GYMNAST Bethany Paull has been crowned South Wales Argus Sports Personality of the Year.
The Valleys Gymnastics Academy teenager took the title after winning the disability sports performer of the year prize for the second time in three years.
The sports awards, which featured video messages from stars including Shane Williams, Sam Warburton and Tanni Grey-Thompson, went online this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It was also a special night for Cwmbran Youth Netball Club as mum and daughter Sharon and Georgina Ahern received the volunteer and junior coach accolades respectively.
On top of that, the club itself landed the community club of the year honour, while founder Vicki Randall was a runner-up in the outstanding services to sport category.
That award went to Valleys Gymnastics Academy head coach Melissa Anderson (below), who claimed the same honour in 2019.
And there was more good news for Anderson’s academy courtesy of a special editor’s award in recognition of their efforts during lockdown.
Heads of the Valleys Tang Soo Do chief Angus Rogers (above) was crowned coach of the year again following his victory last May, while UFC star Jack Shore (below) took the professional sports personality prize.
Long-serving Torfaen Warriors ABC head coach Simon Weaver was named grassroots sports personality of the year and badminton star Harper Leigh took the young sports personality award.
The senior team award went to Risca United and the Usk Valley Trampoline Club U14 quartet of Evie McLoughlin, Evie Forrest, Millie Forrest and Eleri Davies took the junior team title.
The event, which was hosted by Jason Mohammad and had independent financial advisers Niche as its headline sponsor, also revealed the winners of the Newport County AFC and Dragons player of the year votes.
It was a landslide victory for Scot Bennett (below) in the County vote, with the versatile midfielder finishing well clear of second-placed Josh Sheehan and 2019 winner Padraig Amond, who was third.
There were just four votes separating first and second in the Dragons vote, and it was flanker Taine Basham (below) who just edged out prop Leon Brown. Matthew Screech was third.
You can still watch the awards by visiting the South Wales Argus Facebook page at www.facebook.com/southwalesargus
2020 Roll of Honour
Sports Personality of the Year (sponsored by Niche) – Bethany Paull
Professional Sports Personality of the Year (sponsored by Monmouthshire Building Society) – Jack Shore
Grassroots Sports Personality of the Year (sponsored by Western Power Distribution) – Simon Weaver
Young Sports Personality of the Year (sponsored by Coleg Gwent) – Harper Leigh
Disability Sports Performer of the Year (sponsored by George St Furnishers) – Bethany Paull
Community Club of the Year (sponsored by Melin Homes) – Cwmbran Youth Netball Club
Junior Team of the Year (sponsored by Uskmouth Power Station/Atlantis Energy) – Usk Valley Trampoline Club U14s
Senior Team of the Year (sponsored by Newport City Council) – Risca United
Coach of the Year (sponsored by St Joseph’s Hospital) – Angus Rogers
Volunteer of the Year (sponsored by Newport City Homes) – Sharon Ahern
Outstanding Services to Sport in Gwent (sponsored by Nuffield Health) – Melissa Anderson
Junior Coach of the Year (sponsored by Sport Caerphilly) – Georgina Ahern
Newport County AFC Player of the Year (sponsored by Pure Vans) – Scot Bennett
Dragons Player of the Year (sponsored by Cintec International Ltd) – Taine Basham
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here