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Administrative blunder: Sports Journalist of the Year awarded to wrong winner

TNP's Dilenjit Singh (second from right) receiving the Sports Journalist of the Year award on 14 May, 2019. (PHOTO: Singapore National Olympic Council via SportSG)
TNP's Dilenjit Singh (second from right) receiving the Sports Journalist of the Year award on 14 May, 2019. (PHOTO: Singapore National Olympic Council via SportSG)

SINGAPORE — The Sports Journalist of the Year had been awarded to the wrong winner due to an “administrative error”, said Sport Singapore in its apology on Thursday (16 May), two days after the award ceremony.

The New Paper’s Dilenjit Singh was announced as the winner at the annual Singapore Sports Awards ceremony held at Orchard Hotel Singapore on Tuesday.

The rightful winner of the award, which recognises the contribution of the journalist to local sport in 2018, is Straits Times reporter Sazali Abdul Aziz, said SportSG.

Representatives from the judging panel had alerted them to a possible mistake the day after the ceremony, said the statutory board under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).

Upon investigation, it confirmed that the winning articles were matched to the wrong journalist.

“This was an administrative error by a member of the SportSG staff. The award ceremony’s auditor, KPMG in Singapore, was not involved in this part of the process,” it added.

A source told Yahoo News Singapore that the error was made by an intern at SportSG.

SportSG’s deputy director of public relations S Parameswaran said, “We sincerely apologise to Dilenjit and Sazali for the error. We congratulate Sazali on the well-deserved win.”

Singapore Sports Awards 2019 awardees:

  • Sportsman of the Year: Joseph Schooling (swimming)

  • Sportswoman of the Year: Martina Veloso (shooting)

  • Sportsboy of the Year: Muhammad Hazim Yusli (silat)

  • Sportsgirl of the Year: Constance Lien (jiu-jitsu)

  • Coach of the Year: Sheik Alau'ddin Yaacob Marican (silat)

  • Team of the Year (Team Sport): Floorball men's team

  • Team of the Year (Event): Nur Azlyana Ismail, Nurhanishah Shahrudin (silat)

  • Sportsboy/Sportsgirl Team of the Year: Choo Yi Xuan and Kyra Poh (indoor skydiving)

  • Best Sports Photo of the Year: Lim Weixiang

  • Sports Journalist of the Year: Sazali Abdul Aziz (Straits Times)

  • Best Sports Event of the Year (International): Fina Swimming World Cup Singapore 2018 Presented by Yakult

  • Best Sports Event of the Year (Local): M1 Asian Netball Championship 2018

Related story:

Joseph Schooling, Martina Veloso earn top honours at Singapore Sports Awards