Daily Dispatch staff were among the winners at the 2025 Eastern Cape Sports and Recreation Excellence Awards at the Wild Coast Sun in Mbizana on Saturday evening.
Alan Eason was named the Photographer of the Year for his coverage of international cricket matches, Betway Premiership games and boxing bouts.
It was Eason’s second consecutive award.
The Dispatch’s rugby, football, basketball and cricket reporter, Anathi Wulushe, won the Journalist of the Year award.
The award was in recognition for his international coverage of the NBA All Star games in San Francisco, Basketball Africa League in Rwanda, Bafana Bafana match and Proteas women’s and men’s teams.
It was a back-to-back celebration for Wulushe as well after winning the award in 2024.
Dispatch columnist and correspondent Bob Norris won Radio Presenter of the Year for 2025.
Norris, a respected sports journalist with the Daily Dispatch for 45 years, hosts a weekly community radio slot and previously served as a columnist for SA Runner Magazine.
Long-distance runner Melikhaya Frans was crowned the Sports Star of the Year at the awards.
The 36-year-old from Gqeberha, who was the winner of the marquee Philadelphia Marathon and numerous local races, beat Buffalo City-based boxer Siyabulela Hem and powerlifter Elisabeth Barry to the accolade, winning a new VW Polo for his efforts.
“The award means hard work pays off. We have been working hard with my club Ikamva Athletics in 2025 and my coach Michael Mbambani,” Frans said.
“We are preparing for the new season internationally, and getting the accolade is a confidence booster to do more this year.”
Hem from Duncan Village was named Sportsman of the Year.
In 2025, SA champion Hem beat Ghana’s John Zile to claim the WBO youth super bantamweight title.
It was on that basis that he got the provincial recognition at the awards ahead of Frans, athlete Rhys Burrell and cyclist Mondray Barnard.
Nelson Mandela Bay’s Elisabeth Barry was named Sportswoman of the Year ahead of Chante Mulder and Kelli Reen.
Barry was among the top-ranked powerlifters in the country.
The Sportsman for a Person with a Disability award went to partially sighted 2024 Paris Paralympian judoka Ndyebo Lamani, while the Sportswoman for a Person with a Disability award was won by Nelson Mandela Bay para-athlete Kirsty Weir.
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