Gedling Sports Awards

mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";

mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Gedling borough's sportsmen and women, including

volunteers and coaches were honoured at a special celebration of sporting

achievement on Thursday November 22 at The Carlton Academy in Nottingham.

The Sportsperson of the year award was won by Katie

Bartlett winner of the Young Sportsperson 16-21.

The sixth annual Gedling Sports Awards, which

recognises Gedling people who have achieved success in sport during the past

year, also includes the Gedling Health Awards.

Zimbabwean Medical Doctor Sylvester Nyatsuro was

among the presenters of awards. Dr Nyatsuro presented the Changing Gedling Award,

an award for a group or individual who has helped others to change their

lifestyle through physical activity.

Dr Nyatsuro is also the Health and Well being Building Block Lead for the Nottingham North and East Clinical Commissioning Group.

Dr Nyatsuro who owns and runs the Willows Weight

Loss programme is currently the first British General practitioner who is a

member of the American Bariatrics Association, an association of specialist

surgeons specialising in weight loss.

Other health awards were also presented by Mike

Wilkins, Deputy chair to Nottingham North and East Clinical Commissioning

Groups governing body, Dr Nadya James, Paediatrician for NHS Nottinghamshire

County.

The Mayor of Gedling, Councillor Mrs Sandra Barnes

presented the final four awards.

Olympic canoeist Jonathan (Johnny)

Akinyemi, the first Nigerian to compete in the canoeing event in the Olympics  presented the first six awards and Nottingham

rowing coach, Julie Edwards also presented seven awards on the night.

Jonathan

(Johnny) Akinyemi is a canoeist from Cheshire with dual British/Nigerian

citizenship. He has competed for Nigeria since 2007 though he paddled for Great

Britain as a junior. Johnny secured Africa's sole K1 spot at the London 2012

Olympic Games by winning the African Championships, retaining his K1 title.

Julie Edwards

is a British Rowing World Class Start Coach based in Nottingham. She runs a

programme for tested athletes with potential to reach the GB Senior Team at the

National Water Sports Centre.

There was a total of 21

award categories which covered school teams, club teams and age categories from

children under 11 to adults. There were also categories to recognise the people

behind the scenes who made sport happen, the sports leaders, coaches and volunteers.

The supreme awards were for overall sportsperson of the year, for lifetime

achievement in sport, and for sports club of the year.

The shortlisted nominees represented a wide range

of sports – football, cricket, rugby, rowing, swimming, athletics, basketball,

speed-skating, figure-skating, ice-hockey, in-line hockey, boxing, triathlon,

and gymnastics. They included national age-group champions, members of national

squads, people who have represented Great Britain in international competition.

The Gedling Health Awards are for people who have

changed or helped others to change their lives by being more physically active.

Categories include the Changing Lifestyles Award and the Changing Young Lives

Award.

The event was organised and run by the Gedling

Sports Forum, an association open to all the sports clubs in Gedling, and is

supported by Gedling Borough Council and The Carlton Academy who provided the

venue for the celebrations.

Cllr Darrell Pulk, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and

Development at Gedling Borough Council said:

"On the sporting front, Gedling has a lot of local

people to be proud of - these awards recognise what they have achieved in sport

through their ongoing dedication.  I am

particularly pleased to see the efforts of volunteers in sport being rewarded –

without them many clubs would struggle to keep going."

Stef Roberts, Chairman of Gedling Sports Forum,

added:

"It is good that Gedling clubs are able to

recognise the achievements of their members and also to commend the often

unseen work of their volunteers. These awards also give an opportunity to

acknowledge the success of those who live in Gedling but are members of clubs

outside the borough."

Award

winners are as below:

Sportsperson

of the year : Katie Bartlett

Junior

Sportsman of the year under 11: Chance Edmond

Junior

Sportswoman of the year under 11: Alana Meenan

Junior

Sportsman of the year 11-16: Tom Hovell

Junior

Sportswoman of the year 11-16 :Jessica Urquart

Achievement

in Disability Sport: Luke Huntingdon

Junior

Club Team of the year under 11: Under 9 team Burton

Joyce Football club

Junior

Club Team of the year 11-18 : Netherfield Colts

Football Club

Senior

Club team of the year : 1st XI Gedling colliery Cricket

Club

School

Team of the year (Primary) :Tag Rugby Team (Willow Farm Primary School)

School

Team of the year (Secondary) : Under 14 Girls Football

Team (The Gedling School)

Junior

Coach of the Year : Shanice Kinkaid (Phoenix Boxing Club)

Changing

lifestyles Award: Charles Rouse

Changing

Gedling Award : Janet Eason and Wendy Wilson

Young

Person Of The Year Award: Antonio Vocaturo

Changing

Lives Award: Jamie Flynn

Volunteer

of the year award: The Andy Bowers Award: Carlton Forum Swimming

Club

Sports

person Of the Year Award: Phoenix Boxing Club

Lifetime

Achievement in Sport: Dale Mc Philbin