Your champions of 2022 have been announced, and now they have revealed what their next moves will be. Hear from the Gold Coast Sports Awards winners and check out all the photos from the night here.
He has fought through some of the most feared competitors on the planet, and now Jai Opetaia has overcome another star-studded line up to claim the Gold Coast 2022 Sports Star of the Year award.
NewsCorp reported this month Opetaia has been in the midst of a dispute in his attempts to leave his contract with Lonergan after the loss of a TV deal with Fox Sports.
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But when it came to claiming the Glitter Strip’s top sporting gong, it was all about Opetaia’s exploits with the gloves on which thrust him onto the international stage.
Opetaia, who turned down the chance to spar with heavyweight superstar Tyson Fury in order to attend Saturday night’s event, claimed the IBF Cruiserweight title from Mairis Briedis on the Gold Coast in July; breaking his jaw early in the bout and bravely battling on.
The clash has since been nominated for the IBF Fight of the Year mantle, which will be announced on June 1.
And his latest win, revealed at RACV Royal Pines Resort on Saturday night, edged him ahead of fellow award nominees in the calibre of Olympian Emma McKeon, Titans captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Supercars champion Shane Van Gisbergen.
“This is huge, just to see the people that I was nominated with and to win it over them is crazy,” Opetaia said.
“To me there’s legends up there, there’s all time Hall of Famers, and to me up there with them — even just to be nominated with them let alone win it — is a massive achievement.
“Gold Coast is very close to my heart now, especially with what we’ve done and what we’ve achieved here, I’ll never forget this place.
“It’s a part of my life and it’s been a part of becoming who I am and who I’m going to be. It’s all exciting stuff and I’m just over the moon to be here.”
Opetaia was surprised by his mother Tracey’s attendance, having travelled from the family home on the Central Coast to watch her son claim the honour.
The man himself said it was from her where his work ethic came from, as he sets his sights on unifying the cruiserweight division.
“All I’ve seen my whole life growing up was her working and working and working. Sick, tired, sore she always went to work, always had to put food on the table for the family and that’s what I’ve imprinted in my training,” Opetaia said.
“Next step, we’ve got the Ring and IBF world championship, and now our eyes on the WBO and WBC. People always say who do you want to fight next, I don’t care about names, I don’t care about who they are.
“I want to fight for belts, whoever has got them that’s what I want and that’s what I’m chasing. Everyone else is just an obstacle to me.
“I don’t mean that to be disrespectful but it’s just what my goals are — to receive these belts and off who it doesn’t matter.”
Sports Gold Coast Chairman Geoff Smith said the awards had been a huge success again with 500 sports stars and guests celebrating the achievements of the city’s sporting stars and all those in the community who bring sport to life.
“The Gold Coast Sports and Para Sports Awards have been an iconic celebration of sport and our past, present and future sporting champions since its inception in 1968,” he said.
“As we head towards the 2032 Olympics it’s critical that we continue to showcase our sporting stars and our sporting assets with the awards essential in the promotion, development and recognition of the city as a world class sporting, tourism and event destination.”
SOUTHAM: ‘I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE’
Rising freestyle sensation Flynn Southam is refusing to be caught dreaming of an Olympic Games berth, as he plots a boilover in the FINA World Championships trials in June.
Fresh off being announced as the Gold Coast’s Junior Sport Star of the Year — his second consecutive triumph in the category — the 17-year-old has set about ensuring his next 16 months are defining ones in his career.
A three-time gold medallist in the relay events at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Southam is now eyeing off success as an individual; determined to feature at next year’s World Championships in the 100m and 200m freestyle.
The Bond University product will also trial in the 50m event, however admits that against seasoned professionals such as Kyle Chalmers who are “that tall and built like Doritos” it may be too far a stretch at this stage of his career.
Still in the infancy of his swimming days, Southam said he was ensuring his focus was not on the 2024 Paris Olympics just yet and he had pushed longer term ambitions of the Brisbane 2032 showcase to the back of his mind.
“I love this sport and I want to make a difference in this sport. For me, a lot of people get caught up in the 10 year plan thinking it’s 10 years away Brisbane, but for me it’s not about thinking about motivation and relying on that feeling,” Southam said.
“It’s relying on discipline and putting in the hard work each day each week. We just have to take it day by day and not get too overwhelmed.
“If you look at the big picture you can just think World Champs trials, World Champs, trials for Paris, Paris – you look at a lot of major comps coming up and get psyched out.
