SPORTS AWARDS: Can Cello stop a world champion to land top prize?

Sports Personality of the Year contender Cello Renda (right).

That’s when all will be revealed in the 2017 Peterborough Telegraph Sports Awards.

The finalists in 11 different categories will be gathered together with guests and sponsors representing many other sports as the drama unfolds.

The finalists are those that finished in the top three in the public voting, which took place for a month in December and January. And our readers have put some fantastic candidates in the frame.

Team of the Year finalists City of Peterborough Ladies Hockey.

The big Sports Personality of the Year prize sees our professional boxing champion Cello Renda - winner of the Southern Area super-middleweight crown in 2017 - pitched against world triathlon champion Georgina Jennings and the Peterborough Panthers trophy-winning speedway team manager Carl Johnson.

The Team of the Year final features two ladies teams - the World Masters winning eight from Peterborough City Rowing Club and the high-flying City of Peterborough Ladies hockey team - and they’re up against the all-conquering Under 12 football team from Yaxley FC.

Rowing is also represented in the new Disabled Achiever of the Year award final as the world number one para oarsman James Fox, who received an MBE for services to the sport in 2017, is challenged by top para swimmer Jack Andersen and Nene Valley Harriers athlete Brandon Ballard.

The Footballer of the Year prize could be won by a female player for the second time running.

Junior Sportswoman of the Year finalist Lorena Ismail with Clifton Findley.

Cassie Steward from Peterborough Northern Star Ladies and Tash Applegate from Peterborough United Ladies are in the top three along with Yaxley FC’s Dan Cotton, who was the 2014 winner.

In Junior Footballer of the Year there are two lads from the Posh Academy up for the award. They are Charlie Bedford and Luca Christoudias and up against them is Lewis Arber, son of former Posh star Mark Arber who plays for the Team of the Year contenders Yaxley Under 12s.

World kick-boxing champion Rob Taylor, international hockey player Adam Drake and national triathlon champion Paul Lunn are the Sportsman of the Year finalists and in Sportswoman of the Year it’s GB international swimmer Rchael Wellings from COPS battling it out with European Tang Soo Do champion Sarah Chapman and world ranked BMX rider Leah Pearson.

Rising athletics star Donovan Capes from Nene Valley Harriers, the grandson of shot-putt legend Geoff Capes, is a Junior Sportsman of the Year finalist with BMX rider Joseph Carey and swimmer Myles Robinson-Young while Elise Ward, Lorena Ismail (both martial arts) and Amelia Monaghan (swimming) make up the Junior Sportswoman of the Year final.

Sportsman of the Year finalist Paul Lunn.

THE 2017 PETERBOROUGH TELEGRAPH SPORTS AWARDS FINALISTS

(listed in no particular order)

SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR