THERE is only one more week for people to nominate their Athlete of the Year (male and female). So far a number of athletes have been nominated including Toriano Wilson, the young rising motorcycle racing star who was killed in an accident in the United States this past summer.

Bermuda's only professional basketball player Sullivan Phillips has also received a nomination during the recent TV nomination show.

But Cal Simons, Government's Sports Development Officer, urged the public, sports organisations and clubs to get their nomination forms in by next Friday.

"You may feel strongly about someone being named Athlete of the Year but it does no good if you do not nominate that person," stressed Simons this week.

The deadline for nominations is December 12 at 5 p.m. The completed forms must be handed into the Ministry of Environment and Sport in the Perry Building on Church Street (second floor).

Simons said that people or organisations can pick up the nomination forms at the Ministry or the various sports stores in Bermuda. They can also download the forms from Island Stats or go onto the Ministry's website (www.youthandsports.bm)

The awards will be handed out in March next year and the awards will be for performances from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008.

There are also other awards athletes and teams can be nominated for – the Achievement Awards, Special Achievement Awards, Appreciation Awards and Sports Citations. There is also the Special Recognition Awards.

Simons said: "The Sports Awards began in 1980 and we will celebrate 28 years of handing out the awards to our top athletes. Over the past 27 years the Government has presented over 500 awards."

Bermuda has seen some excellent performers this past year in particular show jumpers Jill Terceira and Patrick Nesbitt who both qualified for the Olympics. Terceira won the right to go and was Bermuda's first ever show jumper at the Games. Also top Bermuda swimmer Kiera Aitken had another super year. In the 100 metres backstroke at the Beijing Games she dropped her national record by nearly two seconds clocking 1:2.62.

Teenage motorcycle rider Toriano Wilson was destined for great things until he tragically died in a crash in the Red Bull AMA US Rookies Cup at Virginia International Raceway in August.

The 14-year-old was tipped to go all the way to the top of the world motorsports scene before suffering fatal injuries in the accident.

Last year's Athletes of the Year were triathlete Flora Duffy and national team cricketer Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock.