Nominate for young sportsperson awards by 30th May

The 2013 Meath Chronicle / Cusack Hotel Group sportsperson of the year awards were launched last week and the young sportsperson of the year has been expanded from three to six nominees.

Meath Chronicle readers will be able to nominate this week for the period from January to April 2013 any young sportsperson aged 18 or under in 2013 (see below).

The format for the overall winner for 2013 will be similar to previous years with each monthly nominee eligible for the overall award.

Already this year racehorse trainer Ger Lyons, Natalya Coyle and Barry Geraghty have been nominated for January, February and March respectively and will go forward to the big night on Thursday 23rd January next for the overall accolade.

The remaining nominees will be unveiled each month starting with another contender from last year, Headfort golfer Rory McNamara who is the April winner following his success at the West of Ireland golf championship at Rosses Point in Sligo last month.

The young sportsperson of the year has been expanded from three to six nominees, three will be selected by the adjudicating panel in December and the other three will be selected by Meath Chronicle readers who will be offered the opportunity to nominate candidates at intervals throughout the year starting this week.

All nominations received will be considered and a final list of 12 will be compiled from which six nominees will go forward following a voting process for the overall award next January.

There will be also be an opportunity to nominate for the period from May to August and the final round of nominations will cover the months from September to December.

The 'outstanding achievement’ categories will be retained with one difference, the overall winner in the individual and team sections will be announced following a voting process in which Meath Chronicle readers will be invited to participate during December.

The information will be published in the Meath Chronicle and also on www.meathchronicle.ie and all the nominees will be featured in the 2013 Sports Review of the Year which will also be published next December.

Previous winners in the popular 'young sportsperson’ category included Eleanor Murray from Trim, the inaugural recipient in 2010, Cillian O’Sullivan in 2011 and Eamon Wallace for 2012.

You are invited to nominate suitable candidates for the young sportsperson of the year for the period from January to April 2013.

Each nomination must outline briefly the achievements of the individual who must be u-18. Nominations may be submitted to - sports@meathchronicle.ie or by post to Meath Chronicle, Young Sportsperson nomination, Market Square, Navan, Co Meath no later than Thursday 30th May.

 Conall Collier