Sask Sport has announced the nominees for the 2023 Saskatchewan Sport Awards and the three nominees for Coach of the Year are David Calam, Ryan Jones and Igor Nikitovic.
In 2023, Nikitovic coached the Wascana Racing Canoe Club during the CKC National Sprint Championships in Nova Scotia and returned with three gold, one silver and five bronze medals. Calam guided three different teams to national medals in 2023 and coached an athlete to claim two Canadian Championship gold medals. And Jones coached three Para swimmers to achieve the minimum qualifying standard for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, while leading Shelby Newkirk to break a Canadian and Championship record in the 100-metre backstroke event.
Don Larson (box lacrosse), Rob Sleeth (canoe/kayak), Pat Barry (football), Maureen Johnson (baton twirling), Hazem Hussein (swim) and Jason Cawkwell (swim) are recipients of the Coach Dedication Award in the Recognition category.
The annual program celebrates the success and dedication of those in the province’s amateur sport community through two categories – Excellence Awards and Recognition Awards. The Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding event performances or a series of performances by a Saskatchewan athlete, coach or team within a given calendar year, while the Recognition Awards include the Volunteer and Coach Dedication Awards which honour individuals who have devoted their time and effort to the growth of sport in Saskatchewan.
The Coaches Association of Saskatchewan congratulates all finalists and recipients.
The 2023 Saskatchewan Sport Awards will be celebrated with a gala on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Queensbury Convention Centre in Regina. The gala will honour the 12 Recognition Awards recipients, as well as announce the recipients of the six Excellence Awards and celebrate those named as finalists.
Tickets are available for purchase on the Sask Sport website.
The Saskatchewan Sport Awards will also be available for viewing live on Sask Sport’s YouTube and on SaskTel maxTV Local on Demand at a later date.
