Sports Awards Ceremony takes place at Hamilton Princess Hotel.

Paula Lewin, who is chasing three straight titles on the women's side, looks a strong bet to retain her crown while there is expected to be a new winner among the men.

Cricketer Clay Smith was the first team sport member to win Athlete of the Year last year. However, he did not have the same lofty achievements from the previous year and ended the season on suspension.

Lewin, on the other hand, went from strength to strength and ended 1998 as the number one ranked female sailor in the world in match racing. She and her crew also became the first women's team to reach the championship round of the Gold Cup.

Lewin owes much of her international success to her crew which includes twin sister Peta, Lisa Neasham and Leatrice Roman.

One of the other females likely to be in the running is rising track star Raneika Bean who had outstanding performances at the Carifta Games and at the Russell E Blunt Invitational Meet in North Carolina.

At that meet Bean set a new record in the triple jump and tied the high jump record on her way to being voted Outstanding Athlete in the 15-16 girls age group.

At the CAC Junior Championships she also set a new meet record in the triple jump where she collected the gold medal. In that same month she was inducted into the Silver Hall of Fame at the East Coast Invitational for achieving five gold medals.

Candidates for the men's Athlete of the Year Award this year should include the likes of cyclist Elliot Hubbard, triathlete Tyler Butterfield, luger Patrick Singleton, bowling pair Antoine Jones and Conrad Lister, sailor Malcolm Smith and runner Terrance Armstrong, based on last year's performances.

A few years ago the Athlete of the Year was dominated by triple jumper Brian Wellman who won in successive years between 1992 and '96 for a record five wins.

High jumper Clarance Saunders is the next most successful, winning four times.

The Sports Awards will be telecast live on ZBM starting at 7.30 p.m. Awards will be presented in five categories, Athlete of the Year, Achievement, Appreciation, Special Achievement and Sports Citation. Some 61 nominations were considered by the committee.