Grenada’s James and T&T’s Walcott score at Commonwealth Sports Awards

Grenada’s Kirani James and Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Friday October 26, 2012 – Grenada’s Kirani James and Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott gained further glory for their countries when they were honoured at the 30th Commonwealth Sports Awards at the weekend.

World and Olympic 400m champion James received the award for outstanding male athlete, placing ahead of 100m world champion Yohan Blake of Jamaica, and 5,000m champion Mohammed Farah of England.

James, who is preparing for examinations at Alabama University in the United States, was represented by Aaron Moses, first vice-president of the Grenada Athletic Association, at the prestigious event.

Nicknamed “the jaguar”, James won Grenada's first Olympic medal and the first for the OECS sub-grouping after his unprecedented gold medal at the London Games.

The young Grenadian also won his country’s first senior World Outdoor title in taking the one-lap event at the World Championships in Daegu last year.

Olympic javelin champion Walcott, meanwhile, won the Outstanding Youth Achiever award for his performances between July 2011 and June 2012.

The 19-year-old Trinidadian went on to stun the world by winning the gold medal in the javelin event at the London Games in August.

Walcott placed ahead of Singapore swimmer Joseph Isaac Schooling and English diver Tom Daley.

Other Caribbean winners at the Commonwealth Awards were Paralympic athlete Alphanso Cunningham and former Commonwealth Games Federation head Mike Fennell, both of Jamaica.

Cunningham was named the Outstanding Male Athlete with a Disability, while Fennell secured the Sports Administrator of the Year honour.

Trinidad and Tobago's first Olympic champion Hasely Crawford was among four recipients of Lifetime Achievements Awards.

Trinidad’s Dr Iva Gloudon and Jamaican sprint legends Merlene Ottey and Don Quarrie were the other awardees.

The awards, presented at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, were held in Trinidad for the first time as part of the country's 50th Independence anniversary celebrations. Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)