For his clinical knockout of American James Page, Andrew `Sixhead' Lewis became the second boxer in the last two decades to win the Sportsman of the Year award (2001) adjudicated by the regular panel of National Sports Commission appointed representatives and journalists.

The accomplishment was one of only two victories in the year but it was important enough to hand the United States-based fighter the nation's highest sports award ahead of popular Guyana and West Indies cricketer Carl Hooper.

Squash champion Nicolette Fernandes was easily adjudged SportsWoman of the Year and carted off the two most noteworthy awards for females decided on, in the process yesterday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Fernandes made it a double for the second straight year by winning both the Sportswoman and Junior Sportswoman awards like she did in 2000 while karateka Justin Jairam is the new Junior Sportsman of the Year winner.

Former national senior cricket coach Clyde Butts took home the Coach of the Year title while the team he coached to victory in the regional Red Stripe Bowl competition, the national senior cricket team, was adjudged Team of the Year.

There was little doubt the Sportsman award would have been one of the most straightforward in years as Lewis' feat was historic for Guyana and he won nine of the 11 votes cast while Hooper earned the other two.

In the balloting for runner up, Hooper was an overwhelming winner of all 11 votes leaving no room for honourable mention in the field of 11 nominees which included Caribbean squash player Luke Fraser and Central American and Caribbean bodybuilding gold medalist Horace Steele.

Fernandes was also a runaway winner in the vote for Sportswoman, winning seven votes with two for weightlifter Shondell King and one for United States-based athlete Aliann Pompey.

Outsider, distance athlete Carla Benjamin was a surprise winner of the runner up position from Pompey whose 400 metres semifinal at the World Athletics Championships was not matched by any local competitor.

It took two rounds of voting to make Pan American Karate Championships junior gold medalist Jairam the Junior Sportsman of the year while athlete Tai Payne who won silver at the Junior Carifta Games was voted runner up.

There was also a surprise result for the Junior Sportswoman runner up sport where Cassandra Lall defeated Pan Am junior gold medalist Krysten Sewett in a fight of karatekas.

Guyana Japan Karate Association administrator Charles Woon-a-Tai easily won the Male Personality award while football referee Diane Ferreira-James was awarded the female equivalent.

Athletics official Carmen Pertab took the Voluntary Female Personality award and it took three rounds of voting to determine the Guyana Cricket Board as the Association of the Year. And Isaiah Chappell of the Guyana Chronicle is the new Sports Journalist of the Year.