Four new sports awards

THIS year’s SP Sports Awards will see four news awards to promote and increase  community participation.
PNG Sports Federation and Olympic Committee secretary-general Auvita Rapilla said this when launching the SP Sports Awards in Port Moresby last night.
The four new awards are: the sports club of the year award, sports media award, community sports initiative award and the sports photo of the year award.
 This is in addition to the 10 other awards on offer: the sportsman of the year, sportswoman of the year, team of the year, junior male athlete of the year, junior female athlete of the year, best sports person with a disability, distinguished service to sports, coach of the year, sports administrator of the year and technical official of the year.
This year’s awards will also see the awarding of the Sir John Dawanicura sports ambassador award.
“The introduction of the four new awards is in line with the efforts of the organising committee to ensure there is increased recognition of sporting endeavours within PNG at the community level while still remaining true to the ethos of the SP Sports Awards which is to recognise sporting excellence at the highest level,” Rapilla said.
The sports club of the year award will recognise those sporting clubs which demonstrate good governance through proper administration while promoting youth development and social responsibility, showing that success on the field is a result of success off the field.   
“The community sports initiative award is designed to recognise either a club or community which has shown great initiative in carrying out or using sports activities to address social issues such as law and order, HIV and AIDS, gender equality, violence against women and children, fair play, and drug abuse.
“The sports reporter of the year award has been replaced by the sports media award to recognise the expanding way in which sports is covered in various forms of media, whether traditional print and television, to radio or social media,” she said.
The awards night will be on May 26.
Nominations have begun and will close on April 5. The finalists will be announced on May 2.