News

THE WINNERS of the 2015 Sunday Times and Sky Sports Sportswomen of the Year Awards in association with Vitality have been announced at a star-studded ceremony in London. The event was broadcast live on Sky Sports 1 and Sky 1 between 9.30pm and 11pm on Friday 6 November.

The prestigious Awards, now in their 28th year, celebrate the outstanding contribution to sport made by elite performers, coaches, administrators, community volunteers and inspirational female figures.

Hosted by Sky Sports News HQ presenter Kate Abdo and Sky’s F1 correspondent Natalie Pinkham, the seven awards were presented at the Sky studios in south-west London. Presenters included former Olympic, World and Commonwealth champion Christine Ohuruogu, ex-England football players Jamie Redknapp and Jamie Carragher, and TV presenter Ade Adepitan. 

Other well-known guests from the world of sport included:

Charlotte Edwards, Carl Froch, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Damon Hill, Steph Houghton, Tracey Neville, Heather Stanning, Amy Williams and Jonny Wilkinson.

The 2015 Award Winners 

Congratulations go to all the winners but in particular Women in Football would like to say a huge well done to the WiF Nominee Annie Zaidi. Annie was the winner of the Helen Rollason award for inspiration. Full details of this amazing achievement below:

THE HELEN ROLLASON AWARD FOR INSPIRATION

Winner: Annie Zaidi

Midlands football coach Annie Zaidi is the first South Asian and Muslim woman in her region to acquire a Level 2 coaching certification badge from the Football Association.

When she was the only female manager of a Sunday League team in her area, Zaidi endured overwhelming levels of discrimination from opposition team managers and parents. However, despite the abuse and lack of inclusion, she did not abandon her dreams, maintaining her passion to coach football.

She is currently head coach of the under-11s at Leicester City Girls’ Centre of Excellence. And has recently completed a placement at QPR, coaching the under-21s team – a great step towards her goal of one day becoming a coach in the professional men’s game. With the support of QPR director Les Ferdinand and the former Rangers manager Chris Ramsey, she has undertaken her UEFA B license.

Zaidi said: “I coach at QPR every week. I coach the under-21s – and tell the boys how it is really done. I’m hoping to get my Uefa B licence done at the end of this year. My ultimate job in football? Well that would be to coach the Arsenal men’s team maybe.” 

Presented by: Alex Butler, Sports editor, The Sunday Times

THE 2015 SUNDAY TIMES & SKY SPORTS SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR

Winner: Jessica Ennis-Hill

Ennis-Hill received the main accolade for the second time – she was a winner in 2012 – in recognition of her gold medal at the IAAF world athletics championships in Beijing.

The 29-year-old Sheffield star completed a remarkable return to athletics this season, becoming world heptathlon champion just 13 months after giving birth to her son Reggie in July 2014.

Ennis-Hill said: “I am so honoured to win this award. This time last year I never thought I would be here in this room with these amazing women, who have achieved so much and are changing so much in their sport.

“It’s really emotional standing here, especially when I think back to the year I have had. It has been incredibly hard: adjusting to life as a mum, having all those amazing experiences and reaching the top of my career.

“I don’t see myself as ‘Supermum’. I am a new mum and I am doing what I love, doing an amazing sport. ‘Supermums’ are mums who do so much more than I do.”

Second place: Lizzie Armitstead (road cycling)

Third place: Lizzy Yarnold (skeleton)

Also nominated: Rachel Atherton (mountain biking), Charlotte Dujardin (dressage), Bianca Walkden (taekwondo)

Presented by: Christine Ohuruogu

VITALITY TEAM OF THE YEAR

Winner: The England Women’s Hockey Team

Sunday Times readers, Sky Sports viewers and Vitality members were encouraged to vote for their favourite female sportswomen of 2015 – and they did so in their thousands over the course of two-and-a-half weeks. The hockey team beat the Olympic and world Holland 3-1 on penalties, after a 2-2 draw in normal time, to win the EuroHockey Championships in August – their first victory in the competition since 1991.

Sam Quek said: “This is an absolute honour. On behalf of our squad, simply to be shortlisted for this award is wonderful. But to win it is awesome.”

Alex Danson said: “The support we have had has been absolute fantastic. As a team, we were inspired by the England women’s football team, who were third at the World Cup. Hopefully this type of award can be a platform for us to showcase our sport.”

Ashleigh Ball said: “We came from 2-0 down in the final with very little time left. We showed true English dogged determination – and we hope that will take us a long way next year in Rio.”

