THE FRANK COLLYMORE HALL wasn’t the venue for a surfing event, but Chelsea Tuach still swept the competition aside on her way to copping the prestigious National Sports Council’s (NSC) Sports Personality of the Year award on Saturday night.
Clad in a sweetheart neckline sweeping white dress, and heralded by the sound of a trumpeter, the 17-year-old surfing phenomenon deservedly captured the award after an outstanding 2013 in which she won numerous international awards and accolades.
Tuach, who was also named the Most Outstanding Female Junior Sportsperson, beat out junior sprinter Mario Burke, Wigan footballer Emmerson Boyce and fitness queen Antoinette Downie for the title.
“I’m feeling great and I am so happy that I won. I really was just happy to be nominated, but to come here and win, I definitely feel honoured for sure because it is a prestigious award,” the teenaged winner told NATION SPORT at the Frank Collymore Hall.
“I definitely didn’t expect to win. I tried not to come into these awards with any expectations,” Tuach said.
“I like being a part of the awards . . . I’ve come here for four years, so I’m extremely happy to have finally won one . . . it’s beyond amazing.”
National Hero and cricketing legend Sir Garry Sobers was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Minister of Sports and Culture, Stephen Lashley.
Tia Adana Belle, who is currently overseas on a scholarship, was the recipient of the Minister’s Award, which is hand-picked by Lashley, after becoming the first Barbadian female athlete to win a World Championship medal when she placed second in the 400-metre hurdles at last year’s IAAF World Youth Championships in Ukraine.
None of Tuach’s challengers for the top prize went home empty-handed.
Boyce, who as captain led Wigan to their first ever FA Cup title, was named the Male Senior Outstanding Sportsperson, while Downie, the overall 2013 Fitness CAC winner, captured the Female Senior Outstanding Sportsperson.
Burke, affectionately known as “Super Mario”, won the award for Most Outstanding Male Junior Sportsperson after a spectacular showing in last year’s CARIFTA Games.
Ezra Stuart, an Associate Editor at the NATION Newspaper, added a second NSC Media Award to his collection, winning the Sports Journalist of the Year award.
The Barbados bodybuilding team copped the team award while its association, the Barbados Amateur Body Building and Fitness Federation (BABBFF) received the Association for Achievement Award.
The club award went to Chargers Volleyball Club, and head coach of the West Indies women’s cricket team, Sherwin Campbell notched the Coach of the Year Award.
In the only award to be shared on the night, president of the BABBFF, Dr Andrew Forde and founder of the Barbados Cup football competition, George Lascaris were both named as joint winners of the Alvin Burgess Sports Administrator Award.
