Sports Awards in virtual format set for next Friday
“All changed, changed utterly” - the words of William Butler Yeats in his poem ‘Easter 1916’. The great Irish poet could have been talking about the sporting year of 2020.
On January 31 of last year, Kate Derwin was announced as the Westmeath Independent Sports Star of the Year for 2019 at a gala awards night in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel, Athlone. At that time, nobody could have predicted what was coming down the tracks.
But in the following weeks, information emerged about a mysterious virus discovered in China that could spread between human beings. And in the middle of March, almost all forms of sporting activity – along with much of civilisation – ground to a halt across the world.
The 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo were postponed until 2021, as were the European Championship finals in soccer, while the Wimbledon tennis championships were cancelled - as the Covid-19 pandemic made its presence felt in every sphere.
Most of the sporting activity which did take place was either held behind closed doors or watched by drastically curtailed attendances.
Over the past year, we have stumbled from one lockdown to another and while sport remains closed to all but armchair spectators and has barely functioned outside of elite level, it remains crucial in lifting flagging spirits. Sport is the great distraction, the great unifier, and the bringer of hope.
For those reasons, it would be remiss of the Westmeath Independent to allow 2020 to be written off, and to not proceed with our 15th annual Sports Awards – even if, due to the continuing Level 5 lockdown, the 2020 version will be in a format radically different to that of previous years.
The 2020 Westmeath Independent Sports Awards will take place in the form of an online event which will go live next Friday evening, April 2, at 8pm. Log on to the Westmeath Independent website - https://www.westmeathindependent.ie - to watch the awards ceremony.
Against the grim backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and under very challenging circumstances, men and women from the region, and indeed promising young stars, have continued to succeed in their chosen sport.
The 2020 Westmeath Independent Sports Awards will honour winners in the following five categories:
*Young Sportsperson of the Year
*Team of the Year
*Outstanding Achievement award
*Hall of Fame award
*Overall Sportsperson of the Year
In organising this event, the Westmeath Independent is delighted to be supported by the sponsorship of a number of local businesses.
Action Physio, Byrne Carolan Cunningham Solicitors, Bay Sports and the Shamrock Lodge Hotel (which has hosted the event for a number of years) are again supporting the event.
The Westmeath Independent is very grateful to our sponsors for continuing to help us honour sporting excellence in the region.
We hope you can join us via our website next Friday evening at 8pm.