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Premier League footballer Alex Scott has been named the Channel Islands Sports Personality of the Year, with special recognition given to the Island Games organisers and Guernsey archery's Steve Yates at the annual awards night too.
The awards were handed out at Beau Sejour last night during a glitzy black tie event celebrating the very best of Channel Island sports.
The main award - the Channel Islands Sports Personality of the Year - had a shortlist of four people: Guernsey cyclist Sam Culverwell, Guernsey triathlete Josh Lewis, Guernsey footballer Alex Scott, and Jersey table tennis player Hannah Silcock.
Voted for by the public, AFC Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott won.
Pictured: Alex Scott accepted his award via video link.
The young footballer was represented by his mum and grandad who took to the stage to accept his award on his behalf.
Wiping away the tears, Essie Scott said he had thought cyclist Sam Culverwell would win while Alex's mum, Stephanie Allen was equally surprised and thrilled.
"It's been a long journey, and poor Alex has had setbacks with his injury and going back to when he was released from Southampton, the impact that had, obviously, if you look back, it was for the right reasons he got to stay here, he got to get back in touch with his friends and I think it made him realise that if he wanted to continue doing football, he'd have to leave the island because as much as he enjoyed playing Priaulx League and then GFC, he's always wanted to be a footballer," she said.
Both agreed that despite all the hard times Alex has faced, it's been his passion for the sport which has kept him motivated, along with the fact that he simply loves playing football.
"And I think desire," said Ms Allen. "It doesn't matter what sport you do, I think you can be coached, but if you've got that desire, you can't teach desire, you've either got that in you or you haven't and I think Alex having been released and then being injured twice badly, you know, it's still that desire. It's still that he needs to play football and we get it totally and we love it and it's great for us to go over there."
Pictured: Alex Scott's mum and grandad attended the event to represent him.
The Judges Award for Achievement was given to the 2023 Island Games organising committee with Julia Bowditch MBE and Amanda Hibbs accepting the trophy.
IT Director Colin Le Conte said for all of the organising committee, seeing the increase in sports participation since the Games has been its greatest legacy.
"When you see cycling and basketball and all these events, they're all talking about record uptake. I think people were inspired by the whole event, and I think that's great, and then we've also left a legacy on the IT side of it as well. There's the Wi Fi around different places that didn't have it before, like sailing now have tracking systems that they can reach out to for tracking some of the events which opens it up to the whole public, so there're lots of different elements, which we're very proud of."
Pictured: The 2023 Island Games organising committee won the Judges Award for Achievement.
The Michael Lucas Sporting Hero award also came as a surprise to its winner - Steve Yates of Guernsey Archery.
"I feel really proud, humbled, I can't really express it, but I'm just amazed because, as I say, it's a sport and I do it because I love it and if I'm making that impression on people that they want to nominate me for something like this, then I must be doing something right," he said.
Archery is just one sport which has seen an increase in numbers since the Island Games.
Pictured: Steve Yates of the Bowmen of Guernsey won the Sporting Hero award.
Steve said part of its appeal is the fact it is so inclusive.
"I've been there at the higher levels and done that, and won Island Games medals and won national medals and stuff, but you can do it at whatever level you like, so you can go for the big things if you want to put the hours in but if you want to, you can just have a shoot on a Wednesday and just enjoy yourself."
The 2023 Sure Rising Star was Asa Tribe of Jersey cricket, the Grant Thornton Team of the Year was the Jersey Commonwealth Youth Games Team, and the Coach of the Year award went to Elliot Powell, the Jersey's men's football team coach.
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