SPORTS AWARDS: Jolly hockey sticks at City of Peterborough as voting hots up

After the second week of voting new challengers have emerged in most categories.

Northern Star Ladies FC were setting a terrific pace in the Team of the Year category in the first week, but new leaders have emerged in the shape of another successful ladies team - City of Peterborough Hockey.

They clinched a place in the East League Premier Division for the first time last season after back-to-back promotions and are currently going well at the higher level.

Yaxley FC and Yaxley FC Under 12s continued to make good progress in the second week of voting.

There’s also a new leader in Junior Sportsman of the Year. Donovan Capes, grandson of shot putt legend Geoff Capes, has come steaming into contention with a stack of votes.

Donovan (12) had an oustanding first year in competitive athletics. He won loads of regional and national titles and finished 2017 at number one in the UK Under 13 discus rankings and at number two in the shot.

World champion kick-boxer Eddy Paddock, twice a previous winner of this award, has also stormed into contention.

And his Peterborough BCKA clubmates Jaden Harris and Leon Gold also polled well in the second week to join the frontrunners in Sportswoman of the Year and Sportsman of the Year respectively.

In Sportsman of the Year, Gold is battling it out at the head of the leaderboard with Rob Taylor, another world champion kick-boxer, and top triathlete Paul Lunn, while Harris’s main rival in Sportswoman of the Year is European Tang Soo Do champion Sarah Chapman.

Avelino Vieira is a new name to figure in the Footballer of the Year standings. The Peterborough Sports hot-shot gained ground on Yaxley FC stalwart Dan Cotton and there’s also strong support here for Northern Star Ladies striker Cassie Steward and Peterborough United Ladies talent Jess Driscoll.

Early leaders Luca Christoudias (Posh Under 8s), Charlie Bedford (Posh Under 10s), Bradley Gilbert (Peterborough Sports Under 15s) and Iona Kemball (Holbeach Under 15 Girls) all maintained their momentum in Junior Footballer of the Year.

And it’s still star swimmer Amelia Monaghan attracting most votes in Junior Sportswoman of the Year, although martial artists Lorena Ismail, Elise Ward and Kelsey Lock are putting up a fight.

Big Posh fan Adi Mowles, the man who organised the fund-raising for the Chris Turner statue at the ABAX Stadium, is a big mover in the Unsung Hero category along with behind-the-scenes Peterborough BCKA worker Tor Harris while it’s Posh Academy coach Michael Fox and Peterborough BCKA instructor Andy Whitwell leading the race to be crowned Coach of the Year .

In Sports Personality of the Year, champion boxer Cello Renda is still dominating, although Panthers team boss Carl Johnson is beginning to pick up votes, while young athlete Brandon Ballard leads Disabled Achiever of the Year.

Once again we are allowing readers to vote in the Peterborough Telegraph Sports Awards by text. There is also a voting form printed in the Peterborough TElegraph every Thursday. Deadline for votes is midnight on january 11.

Text your vote by starting your text with PT (followed by space) SPORT followed by the Name and category you wish to vote for, then your name and email address and send to 85100 (Texts cost £0.50p per vote plus your standard network rate.

For example, PT SPORT FRED SMITH JUNIOR SPORTSMAN Joe Bloggs [email protected]

Each message should contain no more than 160 characters. Closing date for voting is midnight Thursday January 11.

Terms & Conditions: Texts cost 50p per vote plus your standard network rate.

Don’t forget the spaces!

You can vote up to 5 times before the text line closes at midnight on 11th January 2018. Votes received after the deadline will not be counted but you may still be charged.

Bill payer’s permission must be obtained before entering.

This is a Johnston Press competition.

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For full T&Cs visit http://www.johnstonpress.co.uk/competition.