Sensational form in army colours and on the international stage saw Gdsm Manuqalo Komaitai (IG, pictured above) named sportswoman of the year – becoming the third rugby union player to receive the accolade.
The soldier only started in the sport five years ago but has made rapid strides and was named player of the tournament at the 2025 Inter-Services Championships.
That form earned Komaitai a call-up to the Fiji squad for the Oceana Championships, where the back row forward came off the bench to score on her debut against Tonga. She then started in the final against Samoa, which the team won 24-20.
From there, attention turned to the World Cup and the 29-year-old started all three games as Fiji exited at the pool stage.
However, Komaitai scored in a narrow loss to Scotland before the squad ended their campaign on a high by beating Wales.
Her achievements were rewarded on her return to the UK, when she signed with Premiership Women’s Rugby outfit Harlequins.
Komaitai beat England masters hockey ace Lt Col Nic George (R Signals) and Cpl Paige Atwell (RLC) – who has starred in ice hockey and strongwoman – to the award.
“This means a lot to me,” she said. “It is a great honour .
“If it wasn’t for the army I would not have been able to join the Fiji squad – they really opened that for me.”
A medal-winning return to the taekwondo in 2025 – including a bronze at his home national championships in Eswatini – helped Gdsm Thando Dlamini (SG) secure the sportsman of the year crown.
The soldier was also victorious at the Liverpool and Wales Opens and went on to claim the middleweight honours at the army championships, while achieving top-ranking status in his country.
Dlamini’s success came on the back of a two-year break from the sport as he battled cancer, only receiving the all-clear in the spring (Soldier, August).
St Lucia sprinter LCpl Mavric Pamphile (RE) and England clay target shooter Maj Rob Vincent (RTR) were the other nominees.
“I’m so surprised,” Dlamini said as he received his award. “Take nothing away from the other lads, what they have been doing is so impressive. I am lucky to get this.”
A newcomer to the army tennis scene, OCdt Milly Wood (East Midlands UOTC) has enjoyed a stellar season on court.
Victory in her debut outing at the Army Tennis Championships saw her head to the Inter-Services as the number one seed and she claimed back-to-back victories at Wimbledon – one of which came from an epic tussle with the Royal Air Force’s AS1 Eve Brady.
These results saw her collect the rising star award ahead of time trial cyclist LCpl Jack Smy (HCR) and Capt Megan Davis (RAMS), who has excelled in both athletics and triathlon.
The official of the year accolade went to boxing referee SSgt James Battle (RAPTC).
An inspiration behind British Nordic skiing and biathlon for 50 years, Lt Col (Retd) Mark Goodson received the lifetime achievement award.
In that time he played a role in every aspect of the sport. He skied with 4th Royal Tank Regiment between 1967 and 1985 and inaugurated the Royal Armoured Corps Nordic Championships a year later.
The ex-officer was chair of Army Nordic Skiing for five years and was instrumental in the founding of the International Biathlon Union in 1993 and British Biathlon Union in 1996.
In these roles his focus was on opening pathways for soldiers to compete at Olympic level, while enabling thousands more to sample the sport as novices.
Elsewhere, 13 Air Assault Support Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps collected the major units prize, with 9 Theatre Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers taking the minor units’ equivalent.
165 Port and Maritime Regiment, RLC and Combat Manoeuvre Centre, Bovington were the reserve and training unit winners respectively.
And Cdt RSM Jonathan Opoku-Anoyke was crowned cadet sportsperson of the year after medal-winning performances in football, athletics, orienteering and rugby.
A seventh successive Inter-Services title as well as victory against the Republic of Ireland in a two-test series helped propel the army women’s netball squad to the team of the year accolade.
“We’ve spent a couple of years trying to get this award but didn’t think we’d receive it,” said skipper SSgt Ellie Nawele (AGC (SPS)).
“Everyone was really excited to receive the news."
