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Zakuani scoops top ET Sports Awards
Peterborough United star Gaby Zakuani was the man of the night at the annual Evening Telegraph Sports Awards 2011 presentation celebration on Friday.
Zakuani was voted Sports Personality of the Year by the paper’s readers who were charmed by his off-field work for charity and the under-privileged as well as by his football skills.
And the 25 year-old also picked up the Footballer of the Year prize for his part in helping Posh to promotion from League One and then to stabilise the club at Championship level.
It was a great night all round for Posh who predictably won the Team of the Year prize for their efforts in 2011 under manager Darren Ferguson. Ferguson was a runner-up in the Sports Personality category.
Zakuani, who couldn’t attend the ceremony as he was away with the team for an important Championship fixture at Burnley today, sent a message to the crowd of 200 at the Cresset.
He said: “It’s a great honour to receive the Footballer of the Year award and an even bigger honour to pick up the Sports Personality prize.
“I feel privileged to play football for a living, but I believe it’s important to give something back to others who are less fortunate.
“That’s why the Sports Personality prize will be treasured so much. It recognises what I am trying to do off the field.
“It was a brilliant 2011 for the football club and I have to thank the management, the players and, just as importantly, the club’s fans for the help they have given me.
“I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me as well and I’d also like to thank Craig Mackail-Smith for leaving the club in the summer to give the rest of us the chance to win something!”
Zakuani raised thousands of pounds for Children in Need last year and has now started a project called ‘Tackle Africa’ which will involve spending time in June coaching football to youngsters in Ghana while helping to educate them about the HIV virus.
Olympic gymnast Louis Smith was also a runner-up in the Sports Personality of the Year, but he gained consolation by winning the Sportsman of the Year award.
World champion powerlifter Louise Fox won the Sportswoman of the Year prize for the second time, while there were also wins for Jack Bristowe (world kickboxing champion, junior sportsman), Ella Foster (British BMX champion, junior sportswoman), Dominic Cochrane (junior footballer), Terry Rawlings (unsung hero, cricket) and Darren Gibbons (coach, football).
SPORTS AWARDS ROLL OF HONOUR:
SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Winner: Gaby Zakuani.
Runners-up: Louis Smith, Darren Ferguson.
TEAM OF THE YEAR
Winners: Peterborough United.
Runners-up: Phantoms Under 18s, Castor Cricket Club.
SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR
Winner: Louis Smith.
Runners-up: Steve Lampier, Gareth Andrew and Sean Dixon.
SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
Winner: Louise Fox.
Runners-up: Gaynor Morgan and Harriet Lee.
JUNIOR SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR
Winner: Jack Bristowe
Runners-up: Liam Knight and Matthew Gladders.
JUNIOR SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
Winner: Ella Foster.
Runners-up: Zara Bailey and Simi Pam.
FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR
Winner: Gaby Zakuani
Runners-up: Lesley-Ann Seaman and George Boyd.
JUNIOR FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR
Winner: Dominic Cochrane.
Runners-up: Fraser Sturgess and Bradley Easey.
UNSUNG HERO
Winner: Terry Rawlings.
Runners-up: Colin Pettit and Derek Mankelow.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Winner: Darren Gibbons.
Runners-up: Jon Kynaston, Ben Negus and Andy Stubbs.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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