KUALA LUMPUR: Squash player S. Sivasangari and bodybuilder Datuk Syarul Azman Mahen Abdullah are among the big names that have been nominated for the National Sports Awards for 2023.
The National Sports Council released the list of nominees today.
The National Sports Awards selection committee finalised the list during a meeting, chaired by Youth and Sports Ministry secretary-general Dr K. Nagulendran, in Putrajaya earlier today.
'New Straits Times' sports editor Ajitpal Singh is also on the committee.
The awards ceremony, which judges athletes based on their performances last year, will be held in Kuala Lumpur on June 13.
Syarul, who secured his sixth world title last year, leads the cast for the Sportsman of the Year award.
Squash player Ng Eain Yow, equestrian rider Qabil Ambak Fathil and karate exponent Arif Afifuddin AB Malik, who all claimed gold medals at last year's Hangzhou Asian Games, as well as tenpin bowler Rafiq Ismail have also been nominated.
The nominees for the Sportswoman of the Year award features squash player S. Sivasangari and sailor Nur Syazrin Latif, who both won gold in Hangzhou, as well as Muay Thai exponent Amisha Azrilrizal, who claimed the Under-23 world title last year.
Tenpin bowler Natasha Roslan, who won the world title last year, and lawn bowler Nurul alyani Jamil have also been nominated.
In the para categories, powerlifter Bonnie Bunyau Gustin, swimmer Nur Syaiful Zulkafli and athletics trio Ziyad Zolkefli, Abdul Latif Romly and Ammar Aiman Nor Azmi have been nominated for Sportsman of the Year.
Nominees for Sportswoman of the Year are cyclists Nur Azlia Syafinaz Mohd Zais and Nur Suraiya Muhamad Zamri, boccia duo Noor Askuzaimey Mat Salim and Angeline Melissa Lawas, as well as lawn bowler Jariah Zakaria.
The winners in each of the above categories will receive RM20,000, a trophy and a certificate.
The other award categories that will be contested are, men's and women's team of the year, men's and women's coach of the year, Sports Figure Award, Sports Leadership Award and Special Award.
The National Sports Award was first introduced in 1966 to acknowledge the achievements of athletes, coaches, officials and national sports associations.