THE winner of the 2007-08 Shoalhaven Sportstar of the Year award will be announced tonight at a gala function at the Bomaderry Bowling Club.
Thirty-three local athletes are vying for this year’s coveted awards with three divisions - a junior section, a masters division and the overall winner.
Again this year there have been some outstanding local performances, with athletes performing at the highest level, something chairman of the Bernie Regan Sporting Trust Paul Goddard, whose organisation conducts the awards, is keen to acknowledge.
“It never ceases to amaze me the amount of talent that this area produces year in year out,” he said.
“We have a wide variety of athletes performing and excelling at a huge variety of sports.
“And many of them are excelling at the highest levels.
“It just goes to show the amazing array of talent this area produces.
“And tonight is a great opportunity to recognise those wonderful athletes and their sporting achievements.”
Special guest tonight will be former Shoalhaven Sportstar of the Year and premiership winning Sydney cricketer Philip Wells.
Wells, who won the local award in 2005, had an excellent 2007/08 season as a member of the St George first grade premiership winning side and their winning Poidevin Gray (under 21) team.
“It is always the Trust’s aim to bring back former junior sportstars who have gone on to bigger and better things and Philip certainly has,” Mr Goddard said.
“His achievements last season were phenomenal and it will be interesting to hear him being interviewed by compere Phil Lynch.”
Tickets for the gala evening are still available and will be on sale at the door tonight for just $10.
“It’s a great family night and includes supper, I urge everyone to get out and support the evening and the Trust, and acknowledge the many wonderful sporting stars we have in the area,” Mr Goddard said.
As well as the naming of the Sportstar of the Year, tonight’s function will include the announcement of the Trust’s annual grant awardees.
“The Trust is proud to be able to help our junior sporting stars achieve their endeavours,” he said.
“We have again had a quality field of applicants for grants and it has been a hard decision.”