Help crown Ballarat’s best sportsperson

IS there a high-performing athlete or club member in your life that is making an outstanding impact in their sporting field?

The Ballarat Sportsmen’s Club is inviting individuals, clubs, associations, schools, and leagues to nominate them for the Ballarat Sportsperson of the Year Awards.

Secretary, Corey Saitta, said there are five awards set to be contested, and Sportsperson of the Year is an open-age category.

“This prestigious event is held in February each year and finalists whose principal place of residence is Ballarat are nominated in the senior or adult section,” he said.

“The Ballarat Sportsperson of the Year Award is an acknowledgement of the outstanding performances of an athlete during a calendar year.

“An athlete’s achievements at international, national, state, and regional level will be taken into consideration.

“It can be awarded for a number of sporting successes or for one individual performance.”

The other categories include the junior Wunhym Trophy, Hollioake Medallion for an outstanding individual performance in a team sport or event, the Widmer Award for a coach, trainer or mentor, and the Mackenzie/Valpied Award for a sport administrator.

To win the Wunhym Trophy, a young athlete must be aged 17 or under in 2023.

“The selection panel will consider performances based on international selection and performances, followed by national selection and performances, and finally state selection and performances,” Mr Saitta said.

Nominations can be emailed to Mr Saitta at [email protected] by Thursday 21 December.

“Nominations for any of the categories can be prepared on a Microsoft Word document outlining the achievements, involvement, roles, performances, and successes of the athlete, coach, or administrator being nominated,” Mr Saitta said.

The Ballarat Sportsperson of the Year Awards dinner will be held on Wednesday 14 February, 6pm, at the Ballarat Golf Club.