The annual Cricket Namibia Awards ceremony took place yesterday at the FNB Cricket Namibia Grounds in Windhoek, recognising the achievements of players, coaches, and administrators from the past season. Around 145 awards were presented during the evening to celebrate excellence on and off the field.
Johannes Joseph, who has dedicated more than a decade to grassroots development as an Ashburton Kwata Development coach, shared his perspective on the milestone event. Joseph expressed his gratitude to Cricket Namibia for their long-term trust and support over the years, adding that he is fully committed to spending another decade nurturing and mentoring young talent in the country.
The evening also marked a historic milestone, with coaches from Lüderitz represented at the national awards for the very first time. Lüderitz coach Junior N. Mutaleni spoke on behalf of the coastal delegation about the significance of the achievement. Mutaleni shared immense pride in seeing Lüderitz recognised at the 2026 annual awards ceremony, noting that the team is bringing three distinct accolades back home. She emphasised that this is just the beginning of their journey, as they aim to keep the town on the cricket map and secure more awards in the future. Mutaleni also confirmed their intentions to compete in upcoming youth tournaments to ensure the town's young talent continues to shine.
Among the top achievers in the women's categories, Yasmeen Khan claimed the spotlight by being named the Capricorn Eagles Batter of the Year for 2025 after a stellar season scoring 419 runs from 348 deliveries. Khan capped off a memorable night by also walking away with the prestigious Capricorn Eagles Player of the Year award.
In the National Eagles men's categories, Max Heingo received the Most Improved National Eagles Player award, expressing his gratitude for the recognition of his hard work over the past season.
The National Eagles T20 International Player of the Year award for 2025 went to JJ Smit, who smashed 250 runs during the season. The award was accepted on his behalf by JC Balt. Meanwhile, the National Eagles ODI Player of the Year award was presented to Bernard Scholtz for his outstanding contribution of 300 runs and 30 wickets in 11 matches, with Zane Green accepting the accolade on his behalf.
Jan Frylinck concluded the individual honours of the evening after being voted by his peers as the Players' Player of the Year.