SAMMY, SPENCER AGAIN – Nominated For Sports Personalities of the year Awards

MULTIPLE winners for sportswoman and sportsman of the year world ranked high jumper Levern Spencer and West Indies cricket all – rounder Darren Sammy again head the short list of sports personalities for the prestigious awards for 2013.

The 30 year old Spencer will be seeking to take home her twelfth title, while Sammy will be hoping he wins favour on the judges score card to capture his eighth.

The last time the two world class flag bearers for St.Lucia topped the list of nominees on the night was in 2012. Interestingly the two athletes have won the prestigious title together six times in 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012 respectively.

The final 14 athletes chosen to compete were made public to the various media houses at a press conference held at the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports on Thursday morning. Part of the criteria included performance on the field of play, personal achievement and contribution to the development of the sport.

The awards ceremony is scheduled for Friday next at the Sandals Grande.

The nominees for Junior Sportswoman of the Year are: Rochelle Ettienne (Athletics), Stephanie Lovell Devaux (Sailing) and Skye Mondesir (Volleyball). Senior female – Levern Spencer (Athletics), Shem Maxwell (Netball) and SanchaIsidore (Volleyball).

They were all exciting in their various disciplines, the Junior male contenders: Mickey Ferdinand (Athletics), Johnnel Eugene (Cricket) and Adriel Bousquet (Tennis). In the Senior Male category the nominees over Darren Sammy (Cricket), Corneil Lionel (Athletics), Jordan Augier (Swimming) and Sheldon Emmanuel (Football).

Along with the $10,000.00 prize for the top athlete, the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports has written to private sector seeking assistance to augment the cash it is offering.

Asked about the methodology used to arrive at the shot list of athletes, Youth and Sports Director Jim Xavier said; “There is a short listing committee established and we used the criteria established to decide among the 13 nominees that we received who will be the top three based on the set criteria and the rating system which goes with the criteria. I must say as a member of the short listing committee I felt we did a very objective job, then forwarded the results to the judges to for their deliberation.”
Meanwhile, the selection committee comprises Thecla Deterville( Business), Gibeon Ferdinand ( School Principal Micoud Secondary), Ryan O’ Brian ( Media – Ministry of Youth Development and Sports), Patrick Mathurin and Claudia Noel – Jn Baptiste (Youth and Sports Officers).