Sports awards finalists named

THIRTY-three finalists from 11 categories were announced yesterday, including two reporters from The National, for the 32nd edition of the South Pacific Brewery sponsored Sports Awards (SPSA) set for June 1.
Sports reporter Jamie Haro and senior sports reporter Patricia Keamo were named finalists for two categories in the Sports Media and Sports Photo of the Year awards.
Yesterday also saw the opening of the SMS voting for the People’s Choice Award until May 19 before the selection panel deliberates on the winners for the awards night.
Chairman of the awards selection panel, Warwick Vele said the SPSA committee was pleased to see an increase in nominations this year compared to previous years with a total of 223 submitted.
“It was pleasing to see a significant jump in the number and quality of nominations with a good mix of online and paper-based nominations,” Vele said.
“There were a couple of categories that we would have liked to see more nominations, especially with junior athletes, so we are encouraging federations to continue highlighting their juniors coming through.”
Vele also highlighted two important categories that have seen an improvement in nominations. Categories are the Para-athlete of the Year and Community Sports of the Year.
“We took great delight in seeing what’s happening in our communities around the country and giving opportunities for recognition to those participants and programmes that don’t always get the high level exposure that our more recognised sports do,” he said.
SP Brewery’s corporate affairs manager John Nilkare thanked the event’s sponsors while announcing that swimming icon Leisel Jones as guest speaker for the awards night with the theme: ‘discipline starts with you’.
The finalists for the 11 categories are:

• MALE athlete of the year – Benjamin Aleil, John Ume and Daniel Baul
• FEMALE athlete of the year – Abigail Tere-Apisah, Rachael Laing and Dika Toua
• TEAM of the year – PNG Amoa (volleyball), PNG Barramundis (cricket) and PNG Lagatois (women’s football team)
• NATIONAL performance of the year – Morobe Hammerheads, Kimbe Pirates and Bialla Suaras
• COMMUNITY sports initiative – National Kickboxing Federation, Cecilia Kanawi (Break a sweat women’s fitness), Timothy Mako (basketball)
• JUNIOR male athlete of the year – Sugar-Ray Hakena, Adam Maikai, Noah Yangomina
• JUNIOR female athlete of the year – Colita Hakena, Bede Dorothy Igo, Timonaliz Alarcos-Kriebisch
• PARA-athlete of the year – Haoda Agari, Martha Awong, Samantha Maiasa
• SPORTS official of the year – Mark Keto, Frederica Sakette, Nelson Stone
• SPORTS media of the year – NBC Sports, Jamie Haro, Patricia Keamo
• SPORTS photo of the year – Jamie Haro, Golden Girl, Patricia Keamo

For the People’s Choice Award, public voting is open until May 19 before the selection panel deliberates for the winners to be announced during the awards night on June 1.