Chong Wei, Nicol favourites for 2009 honours

0

KUALA LUMPUR: Badminton world number one Datuk Lee Chong Wei and his squash counterpart Datuk Nicol David are frontrunners for the 2009 National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards.

Datuk Nicol David

Datuk Nicol David (front)

Giving them a run for their money will be track cyclist Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and Siti Safiyah Amirah Abdul Rahman from tenpin bowling.

Ministry of Youth and Sports secretary-general Datuk Mohd Yasin Mohd Salleh said the elite athletes were among those short-listed for the nation’s highest sporting awards.

“From the 49 national sports associations, only 17 submitted their nominations for the awards,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Yasin said the winners of the various categories would be announced during the National Awards Night at Mandarin Oriental Hotel on April 27 at 8.30pm while Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin was expected to grace the occasion.

Chong Wei and Nicol    were crowned 2008 Sportsman and Sportswoman while Chong Wei’s coach Datuk Misbun Sidek clinched the coach of the year award.

Yasin said apart from the main two awards, there would also be a number of others presented on the night, namely Best Men’s and Women’s Team, Best Coach (man and woman), Leadership award, Special awards and Best Paralympic Sportsman, Sportswoman awards.

The criteria for selection would be based on achievement and consistency at world-class championships, he said.

He added that the selection committee would be made up of officials from National Sports Council, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Sportswriters Association of Malaysia and representatives from the media.

Apart from Chong Wei and Azizulhasni, Sazali Samad (bodybuilding), Loh Jack Chang (wushu), Zulmazran Zulkifli (tenpin bowling), Mohd Hatta Mahamut (karate) and Daniel Bego (swimming) are the other nominees in the men’s category.

The women’s category comprises nine including Nicol, Siti Safiyah,                   Wong     Pei Tty/Chin                      Eei Hui (badminton),      Fateha Mustafa (cycling), Siow Yi Ting (swimming) and Noraseela Mohd      Khaled (athletics). — Bernama