Finalists Announced for 2022 SPSA

Thirty-two finalists for the prestigious 2022 SP Sports Awards (SPSA) have been announced
yesterday in Port Moresby.
After a week of deliberation, the SPSA Selection Panel has reached an agreement for the top three
finalists for each of the 11 categories on offer in this year’s awards.
“Despite the effects of COVID, we once again had a high-quality field,” said Warwick Vele,
the Chairperson of the SPSA Selection Panel.
“It was great to see the efforts and achievements of our sportsmen and women, coaching
staff, officials and administrators to get our athletes back into their respective sporting
arenas.”
He added that the efforts put into community sports and the good these initiatives have
done was especially pleasing.
The finalists, in alphabetical order, for the SP Sports Awards are:

Category Finalist Sport
 

Male Athlete of the Year

Baru Morea Weightlifting
Johnson Alex Rugby League
Olam Justin Rugby League
 

Female Athlete of the Year

Albert Elsie Rugby League
Kaputin Rellie Athletics
Toua Dika Weightlifting
Team of the Year Lae Snax Tigers Rugby League
Papuan Compound Ravens Rugby Union
Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited PNG Barramundis Cricket
National Performance of the Year NEST Athletics Club Athletics
Papuan Compound Ravens Rugby Union
Waghi Tumbe Rugby League
Community Sports Initiative Award Hook in4 Health Hockey PNG
Inclusive GymBad Program Gymnastics and Badminton
League Bilong Laif PNG NRL
Junior Male Athlete of the Year Hakena Sugar-Ray Tennis PNG
Porter Joshua Squash PNG
Junior Female Athlete of the Year Alarcos Amity Squash PNG
Hakena Colita Tennis PNG
Merimba Ursula Nokondi Triathlon Club, Goroka
Best Sports Person with a Disability Leva Nelly Para Sports
Marados Morea Para Sports
Otoase Raphael Special Olympics
 

Sports Official of the Year

Sibona Margeret Cricket PNG
Stone Nelson NEST Athletics Club
Yareboinen David PNG Football Association
 

Sports Photo of the Year

Keamo Patricia The National Newspaper
Keslep Simon Post Courier
Wasari Fidelis Sports Tok Magazine
Sports Media of the Year EMTV Sports Media Niugini Limited
Paul Taumik Jnr NBC Sports
The National Newspaper Sports Desk The National Newspaper

The announcement of the finalists marks the opening of SMS voting for the People’s Choice Award.

The winner of the People’s Choice Award is selected through a public vote, using FM100’s SMS voting platform. The more votes a finalist gets, the more chances of them winning.

Candidates for this category come from four finalists of the following.

Male Athlete of the Year

Female Athlete of the Year

Team of the Year

National Performance of the Year

Voting for the People’s Choice Award category will close on 25thMay, 2022.

The Awards Presentation will be hosted virtually from the home of the SPSA, Crowne Hotel, on Saturday 28th May 2022. It will be streamed live to the people of Papua New Guinea on the SP Sports Facebook page.