Sporting 'Good Sorts' needed for Northland Sports Awards

Do you know a sporting 'Good Sort'? if so let us know for the Northern Advocate People's Choice Award at the Northland Sports Awards.

More than 120 finalists from 32 sports are in the running to receive top honours at the 2018 Conbrio Northland Sports Awards in March next year.

Of the 146 nominated, 126 athletes, teams, coaches and administration staff were selected for the annual event, which has been organised by Sport Northland since 1987.

But there are still more people needing to be nominated - for the Northern Advocate People's Choice Award which will also be presented at the awards night on March 15. The public will be able to vote for their favourite "Good Sorts" in the lead-up to the event.

So if you know a sporting Good Sort let us know.

Nominations close on January 27 and the nominees will be whittled down to four who will then go out for the public vote. The finalists will be profiled in the Northern Advocate from February 1, when details on how to vote will also be published.

To nominate, and to find out more details on the awards, go to
www.sportnorthland.co.nz.

The awards are to celebrate key achievements of Northland sportspeople from players, coaches, officials, to those who had dedicated years of service to sport and were having a positive impact within their communities.

Sport Northland community sport manager Anna Markwick said she was delighted with this year's nominations.

"We are really pleased with the quality of the nominations again this year with a number of Northlanders having outstanding performances on the national and international stage, who will be in line to take out the Supreme Award."

The Pak'nSave Coach of the Year Award received excellent nominations, making it one of the most difficult categories for the judging panel this year.

The other honour always hotly contested is the Garry Frew Memorial Junior Sportsperson of the Year Award, which also includes a grant from Sport Northland's Kauri Club.

Twenty-six of the nominees were under the age of 21 which makes them eligible for the Junior Sportsperson Award, of which eight have been named as finalists.

Finalists will be profiled in the Northern Advocate ahead of the event. The awards will be held on Friday, March 15 at the ASB Stadium in Whangarei.