A FOUR decade long tradition of acknowledging the region’s best sportspeople will continue tonight.
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Tonight the winners of the Shoalhaven Sportstar awards will be announced at the Bomaderry Bowling Club and this year’s group of nominees is impressive.
The hard job of deciding the winners went to the Bernie Regan Memorial Sporting Trust’s committee.
Trust chairman Paul Goddard said the winners and all the other nominees were of elite standard.
The members of the committee have cast their votes in a secret ballot and the results will not be revealed until tonight.
Mr Goddard said the Shoalhaven had a knack of producing quality sportspeople and he credited the local coaches, administrators and facilities as all being factors.
The sports awards have attracted quality fields in all three categories; open, with 15 contenders, junior with 13 and the masters with seven.
Olympians Merv Bennett, Karen Phillips and Paul Greene have all won the award as has rising cricket star Nic Maddison.
Aside from the naming of the award winners, a group of sportspeople will also receive grants from the trust.
“The grants are an honour role in themselves,” Mr Goddard said.
Mr Goddard said the trust’s sole aim was to encourage sportspeople and help them achieve excellence, which is why they present grants.
The committee has also met to analyse all of the trust grant applications and has decided who among the aspiring young sporting stars will be allocated a grant this year.
More than 20 applications were received and most had excellent credentials but the grants will be limited to those with the very best potential to achieve in the future.
Meanwhile, Chris Regan on behalf of the Regan family said they always look forward to the night.
“Our family is appreciative that Dad is still held in such high esteem,” he said.
Mr Goddard said the overall the night was a great event and thanked the Bomaderry Bowling Club for its support.
He added tickets can be purchased on the night and at $10 for adults and $5 for juniors the price is economical.
The doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start and, because there will be plenty of youngsters there, it’s not a late night, usually finishing around 10pm.
The evening is open to anyone who would like to attend a positive function.