Who are the top sporting stars in Tendring in 2008?

The search has started to find the District's most talented sportsmen, women and children and honour their achievements and successes over the past 12 months.

The ever-popular sports personality awards are being staged at Clacton Town Hall in February and the judges are bound to have a difficult task in front of them.

It's now time for clubs across the area to put forward their nominations so they do not miss out on the chance of collecting one of the many trophies up for grabs.

The awards are organised by the Council and the Activetendring Partnership - and are once again being sponsored by the Clacton, Frinton and Walton Gazette and the Harwich and Manningtree Standard.

Whoever wins will follow in the footsteps of the likes of powerlifter Stuart Ford, last year's Male Sports Personality of the Year, who was British, European and World Champion in his sport. In 2006 the accolade went to Tenpin Bowling Ace Dominic Barrett who regularly represents his country all over the world.

Skeet shooting hot shot Sally Bond took the Female Sports Personality Award for 2007 and the teenager represented Britain in both the European and World Championships in the junior ladies' section. The year previously Hannah Baker - who was recently selected for the England Karate Squad - was the winner of the Under-18 Female Award.

David Lines, Leader of TDC, said he was very much looking forward to the awards ceremony.

"It is important that we take this opportunity to recognise and encourage the vast array of sporting talent that we have in our District," he said.

"The awards are also a chance to honour those coaches and volunteers who spend their own time ensuring that talent is properly nurtured."

Cllr Lines, a keen hockey player himself, said he hoped that some of Tendring's stars would feature in the 2012 London Olympics.

"It would be fantastic if we had sportsmen and women from our District to cheer on at what is going to be the biggest sporting event this country has ever hosted," he added.

It is the fourth time that the awards have been staged and there are a whole host of categories, including a new one for 2008. This time around there will be a Young Volunteer of the Year Award.

Nomination forms will be emailed out to sports clubs and schools across Tendring and will also be available on the sports development pages.

The forms will set out the full list of categories in which people can be put forward.

Chris Holmes, Facility and Sports Development Manager at TDC, said the Council was delighted to be organising the awards in partnership with Activetendring and was grateful that the Gazette and Standard were again supporting the event.

"Each year this initiative seems to grow even bigger and it has become a prestigious event on Tendring's sporting calendar," she said.

"We are really looking forward to a host of names being put forward after all the many sporting achievements during 2008."

The trophies will be handed out in the Princes Theatre at Clacton Town Hall on Tuesday February 3, 2009, from 7pm to 9pm.

The closing date for nominations is December 22, 2008, and entries need to be accompanied by details of the nominee's successes and achievements.