.
The black belt artist only returned to martial arts this year after surviving cancer and has since won notable events, including the Liverpool Open and the Wales Open after joining the army six years back.
“I’m very happy to be nominated and very much grateful to be among the finalists. I’m hopeful I will bring the award home, after battling with cancer to be back on the mat and get nominated,” Dlamini said.
He began martial arts at the age of nine and previously formed part of the Eswatini national team, competing in the World Championships three times. This was in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
The Sportsman of the Year Award was sponsored by Vodafone UK. Dlamini faced stiff competition.
Meanwhile, Vincent was nominated for his exceptional contribution to developing army shooting talent through his leadership and mentorship. He has achieved high standards in both national and international competitions.
On the other hand, Pamphile is a sprinter who specialises in the 200m and 400m.
He was described as a medal-winning runner, being the reigning England National 400m champion of the Midlands Counties Championships.
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