The Sports Journalists’ Association is providing a table for 10 special guests at our prestigious 62nd annual British Sports Awards lunch on December 8, when 400-or-so leading figures from British sport and the media will be joined by 10 servicemen and women rom the British Armed Forces, arranged through the charity Tickets For Troops.
The event, hosted by the SJA President Sir Michael Parkinson and sponsored by UK Sport, takes place at The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London, and we are expecting the usual galaxy of superstars from the world of sport.
The key awards are Sportsman of the Year, Sportswoman of the Year and Team of the Year, all voted for by members of the Sports Journalists’ Association.
Last year F1 world champion Jenson Button was voted Sportsman of the Year, with Jessica Ennis chosen as Sportswoman of the Year and the England’s women’s cricket team winning the Team of the Year prize.
The chairman of Tickets For Troops, Lord Marland, said: “This is a wonderful gesture by the SJA especially as so many injured servicemen are trying to fight their way to full recovery through sport and physical activity.”
The idea of involving Tickets for Troops came from leading SJA member Stuart Higgins, the former Sun Editor who now runs his own public relations agency. A SJA spokesman said: “It was a great idea from Stuart, and we are delighted to invite a squad of brave veterans to our event, to share in the celebration of a tremendous year for British sport.”
Tickets For Troops was set up a year ago by David Cameron to provide free tickets for servicemen and women. More than 68,000 members of the military have registered with the website (www.ticketsfortroops.org.uk) and more than 250,000 tickets have been given away in the past year.
A portion of the price of every ticket for the 2010 SJA British Sports Awards will go towards Ticket for Troops.
SJA members can vote for their Sportsman, Sportswoman and Team of the year until November 9.
- The Sports Journalists’ Association is proud to have UK Sport as one of our lead sponsors, in a partnership that stretches back to the 1970s, when the then Sports Council first worked together with us to stage awards to recognise sports writing in this country.
Voting for the SJA’s annual British Sports Awards is now open. Only SJA members may vote, and they are allowed to vote only once, when they must choose their top three choice for Sportsman, Sportswoman and Team of the Year.
Voting forms are being posted to members with the SJA Bulletin autumn edition, or you may vote online.
Deadline for voting is November 9.
Tickets to attend the SJA British Sports Awards lunch on December 8 are also now on sale.