Keelan up for BBC award

Teenage winger, Keelan Giles, is in the running for a prestigious national award after being shortlisted for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year today.

  • 18-year old nominated for prestigious award following breakthrough 2016
  • Was a Wales U20 Grand Slam winner in March and has featured in Wales senior squad for summer tour to New Zealand and the autumn series
  • Marked his Ospreys debut in September, against Treviso, with his first try and now has eight in five games
  • Previous winners include Wayne Rooney, Tom Daley and Andy Murray.

He is one of 10 young sportsmen and women nominated. The top three, chosen by an expert panel, will be named on Blue Peter on Thursday, 8 December. One of these teenagers will follow in the footsteps of past winners Ellie Simmonds, Wayne Rooney, Amber Hill, Tom Daley and Andy Murray. 

It’s been a year to remember for the 18-year old, who has gone from Wales U20 Grand Slam winner in March to a full member of the senior national squad this month, via an incredible start to his Ospreys career with eight tries in his five games to date, including a stunning hat-trick against Lyon in the European Rugby Challenge Cup.

Giles is joined on the list by 16-year-old Olympic bronze medal gymnast Amy Tinkler, last year's winner and fellow Olympic gymnast Ellie Downie and Paralympic gold medal swimmer Ellie Robinson.

British record-breaking Paralympic swimmer Tom Hamer is also nominated, alongside Paralympic gold medal rower Lauren Rowles, Paralympic gold medal-winning archer Jess Stretton, Olympic weightlifter Rebekah Tiler, Manchester City youngster Georgia Stanway and cricketer Sophie Ecclestone.

 

About BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year

This award goes to the outstanding young sportsperson aged 17 or under on 1 January 2016, selected from nominations made to the BBC and by sports governing bodies via the Youth Sport Trust.

Nominations closed on 11 November 2016.

Judging panel

The Young Sports Personality of the Year award will be determined by the following panel: 

  • John Inverdale (chair)
  • Radzi Chinyanganya (Blue Peter presenter)
  • Young Blue Peter sports badge winner
  • Tina Daheley (Radio 1)
  • Alison Oliver (CEO, Youth Sports Trust)
  • Will Roberts (Assistant Director of Development, Youth Sports Trust)
  • Lee Murphy (Head of PR/Comms, Youth Sports Trust)
  • Jody Cundy (Paralympic Gold medallist)
  • Lutalo Muhammad (Olympic silver medallist)
  • Dina Asher-Smith (Sprinter, Olympian and European Champion)
  • Carl Doran (Executive Editor, BBC Sports Personality of the Year)