Reigning Pacific Islands football queens named amongst 33 finalists in SP Sports Awards
Six-time Pacific Games gold medalists PNG Women’s Football Team and silver-winning volleyball outfit PNG Amoa’s have been named amongst thirty-three finalists for the prestigious 2024 SP Sports Awards.
The women’s football team along with PNG men’s volleyball side and PNG Barramundis (cricket) were announced as the final three in the race for the Team of the Year category.
Lakatois coach Frederica Sakette who guided the PNG women to their sixth consecutive gold medal history also made the Sports Official of the Year.
Papua New Guinea’s golden girl Dika Toua and boxing champion John Ume are also amid the top-3 athletes that have made the final cut for the Female Athlete and Male Athlete of the year respectively.
Chairman of the SP Sports Awards Selection Panel, Warwick Vele said the nominations received went through a vigorous vetting process before being finalised.
Vele said this year’s edition of the annual sports recognizing event has seen a significant increase in the number and quality of nominations submitted online and on the paper.
“There were a couple of categories where we would have liked to see more nominations, especially with our junior athletes, so would like to encourage federations to continue highlighting their juniors coming through,” Vele said.
“We took great delight in seeing what’s happening in our communities around the country and giving opportunities for recognition to those participants and programs that don’t always get the high level of exposure that our more recognized sports do.
“This included entries in the Sports Photo category. The achievements of our Para-athletes were of a very high standard, competing in regional and global meets and this is a great platform to acknowledge their achievements and successes.
“The nominations were of a high quality and give us great pleasure in announcing the finalists.”
The announcement of the finalists also marks the opening of the People’s Choice voting for the 12th category of the People’s Choice Award.
The winner of the People’s Choice Award is selected through a public vote, using FM100’s voting platform. The more votes a finalist gets, the more chances of them winning.
Candidates for this category came from four finalists of the following: Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year, Team of the Year and National Performance of the Year.
The finalists for the 2024 SP Sports Awards are:
Male Athlete of the Year: Benjamin Aliel (Athletics), Daniel Baul (Athletics), John Ume (Boxing)
Female Athlete of the Year: Abigail Tere-Apisah (Tennis), Rachel Laing (Athletics - Masters), Dika Toua (Weightlifting)
Team of the Year: PNG Amoa (Volleyball), PNG Barramundis (Cricket), PNG Lakatois (Football)
National Performance of the Year: Morobe Hammerheads, Kimbe Pirates, Biala Suaras (Rugby Union - 7s)
Community Sports Initiative: National Kickboxing Federation (Kickboxing), Cecilia Kanawi (Break A Sweat Fitness & Nutrition Club), Timothy Mako (Basketball)
Junior Male Athlete of the Year: Sugar-Ray Hakena (Tennis), Adam Maikai and Noah Yangomina (Basketball)
Female Athlete of the Year: Colita Hakena (Tennis), Bede Dorothy Igo (Weightlifting), Timonaliz Alarcos Kriebisch (Squash)
Para-Athlete of the Year: Haoda Agari (Table Tennis), Martha Awong (Badminton), Samantha Maiasa (Athletics)
Sports Official of the Year: Mark Keto (Boxing), Frederica Sakatte (Football), Nelson Stone (Multi-Sport)
Sports Media of the Year: NBC Sports Desk, Jamie Haro, Patricia Keamo
Sports Photo of the Year: Try Time – Jamie Haro, Golden Girl – Patricia Keamo, It’s Mine. Give me a break - Kora Mea