Awards for the junior and senior sportsperson of the year will be handed out during Thursday’s official Australia Day ceremony in Mountford Park. 

Organisers said there had been a number high-quality nominations for the 2016 year. 

Nominations were obtained from individual community members as well, as from information contained in articles published in The Irrigator throughout the year.

The judges for theawards are the remaining members of the Sportsperson of the Year Award Committee, which remains in recess.

“The Sportsperson of the Year Awards in the past was a standalone event, but in 2012 the decision was made to combine the event with the Australia Day Awards,” committee member Tony Reneker said. 

“This has proven to be a successful move and the increase in interest and nominations is testament to this.”

Last year there were 13 junior nominations and three senior nominations.

This year a variety of interests are represented, including a number away from the well-known sports such as football and cricket.

“There is a great diversity of sports being played in Leeton and the standard and levels reached by some of the nominated sportspeople is amazing,” Mr Reneker said. 

All nominees will receive a medallion and will be individually recognised on stage at the Australia Day.

Junior nominees

Senior nominees