The sports gala will have a new category next year: coach of the year

“You are always looking for innovation,” says Patrick Vader of SportZeeland of the addition of the Coach of the Year category. “This award has been around for a while at the National Sports Gala and we see it as an example.” Vader hopes that by handing out this award, new coaches will be inspired to reach the top. “We don’t have enough good coaches in Zeeland. A few are at the top, but there could be more.”

Vader also has an answer to the question of who would have had a chance this year if the award went to this year. “So I immediately think of Adrie Koster from Zierikzee. Koster reached the cup final with Willem II last season and is doing very well this season with club Tilburg.

But tonight’s first sports gala, it will already be the 31st edition. Tonight at the De Mythe in Goes theater, the prizes will be divided into six categories. The presentation is in the hands of the presenter of NOS Studio Sport Gert van ‘t Hof.

These are the nominees

• Sportsman of the year: Antwan Tolhoek (cyclist), Milan Vader (mountain biker) and Hans Peter Minderhoud (dressage rider)
• Sportswoman of the year: Jeanine Nieuwenhuis (dressage rider), Lesley Pattinama-Kerkhove (tennis player), Anne Terpstra (mountain biker) and Nancy van de Ven (motocross rider)
• Sports team of the year: TOP Arnemuiden (korfball), Groene Ster Vlissingen (futsal) and Oemoemenoe (rugby)
• Sports talent of the year: Ilham Abali (footballer), Indy Godschalk (judoka) and Shirin van Anrooij (cyclist)
• Athlete with a physical disability: Sylvana van Hees (basketball player), Corné de Koning (rower) and Andrea van den Broek (cyclist)
• Athlete with an intellectual disability: Joannathan Duinkerke (cyclist), Otto de Vriendt (sailor) and Irma van Duyn (cyclist)

The sports prizes are awarded by SportZeeland and the winners are chosen by the jury composed of: Anjolie Engels (athlete), Rudy Boogert (PZC), Cor Moerman (trainer / teacher of CIOS judo), Patrick Vader (SportZeeland), Sven Vermeulen ( tennis coach) and Yorben Weststrate (Omroep Zeeland).