Kingston residents celebrated their sporting achievements last night at the Kingston Sports Awards, hosted at the Guild Hall.
A number of awards were up for grabs, including Team of the Year, The Mayor’s Award, Sports Club of the Year and Disability Sports Achiever of the Year.
Councillor Margaret Thompson, who is responsible for sport and leisure at Kingston Council, said: “Kingston is very proud of our local athletes and sporting heroes. These awards demonstrate the dedication of all athletes, clubs, parents and coaches involved in achieving these outstanding results.”
The awards recognised a number of sporting achievements throughout Kingston, such as Corinthian-Casuals FC manager James Bracken leading the football club to its highest league position in its 80-year history.
Vice President of the Corinthian-Casuals David Harrison said: “This is a remarkable achievement, both for the manager and the club, which continues to play as strictly amateur in the world of non-league football, competing against clubs with large budgets.”
The ceremony was hosted by town crier Mike Seigel and was attended by a number of local sporting heroes, including Olympic rower Charles Cousins, who competed at the London 2012 Olympics.
The full list of winners, as posted on the Kingston Council website, is as follows:
- Eileen Gray Award (awarded to those who ‘inspire others’) – Maria Higgins, a volunteer with Park Run and 26.2 Road Runners Club, was given the award for her dedication to helping people of all ages stay active in Kingston.
- Team of the Year – Kingston Rowing Club’s Women’s J16 Coxed Fours, who are unbeaten this year. They won Gold in multiple national competitions and set a new course record at Henley Women’s Regatta.
- Mayor’s Award – James Bracken, manager of Corinthian-Casuals, who has taken the club to its highest position since it was founded in 1939 – a remarkable achievement both for the manager and the club.
- Sports Club of the Year – Awarded to QMC School of Capoeira, for helping people of all ages and backgrounds in building their fitness, self-confidence and resilience.
- Active Kingston School of the Year – St Andrews and St Marks Junior School, for putting the health and well-being of pupils at the heart of their curriculum.
- Junior Sports Achiever of the Year – Dilhan Wasantha, for his achievements and enthusiasm for tennis. He is currently ranked No.1 in Great Britain for under-12s, and has won four European tennis titles
- Disability Sports Achiever of the Year – Caitlin Trevor, a young swimmer. Caitlin’s Down Syndrome hasn’t stopped her winning multiple gold medals in European and International competitions, setting three new Pan-American records.
- Sports Achiever of the Year – Pippa Wingate, who was selected to represent England at the Loughborough International, winning with a hammer throw of 61.88. She is a home-grown international athlete who lives, works and trains locally in Kingston.
- Neil Desai Award – Sam Lyle, manager of the London Youth Games Kingston Badminton squad, for his dedication to the team.
