As a child growing up in school, you were taught about all of the national awards and the people who received them; but I never once thought that one day I would get one. It’s a very special honour to me”.
Nicolette Fernandes
Guyana’s world-ranked squash player Nicolette Fernandes has received quite a few national awards during her illustrious sports career, but she is overwhelmed to be one of the persons named to receive one of the country’s highest national awards.
Nicolette was among 66 persons who were recently appointed to the Order of Service (Medal of Service) by President Bharrat Jagdeo on the occasion of the 45th Anniversary of Guyana’s Independence.
Nicolette has, unbelievably, won the National Sports Commission’s (NSC) Sportswoman-of-the- Year award on five occasions.
While the five awards represent consistent excellence in her discipline, and brought her great joy and satisfaction, Nicolette said, her latest award surpasses all of those achievements.
“This is different, this is a national award,” she stressed, “As Sportswoman-of-the- Year, you are nominated by the other sport disciplines and persons vote and so, but this is a national award; and I am really honoured and grateful for it.” Nicolette, who was Sportswoman-of-the- Year in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2009 said, “The Sportswoman [ award] is just for one year, but this is for the rest of my life”.
The 27-year-old South American Games champion said that she was totally surprised to be acknowledged in such a major way.
“I’m quite young; I never expected anything like this. I mean, I would never put myself in that category,” Nicolette added.
The other sport personalities that were identified for the prestigious honour include Commonwealth gold and silver medallist Olympian Aliann Pompey; Guyana’s lone Olympic medallist Michael Parris (boxing); National 100m record holder and Commonwealth silver medallist James Wren Gilkes; Guyana’s first-ever world boxing champion, Andrew Six Head’ Lewis; Pan American Games Silver medallist June Griffith; former West Indies skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan; and 2010 Mr Universe (Veteran) winner, Hugh Ross.
Fernandes is currently ranked number 46 by the Women’s International Squash Players’ Association (WISPA) world rankings, and up to last month she was the runner-up at the Women’s Alicia Hagedorn WISPA Open in Toronto, Canada.
The 2009 Sportswoman-of-the- Year peaked at number 27 in the world just over four years ago (May 2007), before she sustained a career-threatening knee injury. At the top of her game in 2007, Nicolette was diagnosed with a maltracking patella and had to undergo surgery and months of physiotherapy.
Her ranking continued to plummet, and at the beginning of 2009 it was at its all-time lowest at 249. Nicolette’s strength, determination and dedication to her sport shone through in 2009 when she climbed her way back into the top 100.
That year, Fernandes won the St Lucia Open, the national championships, and she even competed in the Men’s category to get her game up. The 2006 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) champion’s effort was recognised by WISPA and she was named 2009 Most Improved Player of the Year.
Now in Guyana since the international squash season has ended, Nicolette is preparing to compete at the National Squash Championship which will be held next Monday, June 06 at the Georgetown Club.
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