SP launches 2014 sports awards

Caption:   (L-R) Minister Tkatchenko, Assad Vala, Stan Joyce

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, February 16, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

SOUTH Pacific (SP) Brewery continued its affiliation with sports in the country with the launch of the 22^nd SP Sports Awards, held at the Brewkettle in Port Moresby last week.

Present at the launching was Minister for Sports Justin Tkatchenko, SP Brewery General Manager (GM) Stan Joyce, and various sporting body heads and representative.

The launch signaled the opening of nominations for the various awards categories that will be awarded to sportsmen and women.

SP GM Stan Joyce, emphasised the importance of rewarding sports men and women in the country for their efforts in their various sporting codes to motivate them, making special mention of media and its role in promoting the efforts of sports people in the country.

“This actually kicks off 22 years consecutively of the awards without fail we’ve come together every year to recognise our elite athletes,” he said.

“The continuity of these awards is due to the partnerships we’ve had with sporting associations, in particular with our friends in the media.”

“Thank you for your coverage and we recognise that with a category included in the awards dedicated to rewarding the media.”

“Without the media sports is not the same as people rely on you to get the information across, they rely on you to interpret what is going on in the sporting world.”

This year’s awards will see SP allocating a total prize money for the various awards at K43,000 to recognise elite athletes.

Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko, thanked SP for its contribution to sports in the country. 

“It’s a pleasure to be here once again to launch the sports awards for the twenty-second time, which is a great legacy that SP is doing to recognise our sporting talents and champions of PNG,” he said.

“This couldn’t happen of course without SP Brewery and their sponsorship and the other sponsors that come on board.”

“We have to recognise sporting achievements in PNG and through the awards we are able to do that by giving those hard working men and women the recognition they deserve.”

He added that the continuation of the awards contributed to shining champions of tomorrow- making them even bigger.

“It helps makes them better than now as we look forward to them shining in the Pacific Games in 2015 which will be a fantastic year.”

“This country can produce absolutely wonderful talent. It all comes to administration, finance, backing, and support.”

“It will be interesting to see who our winners will be this year.”

2013 SP Sports Awards Male Athlete of the Year Assad Vala, gave his testament of what the awards mean to sporting men and women in the country.

“I’ve been lucky enough to experience a couple of significant highlights in my cricketing career playing against some of the best cricketers around, but I must say the 2013 awards was one of my biggest highlights.”

“The sports awards are truly appreciated and so I would like to encourage everyone out there to nominate now.”

“I’d like to thank the  PNG  public for getting behind their sporting heroes and supporting this wonderful event- also SP Brewery, and other support sponsors for their continued support.

The awards will take place on May 24 at the crown plaza- with the forms to nominate various sporting persons available at the SP Brewery Office in Gordon, PNG Olympic Committee Office, in the newspapers, and the PNG Olympic Committee Website.

Supporting sponsors of the event include Air Niugini, City Pharmacy, Crown Plaza, EMTV, FM100, Theodist, Post Courier and Grafiti Signs.