Nominations for The Central Otago Sports Awards are now open, offering a chance to celebrate the sporting successes of the district's sportspeople and coaches.

The event, is poised to be one of the first to be held indoors with more than 100 people able to attend due to the reduction in traffic light settings.

It will be a formal evening with a three course seated meal to be held at Upper Clutha Rugby Club in May.

Sport Central Community Sport advisor Tiny Carruthers said the gala awards evening has secured an outstanding guest speaker; three-time Olympic three gold medalist Hamish Bond.

Sport Central community sport advisor Tiny Carruthers is hoping for a wide range of nominations from skiing to mountain biking and wood chopping for this years awards. PHOTO: Supplied

"Now is the time to get your nominations in. We've already had nominations in from some snowsports.

"The awards are an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the vast amount of sporting talent in Central Otago," he said.

Sport Central invites all clubs, coaches, sports organisations, teams, participants, administrators, whanau and community members to put forward someone who they think is deserving of acknowledgement and celebration. 

Nominations close at 5pm on April 8.

Nomination is via an online form at Sport Central’s website.

The nomination period is April 1 2021 to March 31 2022 for several award categories including:

• Sportsman and sportswoman of the year
• Junior sportsman and sportswoman of the year (under 18 at time of nominated acheivements)
• Team of the year
• Para athlete or team of the year
• Coach of the year
• Spirit of Central junior award
• Spirit of Central senior award
• Lifetime award for services to sport - John Fitzharris memorial trophy
• Supreme award - Bruce Grant memorial trophy

The Central Otago Sports Awards region includes all the areas within the Sport Central catchment and includes: Ranfurly, Maniototo, Alexandra, Roxburgh, Clyde, Cromwell, Wanaka, Tarras, Makarora, Hawea, Arrowtown, Queenstown, Glenorchy, Kingston, and any other location in the Central Otago or Queenstown Lakes districts.