Asafa Powell (left) and Sherone Simpson are expected to run away with the awards

Commonwealth Games gold medallists Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson head the list of ten male and ten female nominees for the 2006 RJR Sports Foundation Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Award to be announced at the annual function at the Pegasus Hotel on Thursday, February 1.

Powell twice equalled his 100-metre world record and won gold in the event at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, while Simpson who ended the year at the world's top sprinter, also won gold in both the 100 and 200-metre events in Melbourne.

The other male nominees are Usain Bolt, Omar Brown, Maurice Smith Maurice Wignall in athletics, footballer Claude Davis, cricketers Chris Gayle and Jerome Taylor, Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games cycling champion O'neil Samuels and boxer Nicholas Walters.

Commonwealth Games medallists Veronica Campbell, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Olivia McKoy, Kenia Sinclair, Trecia Smith and Novelene Williams join CAC Games cycling gold medallist Iona Wynter, and multiple CAC swimming medallist Alia Atkinson in the female category.

Fourteen category awards in athletics, badminton, cycling, cricket, football, squash, swimming, golf, rifle-shooting, horseracing, tennis, table tennis and boxing.

Twenty-two individual awards will be presented to sportspersons who performed well during the year, but were not nominated in the main categories.

"Anyone who medalled in any major competition last year will be recognised on the night of the award ceremony and will receive a special award," said chairman of the RJR Sports Foundation, Michael Hall.

The 2006 Chairman's Award winner will also be announced on the evening of the function for which Grenada Prime Minister, Dr Keith Mitchell, who is also chairman of Caricom's Cricket Sub-committee will be guest speaker.

Sports associations are usually asked to submit their choices for sportsman and sportswoman.

The RJR Foundation in a bid to involve other members of the sporting fraternity in the nomination process for the first time this year, asked sports editors from the various media houses to submit their choices as well. However, Observer sources say no one responded to the foundation's request.

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