Superb line-up of contenders for The Echo 2021 Sports Star title

THE ECHO 2021 Amateur Sports Star of the Year will be announced virtually online this coming Friday evening at 8pm (January 21).

Together with the South Dublin County Sports Partnership (SDCSP) and South Dublin County Council, The Echo has, for the past 13 years being recognising the tremendous achievements of local athletes by way of these awards.

Despite all the challenges presented by Covid restrictions, the past 12 months have proven remarkably successful for a number of our elite competitors and particularly for women’s sport in South Dublin.

Indeed six of our top female athletes have accounted for nine of our 12 monthly awards in 2021 many of them competing successfully on European, World and even Olympic platforms.

It is a factor that has greatly impressed Thos McDermott, Co-ordinator, SDCSP who said “While the issue of Covid played a very disruptive part in our sporting calendar in 2021, there still remained a very impressive list of local sporting achievement, particularly at an individual level, of which our county should be proud.

“The list of monthly award winners is testament to the sporting ability of our athletes on the national and international stage. And it is important to remember that these are amateur athletes, doing what they do for the love of sport, not financial reward.

“Over the years of the Awards there has always been a strong representation of female athletes and given the emphasis which the Sports Partnership puts on female participation in sport and ending the inequality in the participation rates between males and females, the fact that nine of the 12 monthly winners are female is both remarkable and welcome.

“Also welcome is the great spread of sports involved, from athletics, badminton, canoeing, hockey, martial arts, taekwondo and swimming, which shows the breath of opportunities available to people.

“South Dublin County Sports Partnership is delighted to be a partner of the annual Echo Amateur Sports Awards and we would like to thank all those who help to promote sport in South Dublin County  – clubs, players, coaches, sponsors, facility providers like South Dublin County Council and media supporters like The Echo.

“Together they all play a very important role in making our community a better place to live in.”

See all contenders here – Echo Sports Awards 2021.

Be sure to check out The Echo Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts on Friday 8pm to discover who is our Sports Star for 2021.