Thirty-two finalists for the prestigious 2022 SP Sports Awards (SPSA) have been announced on Monday in Port Moresby.
After a week of deliberation, the SPSA Selection Panel has reached an agreement for the top three finalists for each of the categories on offer in this year’s awards.
“Despite the effects of COVID, we once again had a high-quality field,” says Warwick Vele, the Chairperson of the SPSA Selection Panel.
“It was great to see the efforts and achievements of our sportsmen and women, coaching staff, officials and administrators to get our athletes back into their respective sporting arenas.”
He added that efforts put into community sports and the good these initiatives have done was especially pleasing.
The finalists in alphabetical order for the SP Sports Awards are:
Male Athlete of the Year
Baru Morea (Weightlifting)
Johnson Alex (Rugby League)
Olam Justin (Rugby League)
Female Athlete of the Year
Albert Elsie (Rugby League)
Kaputin Rellie (Athletics)
Toua Dika (Weightlifting)
Team of the Year
Lae Snax Tigers (Rugby League)
Papuan Compound Ravens (Rugby Union)
Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited PNG Barramundis (Cricket)
National Performance of the Year
NEST Athletics Club (Athletics)
Papuan Compound Ravens (Rugby Union)
Waghi Tumbe (Rugby League)
Community Sports Initiative Award
Hook in4 Health (Hockey)
Inclusive Gymbad Program (Gymnastics and Badminton)
League Bilong Laif (PNG NRL)
Junior Male Athlete of the Year
Hakena Sugar-Ray (Tennis PNG)
Porter Joshua (Squash PNG)
Alarcos Amity (Squash PNG)
Junior Female Athlete of the Year
Hakena Colita (Tennis PNG)
Merimba Ursula (Nokondi Triathlon Club, Goroka)
Best Sports Person with a Disability
Leva Nelly (Para Sports)
Marados Morea (Para Sports)
Otoase Raphael (Special Olympics)
Sports Official of the Year
Sibona Margaret (Cricket PNG)
Stone Nelson (NEST Athletics Club)
Yareboinen David (PNG Football Association)
Sports Photo of the Year
Keamo Patricia (The National Newspaper)
Keslep Simon (Post Courier)
Wasari Fidelis (Sports Tok Magazine)
Sports Media of the Year
EMTV Sports (Media Niugini Limited)
Paul Taumik Jnr (NBC Sports)
The National Newspaper Sports Desk (The National Newspaper)
The announcement of the finalists marks the opening of SMS voting for the People’s Choice Award.
The winner of the People’s Choice Award is selected through a public vote using FM100’s SMS voting platform.
The more votes a finalist gets, the more chances of them winning.