Tyrone’s sporting heroes continue to make headlines!
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Dungannon’s Darren Clarke with his Sports Star of the Year trophy.
He's done it again!
Dungannon golfer Darren Clarke has been named 'Sports Star of the Year' at the 2011 Linwoods and Sport Northern Ireland backed Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards held at the Ramada Plaza last week.
Darren, who previously won the top gong at the Telegraph Sports Awards in 1998 and 2006, sealed Northern Ireland's reputation as golfing capital of the world when he triumphed at The Open Championship in Sandwich becoming the region's third winner of a golf 'major' in just13 months.
As Northern Ireland's Sports Star of the Year 2011 Darren joins fellow golfers Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy who won in 2010 and 2009 respectively and also other sporting legends Peter Canavan, David Healy, AP McCoy, Phillip McCallen, David Healy and Wendy Houvenaghel.
Sports Star of the Year, Darren was named runner up at the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards just prior to Christmas and was also awarded an OBE in the recent New Year's Honours list.
The Awards just keep rolling in and deservedly so! And he wasn't on his own.
Cookstown hockey player Ian Sloan won the Local Heroes Award and was also a nominee in the Young Player of the Year category while Wendy Hovenaghel from Upperlands was also nominated in the Sports Star of the Year category.
What a year it has been for 18 year-old Ian, the son of former hockey internationals Martin and Adele Sloan.
Captaining Cookstown High to three cup finals, including the McCullough Cup in which he scored four goals; scoring twice as his Cookstown club won the Irish Senior Cup final and finishing top scorer in the European U18 series.
He was also named Irish Youth Player of the Year, the Mary Peters Outstanding Young Sportsperson of the Year and Ulster's Senior Player of the Year. He also became the first schoolboy in years to join Ireland's senior international team and was part of the Eurohockey Nations Cup campaign where he helped Ireland achieve a fifth place finish.
Wendy Houvenaghel, the Bejjing Olympics individual pursuit silver medallist has also had a superb year as she took home team pursuit gold at the Track Cycling World Championships in the Netherlands in March.
Wendy also took gold in the UCI Track World Cup team pursuit in Manchester.
She also clinched a third British Time Trial Championship crown and also set a national record in the 25-mile time trial.
Dominc Walsh, Chairman of Sport Northern Ireland said: "Sport Northern Ireland is once again extremely proud to support the Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards.
"The winners and finalists at this year's Sports Awards are evidence that the right systems exist in Northern Ireland to deliver world class performances and participation opportunities. All those who play their part are to be congratulated."
It is great to see that County Tyrone and Mid-Ulster is more than playing its part!
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