By Stephen Cummings
Caribbean Net News Trinidad and Tobago Correspondent
Email: stephen@caribbeannetnews.com

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad:  Two of Trinidad and Tobago's local sports personalities picked up top awards on Wednesday.

Local boxing star Giselle Salandy has won the country's Sportswoman of the year Award while ace golfer, Stephen Ames, took home the Sportsman of the Year award.

Both were recognised among other top local sports personalities at the Queen's Hall in Port of Spain.

The event was the 43rd annual Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year Awards ceremony hosted by the First Citizen's Bank. Forty-nine athletes representing twenty-eight sporting disciplines were recognised for their sterling contribution in sports during 2006.

Meanwhile, among the other highlights was the Sir Jeffery Stolymer Award 2006, which went to the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board.

Acting Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Christine Kangaloo urged the nation's sportsmen and sportswomen to continue to strive for excellence.

She says government will sustain its efforts in ensuring full support of all athletes but they also must show high standards in their respective sporting disciplines.

She said government has begun to invest heavily in the nation's amateur sportsmen and sportswomen and has also begun to look at sports as a financial business.