Also nominated: Chelsea Ladies, England women’s football team, rowers Helen Glover and Heather Stanning

Presented by: Jamie Carragher and Jamie Redknapp 

YOUNG SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR

(Nominees must be 21 years of younger)

Winner: Dina Asher Smith

The sprinter broke two national records this year, becoming the fastest teenager in history. The 19-year-old from Londoner broke her own 100m record, with a time of 10.99sec at the Olympic Park at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games, the first British woman to run under 11 seconds. In the final of the 200m at the IAAF world athletics championships in Beijing, Asher-Smith finished fifth in a time of 22.07sec, breaking the British record of 22.10sec set by Kathy Cook in 1984 – 11 years before Asher-Smith was born.

Asher-Smith said: “The highlight of my year was running sub-11 seconds in the Olympic stadium in July. People say it might happen but actually being able to do it, in front of my mum and dad too, was amazing. This year has been a little overwhelming, a bit different. I didn’t expect to achieve this much.”

Also nominated: Rachelle Booth (taekwondo), Ellie Downie (artistic gymnastics), Siobhan-Marie O’Connor (swimming)

Presented by: Steph Houghton

DISABILITY SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR

Winner: Jordanne Whiley

Jordanne won a maiden major singles tennis title after beating regular doubles partner Yui Kamiji in the US Open women’s wheelchair final in September. In her first appearance in a major singles final, Whiley beat her 21-year-old Japanese friend 6-4 0-6 6-1 at Flushing Meadows. Elsewhere this year in wheelchair doubles, Whiley and Kamiji won the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles. Whiley, from Birmingham, suffers from brittle bone disease.

The 23-year-old was unable to attend the Awards as she was competing in Los Angeles. However, she sent a recorded video message, saying: “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there tonight.

“I want to thank everybody who has nominated and supported me. There are so many great Paralympians achieving wonderful things – and I am honoured to have this recognition.”

Also nominated: Hannah Cockroft (athletics), Tully Kearney (swimming), Sarah Storey (road/track cycling)

Presented by: Ade Adepitan

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Winner: Enid Bakewell

Enid Bakewell was one of England’s finest female cricketers. In 1973, Bakewell top-scored for the host nation during the inaugural women’s cricket world cup finals. She produced a match-winning performance as England beat Australia by 92 runs in the 60-overs final at Edgbaston.

Enid Bakewell (née Turton), who born in Nottinghamshire, on December 16, 1940, was a right-handed batswoman and slow left-arm spinner. By her figures alone, she has a strong claim to be regarded as the best all-rounder that the English women’s game has produced.

Remarkably, the part-time schoolteacher was unbeaten in 12 Test matches for England between 1968 and 1979. Overall, she scored 1,078 Test runs at an average of 59.88, scoring four centuries. She took 50 wickets at a bowling average of 16.62.

Bakewell is one of only five cricketers, male or female, to have hit a century and taken 10 wickets in the same Test – a feat she achieved on her final appearance (against the West Indies at Edgbaston). She continued to play domestically for East Midlands well into her 50s. Only a few years ago the now 74-year-old used to turn-out occasionally for the Redoubtables club side in Surrey.

Bakewell said: “I appreciate what the current women’s cricket does – and how amazing women’s cricket has evolved, the steps it has forward taken. I am so pleased for the girls these days.

“But I have to be a little bit cheeky. This Award is a little bit too early, if I am honest. I intend to keep playing until I am 80. I turn 75 next month so I have at least five years left.”

Presented by: Clare Connor 

COMMUNITY AWARD

Winner: Liverpool Homeless Football Club

Set up in 2007, the initial premise was to support men across Merseyside who found themselves homeless. Following the success of the club it was decided in 2012 to establish a similar women’s project. Footballer Fara Williams, England’s most capped footballer, who has been homeless herself, has been a key supporter of the club’s community work. The first event held was the ‘Women Against Domestic Abuse Cup’. The club helped to highlight that during the football season domestic abuse increasers by 19%. The club, which has more than 1,000 members, is run entirely on volunteers with some several key women running the project. The club were represented on the night by Jean Barrett, Beth Burns, Poppy Comer, Frances Davis abd Angela MacKay.

Comer said: “This is absolutely amazing. We watch homeless girls grow each week, coming up through each session.”

Ann O’Byrne, the deputy mayor of Liverpool, said: “This club gives something back to the community and recognises that everybody deserves a second or third chance. They bring up people, see them develop and get opportunities. Whether it is terms of training or employment, get a girlfriend or a boyfriend, have children; the club sees them grow and improve. It’s the most inspirational thing I know.”

