SP Sports Awards Named Finalists

The annual prestigious SP Sports Awards officially announced its finalists for the 34th Awards Ceremony today (May 6th) at Sir John Guise Stadium Conference Lounge Room.

The South Pacific Brewery, in partnership with the PNG Olympic Committee (PNGOC) and PNG Sports Foundation (PNGSF), established the SP Sports Awards in 1992, spanning 34 years in giving prominence and recognition to PNG’s athletes, administrators, and technical officials.

Two hundred sixty-two (262) nominations were submitted both online and delivered in hard copy this year, marking one of the biggest nominations ever received in the award’s history. 

Following a stringent, transparent, and rigorous nomination process, 33 nominees comprising athletes and officials were finalized across 11 sporting categories.

Warwick Vele, Chairman of the SP Sports Awards Selection Panel, announced the finalists and explained the nomination process.

“This year, we recorded an impressive level of interest and participation in the nomination process,” he said.

“A total of 162 nominations were received across all categories, with 181 submitted online and 81 in hard copy. 

“The growth in online submissions reflects increased public awareness of the SP Sports Awards and greater confidence in the online nomination process.

“This increase shows that the SP Sports Awards continue to be recognized as a trusted and meaningful platform for celebrating sporting excellence in Papua New Guinea.”

Mr. Vele revealed that the Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PNG Junior Female Athlete of the Year category attracted the highest number of nominations this year.

“A total of 30 nominations were received in this category, 15 online and 15 in hard copy, highlighting both the depth of emerging talent and the high level of competition among our junior female athletes in 2025,” he said.

“These nominations represented a wide range of sporting codes, including AFL, tennis, darts, swimming, and weight lifting, to name a few.

“This is a clear indication of the growing diversity, strength, and growth of women’s sport in Papua New Guinea, particularly at development levels.” 

Chairman Vele further emphasized that an independent auditing firm was engaged to handle the vetting and nomination process. 

“The process is one we take very seriously,” he said. 

“Each eligible nomination was carefully reviewed and discussed in detail, guided by strict criteria set for each award category.  

“To ensure fairness, transparency, and integrity in the nomination process, the final vetting of all finalists was independently conducted by KPMG PNG.”

 John Nilkare, SP Brewery Corporate Affairs Manager and the SP Sports Awards Selection Panel, congratulated the finalists and commended those who were nominated. 

Mr. Nilkare also thanked the SP Sports Awards long-time partners, the PNG Olympic Committee and PNG Sports Foundation, while extending his appreciation to the sponsors for their continued support.

The following are the 33 finalists for the 11 categories:

Male Athlete of the Year

1. Timothy Tove Tuna - Athletics

2. Pais Wisil - Athletics

3. Morea Baru - Weightlifting 

Female Athlete of the Year

1. Dika Toua - Weightlifting

2. Adrine Monagi - Athletics

3. Ramona Padio - Soccer

Carbine Club: Team of the Year

1. PNG Bilums - Soccer

2. PNG Lewas - Cricket

3. PNG Amoa - Volleyball

Brands Pacific: National Performance of the Year

1. On Track Tribes Touch Footy Club - Touch Footy

2. Gulf Komara FC - Soccer

3. Sparrows Netball Club - Netball

Community Sports Initiative

1. Pilai Senis AFL - AFL

2. Jonah Kautu Academy - Rugby Union

3. Sugu Peace Basketball - Basketball

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PNG: Junior Male Athlete of the Year

1. Lawrence Reva Oala - Weightlifting

2. Leo Aisi - Volleyball

3. River-Jordan Hakena - Tennis

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PNG: Junior Female Athlete of the Year

1. Jhaynali Tokome-Garap - Swimming

2. Ani Geua Gavera - Weightlifting

3. Timonaliz Alarcos Kriebisch - Squash

CPL: Para-Athlete of the Year

1. Morea Mararos - Shot Put

2. Jerome Bunge - Athletics

3. Dorna Longbut - Athletics & Badminton 

Trukai Industries Limited: Sports Official of the Year

1. Mark Keto - Boxing

2. Willie Mavara Tamasi - Weightlifting

3. Nelson Stone - Multi-Sport

Trukai Industries Limited: Sports Media of the Year

1. Jamie Haro - Freelance

2. Isaac Liri - NBC

3. Terry Longbut - TVWAN

Sports Photo of the Year

1. Gairo Voro & Mum - Gima Ila

2. Boys - Michael Tamty Pais

3. Softball - Simon Keslep

Meanwhile, the announcement of the finalists also marks the opening of public voting for the 12th category, which is the People’s Choice Award.

The People’s Choice Award will be determined through public voting via the SP Sports Awards SMS and WhatsApp voting platforms. The finalist with the highest number of votes will be declared the winner.

Finalists eligible for the People’s Choice Award are drawn from the following categories:

• Male Athlete of the Year

• Female Athlete of the Year

• Team of the Year

• National Performance of the Year

Voting for the People’s Choice Award will close on May 22nd, 2026.

The SP Sports Awards Presentation Night will be held on Saturday, 30 May 2026, at the SP Sports Awards' home, Crowne Hotel, in Downtown Port Moresby. 

The awards ceremony will be livestreamed on the SP Sports Awards Facebook page and broadcast live on FM100, allowing audiences to share in the celebration of sporting excellence across the country.