Hull and East Yorkshire Sporting Heroes and Champions Awards 2009

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11th November 2009

East meets West

East meets West

East meets West as local sporting heroes come face to face for first time before glittering awards ceremony

They have dedicated their lives to two very different sports, boxing and cricket. Now, two East Yorkshire sportsmen are meeting for the first time thanks to one common sporting interest.
Sean Ross, 29, who runs East Hull Amateur Boxing Club, and Mike Ullyatt, 69, who is a life member of Hull Zingari Cricket Club, have both been shortlisted as finalists in the Hull and East Yorkshire Sporting Heroes and Champions Awards.
The prestigious awards initiative was launched for the first time this year by train operating company First Hull Trains and local radio station KCFM 99.8. It will culminate in a glittering ceremony at Hull City Hall on November 26.
The awards were launched to recognise the passion and dedication people in the region demonstrate for sport. East Hull Amateur Boxing Club has been shortlisted for the Amateur Club of the Year category. Mr Ross launched his Shannon Road-based boxing club, in Longhill, East Hull, in January 2008 and now has 101 amateur boxers over the age of nine right through to adults registered there.

"I come from a big family as do most people who live near me," explained the Longhill born and bred boxing trainer, who started boxing at the age of 10 and knows how important it is to train regularly.
"Kids round here want to achieve individual success rather than being part of a team, which they already have in effect at home - boxing is the only sport that truly lets them do that. I am currently fundraising to renovate an old church into a more suitable training facility than where we currently train, I have been doing it since December.
"Before I set the club up, I saw 50 kids just stood outside the shops on the estate and I thought to myself that something had to change - and it really has worked. We've had huge success at the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) championships both regionally and nationally. The club has had a far bigger impact than I ever thought it would, it has benefitted some of our younger boxers' lives even when it comes to their education. Boxing disciplines, dedicates and focuses people on what they are doing in life."
Meanwhile, Mr Ullyatt, who started playing for Hull Zingari Cricket Club in 1979, has dedicated most of his life to his sport and is a finalist for the Services to Sport Award.
"My wife would certainly say I have dedicated my life to cricket," he joked. "I have retired from my role as junior development manager now, but still remain very heavily involved with the club. We have 80 junior players at the club and hope to launch a girls' team soon."
The club is steeped in history, having been founded in 1896 and based in Chanterlands Avenue, West Hull, for 100 years next year. "I get a lot of enjoyment out of seeing the kids enjoy it," added Mr Ullyatt, who lives in Willerby.

"I have seen lots of players come up through the junior teams to our current senior teams, so it goes to show how important the development of the juniors is. I am also managing our region's Chance to Shine project, which is part of a national initiative aimed at bringing competitive cricket back into schools - we do six schools a year and we're currently in the fourth year of the project."
Mr Ullyatt and Mr Ross are set to meet for the first time to share stories about their diverse sporting memories outside the Queen Victoria Square-based venue, city centre, where the awards ceremony is due to take place in a few weeks.
The awards, which are set to become an annual event, saw nominations opened in August and nominations flooded in to the extent that the original deadline was extended to allow everyone sufficient chance to apply.
With more than 100 nominations submitted, the contenders for the awards have been described by event organisers as outstanding, creating a difficult job for the judges.
David Townend, sales and marketing manager at First Hull Trains, has been impressed with both the quantity and quality of nominations received. He said: "We've had an incredibly high calibre of entrants this year, Sean and Mike are real proof of that, and I think it's going to be a very close competition. The audience will definitely be sat on the edge of their seats and I would encourage people to come and show their support."
All tables for the awards event have sold out already, although a few places remain in the gallery area. Tickets cost £10 and can be booked by calling (01482) 226655, with all proceeds from the evening being donated to the KCFM Smile Foundation.

Hull and East Yorkshire's Sporting Heroes and Champions Awards 2010 sponsored by

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Visit Hull and East Yorkshire St Stephens North Point Shopping Centre Eltherington Group Kingston Communications NHS Hull Princes Quay Shopping Centre Hull City Council

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