Also nominated: Eddie Brocklesby, Wendy Russell, Kay Salter, Marnie Swindells

Presented by: Tracey Neville

****************************************************************

Notes to editors 

About The Sportswomen of the Year Awards

The Sportswomen of the Year Awards are supported by The Sunday Times Wine Club, the Sport and Recreation Alliance, UK Sport, Sport England and Women in Sport.

Notes to editors: An updated press release with quotes from award winners will be issued after the event has concluded at 11pm.

About The Sportswomen of the Year Awards

The Sportswomen Awards are among the most prestigious and influential in the British sporting calendar.

The previous winners of the main award, the coveted Sportswoman of the Year accolade are:

1988    Olive Jones

1989    Kim Thomas

1990    Denise Smith

1991    Sally Gunnell

1992    Tanni Grey-Thompson

1993    Sally Gunnell

1994    Denise Lewis

1995    Lynn Simpson

1996    Laura Davies

1997    Alison Nicholas

1998    Denise Lewis

1999    Paula Radcliffe

2000    Denise Lewis

2001    Ellen MacArthur

2002    Paula Radcliffe

2003    Pippa Funnell

2004    Dame Kelly Holmes

2005    Zara Phillips

2006    No award

2007    Victoria Pendleton

2008    Nicole Cooke

2009    Chrissie Wellington

2010    Maggie Alphonsi

2011    Sarah Stevenson

2012    Jessica Ennis-Hill

2013    Christine Ohuruogu

2014    Charlotte Dujardin

About News UK

News UK is home to some of the biggest and most popular British newspapers. The Times and The Sunday Times are the world’s best-known quality newspapers, and The Sun remains the most read British newspaper with more than 11 million readers per week. While our papers have individual identities that reflect their different heritage, all look to break the most important stories, inform our readers, champion them and the causes closest to their hearts, and help them make sense of the modern world. Our titles have a weekly print reach of approximately 10.5 million readers, and represent around 32.5% of UK circulation of national dailies. Employing around 2,600 in operations spanning journalism, printing, distribution and back-office support across the UK, the direct and indirect contributions made by News UK businesses to UK GDP are considerable.?For more information, please visit www.news.co.uk or follow us on Twitter @NewsUK

About Sky

Sky is Europe's leading entertainment company, serving 21 million customers across five countries: UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy. We offer the best and broadest range of content, deliver market-leading customer service and use innovative new technology to give customers a better TV experience, whenever and wherever they choose.

Sky has annual revenues of over £11 billion and is Europe's leading investor in television content with a combined programming budget of over £4.9 billion. The group employs 30,000 people and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (SKY).

For more information visit www.sky.com/corporate

About Vitality – changing health and life insurance for good

Vitality is the insurance business that helps people understand how they can improve their own personal health. Vitality makes it cheaper and easier for its members to get healthy and gives them rewards to keep them motivated, through a range of discounts and incentives.

Vitality believes in the power of sport to help inspire people to live a healthy life, which is why it partners with leading sports figures, teams and events to help share the Vitality message.

Vitality Ambassadors Jessica Ennis-Hill, Lord Sebastian Coe and Jonny Wilkinson are role models who embody the values of Vitality. They are all using their passion for living a healthy lifestyle to motivate others to make positive changes. Taking small steps today can dramatically improve wellbeing over the long-term, regardless of your current state of health.

Vitality is Official Wellness Partner of Arsenal FC, AFC Bournemouth, Liverpool FC, Manchester City FC, England Rugby, Scottish Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union, Cricket’s UK Test Match Grounds and England Netball. The business is also title sponsor of the Vitality Run Series and Official Partner of The Sunday Times and Sky Sports Sportswomen of the Year Awards in association with Vitality.

VitalityHealth is one of the UK’s leading private medical insurers and has pioneered the ‘shared-value’ insurance model. This is a unique approach which delivers value for Vitality members through rewards and ultimately better health. Society as a whole also benefits, as do the company’s profits, which comes about as a result of people being healthier and claiming less often.

VitalityLife is one of the fastest growing life insurers in the UK. It is unique to the current UK protection market and its suite of products includes Life Cover, Income Protection Cover, Serious Illness Cover, Business Protection and other additional products. By recognising people's efforts to look after themselves, VitalityLife is able to offer a more comprehensive set of benefits than traditional providers at a very competitive price. 

For more information visit www.vitality.co.uk.

Share this article