As expected, Grenada’s International superstar, Anderson Peters was the winner of the male category in the Grenada Olympic Committee (GOC)/Ministry of Youth Sports, Sports Personality of the Year Awards and international cricketer Afy Fletcher, the female sports personality.
The two were adjudged by the panel as the biggest achievers in the international arena representing Grenada in 2022. The two athletes won the same title for 2019.
Governor General Dame Cécile La Grenade presented the two awards during a ceremony at Pier 57 in Grand Mal, Saint George, last Saturday. Fletcher, who was absent being on West Indies tour in South Africa; her award was accepted by her mom.
24-year-old Peters enjoyed an awesome season, including writing his name into the record books as only the second man to retain the World Javelin title at the IAAF World Championship in Eugene Oregon. In addition, he was the only Caribbean male athlete nominated for the 2022 World Athletics Male Athlete of the Year. In the 2022 Commonwealth Games. the silver medalist also became the holder of the record for the fifth-best javelin throw in the history of the event.
Fletcher, a senior member of the West Indies women’s team, was a member of the regional side which reached the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup One-day 50 Overs per side tournament played in South Africa.
The veteran leg spinner featured among the wickets and was named vice-captain of the West Indies team last year for a home series against New Zealand.
The Junior sportsman of the year was male cricketer Teddy Bishop and female junior sportswoman was swimmer Aniaka Otway. The 20-year-old Bishop, who also won same title for 2019, was one of the West Indies U19 world cup centurions in 2022. He is now a member of the senior Windward Island Volcanoes men’s side.
Otway broke four regional records: the 1OO-metre and the 50-metre breaststroke at the Goodwill
Games in Trinidad and Tobago; and in the OECS Championship in St Lucia she set two new Grenada
National records in the 1OO-metre and 50-metre breaststroke.
In addition, in the points standings of FINA – the International Swimming Federation – she currently
holds the highest and second highest points standing in Grenada, in the female category in the 50-
metre freestyle (with 620 points) and the 50- metre breaststroke, with 618 points.
The Grenada Olympic Committee/Ministry of Sports People’s Choice of Sports Personalities of the year selected via voting on the GOC’s Facebook page was won by a female footballer Roneisha Frank and table tennis player Cedric Marquez.
Awards were presented to the 16 affiliates nominated athletes who competed for the major awards.
For the first time, the Sports Awards recognised Paralympic athletes and the winners were track athletes in the javelin (female) Ishona Charles and (Male) 400 meters and javelin competitor Nickel Walters.
The Coach of the Year in track and field was Paul Philip. He is the coach of Anderson Peters and several junior CARIFTA Games medalists.
The special awards for Contributions to Sports were presented to basketball coach Naka Joseph and veteran volunteer and administrator Thera Grant, who served the Grenada Athletic Association in several administrative capacities.
The Sports Awards feature address was delivered by former Grenada PanAm Games silver medalist in the 400 meters and three-times Olympian Hazel-Ann Regis-Buckels. Among other things, she impressed and encouraged Grenadian athletes and administrators to focus on perfecting their talents and achieving the best results. Regis-Buckels, Grenada’s 400 meters record holder, told the audience the key words in getting maximum results are focusing on why you are involved and what it takes to bring you success. According to her, the why and the what are fundamental principles to respect and focus on, in their quest to be the best.