“For us we just look at it as one thing at a time; we’ve got trials coming up so we’ll just think about that and train for that and we’ll reset and refocus after that.
“It’s competitive and that’s what we have to train for, you have to train to win. You can’t be training each day with the expectations to just train and go about your business.
“It’s like a job for instance, you’ve got to be there every ingle day giving it your all and you have to be on 100 per cent of the time at 100 per cent capacity.”
Southam was joined on the RACV Royal Pines Resort stage on Saturday night by Ella Sabljak, who claimed the Glitter Strip’s Para Sports Star of the Year Award.
The 31-year-old has taken her success in wheelchair basketball — which came with a Commonwealth Games silver medal last year — to the rugby arena, claiming gold at the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championships.
Despite her success in both codes, Sabljak declared her future would be in rugby, as she sets her sights on Paralympic Games redemption, following a ninth placed finish in Tokyo.
“It was super special (winning the award), I feel very thankful. I’m always very shocked when I win any kind of award, especially one of this calibre,” Sabljak said.
“I definitely wasn’t expecting it. I’m going to stick with rugby I love the challenge, it’s fun and exciting, everyone is so lovely and I love it.”
FULL LIST OF GOLD COAST SPORT AWARDS WINNERS
Gold Coast 2022 Sports Star of the Year: Jai Opetaia
Opetaia win came among a field stacked with talent, including McKeon, Fa’asuamaleaui, Van Gisbergen, swimmer Elijah Winnington, canoeist Jean Van der Westhuyzen, surf lifesaving legend Ali Day, BMX freestyler Logan Martin, surfer Stephanie Gilmour and rugby 7s star Maddison Levi.
Para Sports Star of the Year: Ella Sabljak
A silver medallist in the first ever 3x3 wheelchair basketball tournament at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Sabljak made a switch to rugby later the same year and earned selection for the Australian Steelers rugby outfit in September 2022.
In doing so she became only the third female athlete to represent Australia in wheelchair rugby when she and her teammates defeated the USA in Denmark to take out the IWRF World Championship.
Sabljak edged out Oceania Triathlon Para Championship silver track medallist Sara-Ashlee Tait, Paralympian canoeist Susan Seipel and World Para Swimming Championship medallist Madeleine McTernan.
City of Gold Coast Mayor’s Award: Elijah Winnington and Maddison Levi
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate could not split Winnington and Levi for the gong.
Levi has become a star of the Australian Rugby 7s set up, winning competitions across the globe including gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and Rugby 7s World Cup.
Winnington won his first international gold medal at last year’s World Aquatics Championships in the 400m freestyle, swimming a personal best of 3:41.22 in the final — the fifth fastest time in the history of the men’s event.
Eximm Sport Junior Volunteer of the Year: Hayley Bell
For an award which recognises an indivudal who makes a significant contribution to their local sports community through volunteer work, Hayley Bell’s efforts for Phoenix Netball Club was enoguh to take home the mantle.
Daphne Pirie MBE AO Spirit of Sport Medal: Barbara Northcott
A prestigious gong presented to a local athlete, coach, administrator, or sport volunteer who epitomises the true meaning of sportsmanship, was awarded to Hollywell resident, Barbara Northcott.
Northcott has been a player, coach, referee/umpire, official and administrator in hockey, croquet, and the para sport of gateball.
A former captain and coach of the Queensland Veteran women’s hockey team, Northcott went on to play croquet at the highest-level representing Australia at the Melbourne 2020 Association Croquet World Qualifying Championships.
She is renowned in her sporting community for her creativity and drive and mentoring of younger players.
Junior Sport Star of the Year: Flynn Southam
Having already claimed this same award last year, Bond University student Flynn Southam took it out again having won three gold medals at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and four gold and two silver medals at the 2022 Junior Pan Pac Championships.
Hot Tomato People’s Choice Grassroots Team Award: Coomera Dragon Boating Club
The first club in Southeast Queensland to develop a junior dragon boating program, the Coomera Dragon Boating Club has fostered many junior paddlers since it started, enabling them to compete at regattas from the Sunshine Coast to Coolangatta.
Sport Technology/Innovation Award: One On One Football
The online based business offers services for AFL footballers and coaches from mentoring programs to tips on training, drills and skills.
Sport Photographer of the Year: Brooke Sleep
Brooke Sleep took out the inaugural photographic award for her photo that captured the essence of camaraderie, solidarity, and sportsmanship within the women’s AFL team.
The black and white image showed the team rallying around a team member injured during the game.
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