THIS year's postponed Isle of Wight Sports Achievement Awards will now be held in 2021.

As the country went into lockdown, so the 2019 awards ceremony, due to be held in April, was shelved, with September pencilled in as the alternative date.

However, despite coronavirus restrictions slowly easing, the awards trustees felt they would not be able to celebrate the outstanding achievements of all Isle of Wight nominees in the right way, should the ceremony have gone ahead in September, and postponed again. 

The 46th ceremony will now be held on Thursday, March 25 — almost a year late.

However, the awards will be much bigger, with winners taken from this year's limited sports.

As ever, it will be held at Newport’s Medina Theatre.

It is hoped it will still be hosted by former BBC and ITV chief, Lord Michael Grade, of Yarmouth, who was to host this year's ceremony.

The ceremony celebrates the Island’s sporting success stories — recognising outstanding achievement or service from sportsmen and women.

Awards include not only for sports achievers, but for sportsmanship and to coaches, volunteers and schools which have done most to promote local sport.

The awards also include nominations for the best sporting primary and secondary schools on the Island in promoting and inspiring physical activity this year.

Nominations were (and for 2020, will be) judged by an independent panel.