Monday 12th November 2012
Main pic courtesy www.derbyshiresport.co.uk

Chesterfield sporting star Liam Pitchford and Chesterfield Town FC are among those to have been shortlisted for the 2012 Derbyshire Sports Awards, sponsored by the University of Derby.


(back l-r): Emma Waring, Matrix; Claire Davenport, Derby City Council; Tim Pugh, Origination; Ollie Shearer, University of Derby; Prof John Coyne, University of Derby; Cllr John Lemmon, Vice Chair, Derbyshire Sport. (front l-r): Molly Renshaw, Andrea Green and Jay Clarke.

Liam, from Brimington, is vying for the University of Derby Sportsperson of the Year award alongside fellow Olympians Ross Davenport, Annie Last and Jennifer Pinches.

Table tennis player Liam, mountain biking competitor Annie Last, swimmer Ross, and gymnast Jennifer all flew the flag for Derbyshire and Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympic Games, competing in their respective sports.

Liam was part of the men's table tennis team which competed in the first round against Portugal, and Annie finished in eighth place in the cross country mountain bike race.

Ross was part of GB's 4x200m freestyle relay team which finished sixth in the final, while Jennifer also took sixth place in the final as part of the women's artistic gymnastic team.

Also among the finalists for the prestigious event is Chesterfield Town FC, which is shortlisted alongside Draycott and Long Eaton Table Tennis Club for the Cooper Parry Club of the Year award.

Chesterfield Town FC is an amateur FA Charter Standard Community Football Club with more than 500 members and links to many local schools and Chesterfield College.

Draycott and Long Eaton Table Tennis Club caters for players of all ages and abilities from beginners to England Internationals, with 20 competitive teams, and this year became one of only five clubs in England to gain the new English Table Tennis Association 5* Club Rating.

Derbyshire Paralympians Jon Hall, Maddie Thompson and Andrea Green are also shortlisted.

Great Britain wheelchair basketball player Jon, from Clowne, who was part of the GB men's team which finished fourth at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, is shortlisted for the University of Derby Disabled Sportsperson of the Year title alongside sitting volleyball player Andrea, who was part of the GB Women's team which finished in eighth place at the Games.

Meanwhile Maddie, who was part of the GB women's team which finished in seventh place overall at the Games, is shortlisted for the Origination Junior Disabled Sportsperson of the Year award alongside swimmer Robert Abraham, who won two gold medals in his classification at the British International Disability Swimming Championships.

In the International Golf Development Junior Sportsman of the Year category the two finalists are tennis player Jay Clarke and golfer Bradley Moore.

Jay is ranked No.1 in Europe at U14 level, and has represented Great Britain numerous times this year and sealed back to back victories in grade 1 events in Rome and Bucharest. Bradley has played for England at U16 level, and remained unbeaten in his matches against Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Italy.

In the Derby City Council Junior Sportswoman of the Year category the finalists are snooker player Hannah Jones, and swimmer Molly Renshaw.

This year Hannah retained the English U19 Ladies Billiards Championship title for a third time and reached the semi-final of the European Ladies Snooker Championships, while Molly won gold in the 200m breaststroke at the European Junior Championships.

Winners will be announced in 11 categories during an awards ceremony at The Roundhouse in Derby on Thursday, November 15th, and full details of the nominees in all 11 categories are below.

District awards ceremonies have been held across the county to determine the finalists that have gone through to the Derbyshire Sports Awards.

The University of Derby is the title sponsor of the event, and other sponsors include the Derby Telegraph, Derby City Council, Origination, Derbyshire County Council, Cooper Parry, International Golf Development, Derby College, Active Derbyshire and Matrix.

In addition to being a category sponsor, Matrix is also sponsoring the drinks reception at the event.

University Vice-Chancellor Professor John Coyne, said: "2012 has been an unprecedented year of success for British sport and one that has done wonders for raising its profile and inspiring people young and old to get involved.

"We’re proud sponsors of the Derbyshire Sport Awards and believe that they provide the perfect platform to showcase the county's sporting talent and the fantastic work that is happening in sport. We wish all the nominees the best of luck."

Event organisers Derbyshire Sport resurrected the awards in 2006 in recognition of the importance of paying tribute to the wealth of sporting talent in the county.

Cllr Carol Hart, Chair of Derbyshire Sport, (left) said: "It is fantastic to see that Derbyshire has such a wealth of talented sports performers, great clubs and dedicated coaches and volunteers, who are all committed to improving sport in Derbyshire, and is important to recognise this work.

"My congratulations go to everyone who has made it this far in the awards process and to all the winners and nominees at district level. I wish all the finalists the very best of luck."

Details of all the finalists are available on the Derbyshire Sport website at www.derbyshiresport.co.uk

FULL LIST OF FINALISTS:

University of Derby Sportsperson of the Year
Ross Davenport (Amber Valley - Swimming)
Annie Last (Derbyshire Dales - Cross Country Mountain Biking)
Jennifer Pinches (High Peak - Gymnastics)
Liam Pitchford (Chesterfield/NE Derbyshire - Table Tennis)

University of Derby Disabled Sportsperson of the Year
Andrea Green (Derby - Sitting Volleyball)
Jon Hall (Bolsover - Wheelchair Basketball)

International Golf Development Junior Sportsman of the Year
Jay Clarke (Derby - Tennis)
Bradley Moore (Derby - Golf)

Derby City Council Junior Sportswoman of the Year
Hannah Jones (Amber Valley - Snooker)
Molly Renshaw (Amber Valley - Swimming)

Origination Junior Disabled Sportsperson of the Year
Robert Abraham (Erewash - Swimming and athletics)
Maddie Thompson (High Peak - Wheelchair Basketball)

Cooper Parry Club of the Year
Draycott and Long Eaton Table Tennis Club (Erewash - Table Tennis)
Chesterfield Town FC (Chesterfield/NE Derbyshire - Football)

Derby College Coach of the Year
James Maudsley (South Derbyshire - Basketball)
Paul Standring (Erewash - Cricket)

Derbyshire County Council Young Sports Leader/Young Coach of the Year
Beth Grainger (Erewash - Various Sports)
Luke Sheldon (Chesterfield/NE Derbyshire - Football)

Derby Telegraph Service to Sport Award
Brian Hinkley (Derby - Boxing)
John Thompson (Derbyshire Dales - Cricket)

Matrix Sport Sponsorship Award
2and7Limited - supporting North Derbyshire Chargers RLFC
Flint Bishop - supporting Sporting Futures
Specsavers - supporting North Derbyshire Chargers RLFC

Active Derbyshire Active Workplace Award
Cooper Parry
Derbyshire Dales District Council

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