WITH a little less than a month to go before the best male and female athletes of the year are crowned during a colourful evening at the Seychelles Marketing Board (SMB) Exhibition Hall, Roche Caïman, all federations and associations have already nominated their outstanding athletes.

The traditional end-of-the-year gala, during which the best male and female athletes of one particular sporting season are rewarded for their efforts, is one of the most eagerly-awaited nights in sports here.

This year's 20th edition of the ceremony, organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Sports and Culture (MLGSC), is expected to be another glittering and glamorous crowning as has been the case in the past.

Cash prizes remain the same

The two winners will not only go home with the traditional star prize of R15,000 but a host of other prizes, including the floating cup and a framed certificate each.

Weightlifter Janet Thélermont and Laser sailor Allan Julie are the outgoing Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year and on the night of January 23, 2004 they will know if they will retain their titles or hand them over to two new athletes.

With the big day fast approaching, the Selection Committee, chaired by Jean Larue, director general for sports planning and development in the Sports Division of the MLGSC, will soon get down to the first round of selection which involves short-listing the 10 male and female finalists.

From there, the best five men and women will be picked in order of preference. The most outstanding male and female junior athletes will also be chosen along with their runners-up and third place finishers.

All male and female chosen as the best in their respective sports will receive R3,000.

The chairman of the Organising Committee Eric Arnephy, who is also the managing director of the National Sports Council, noted that the five finalists in this year's crowning ceremony will receive the same cash prizes as their predecessors.

The successors of both Thélermont and Julie will each receive the traditional star prize of R15,000, the huge floating cup, a framed certificate and the winner's trophy.

The runners-up will get R8,000, a cup and a certificate while the female and male third finishers will pocket R6,000, a cup and a certificate apiece.

The female and male fourth-place finishers will get R4,000 each, a cup and a certificate.

The two fifth place finishers will receive R3,000, a cup and a certificate.

As for the best female and male junior winners who will succeed weightlifter Terrence Dixie and swimmer Shrone Austin, they will each pocket R1,500, a cup and a certificate.

Federations and associations must note that their best male and female junior athletes  should be less than 18 years old by December 31, 2003.

According to Mr Arnephy, other prizes like air tickets and weekends at hotels will depend on the number of sponsors that decide to join in the end-of-the-year gala.

"All cash prizes will remain the same as during previous years but as for the additional prizes, it will all depend upon sponsorship," said Mr Arnephy.

He also added that the Organising Committee was to meet tomorrow to decide when tickets will go on sale. Tickets for the evening cost R200.

The Organising Committee would like to take this opportunity to call on sponsors that would like to contribute towards the gala and/or to sponsor a sport in particular, to contact Mr Arnephy on telephone number 323908 during office hours.

C. J.