Minister of Sports Hon Alden McLaughlin with the winners of this year’s Player of the Year awards - Shenel Gal, from the Men’s Foster’s National Football League, and Renee Carter, from the Senior Women’s Simon Robshaw-Caytech League. PHOTO SUBMITTED

Top male and female footballers Renee Carter and Shenel Gall were honoured with “Player of the Year” awards at a recent Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) ceremony.

Carter played in the Senior Women’s Simon Robshaw-Caytech League and Gall in the Men’s Foster’s National Football League.

The honours were handed out Thursday, 21 August at the CIFA annual awards ceremony held at the University College of the Cayman Islands.

Both players, who represented the clubs Scholars International and Women United, respectively, received their prestigious awards from the Minister of Sports Hon Alden McLaughlin, who praised them for their outstanding performances throughout the football season.

Other awards were also handed out at the event. The champions of the Foster’s Senior Men’s League were Scholars International, Women United were the Simon Robshaw-Caytech Women’s League champions, St Ignatius were awarded the Queensgate Under-14 League title, Bodden Town received the Admiral Under-16 Youth League and the Simon Robshaw-Caytech Under-18 League and the Simon Robshaw-Caytech Under-15 Girls championship went to Girls United.

Other players who received Player of the Year awards were Shanice Montieth of Girls United in the CIFA Under-15 Girls competition, Jermaine Wilson for Future in the Boys Under-14 Queensgate Youth League and Theron Wood of Bodden Town in the Simon Robshaw-Caytech Under-18 Youth League.

Golden Boot category winners comprised Shanice Monteith, who received her second award for Girls United in the Simon Robshaw-Caytech Under-15 League; Brandyn Murray of St Ignatius in the Queensgate Under-14 Youth League; Gerome Graham of Bodden Town in the Admiral Under-16 Boys League; Kareem James in the Under-18 Simon Robshaw-Caytech Youth League; David Harding of Scholars in the Foster’s Men’s National League; and Shenel Gall, taking her second award in the Simon Robshaw-Caytech Women’s Senior League competition.

Goalkeeper of the Year in the Girls Under-15 Simon Robshaw Caytech League went to Emily Kelly of Girls United, Aaron Kennedy of St Ignatius in the Queensgate Youth League, Michael Gourzong of Bodden Town in the Admiral Under-16 Boys League, Judy Rivers of Women United in the Simon Robshaw Caytech Senior Women’s League, and Jermaine “Wacky Dip” Brown for Scholars in the Foster’s Senior Men’s League.

Defender of the Year awards were presented to Brianna Hydes of Women United in the Girls Under-15 League, Luigi Hernandez of Bodden Town in the Admiral Under-16 Boys League, Dave McLaughlin of Elite in the Simon Robshaw Caytech Under-18 Boys League, Janine Morgan of Latinos in the Simon Robshaw Women’s League and Donald Solomon of George Town in the Fosters Senior Men’s League.

Rookie of the Year honours went to Jodie Smith of Elite in the Girls Under-16 League, Jamaal Seymour of Cayman Athletics in the Queensgate Under-14 Boys, Cordel Andrade of Academy in the Admiral Under-16 League, Chris Thorbur of Academy in the Simon Robshaw-Caytech Under-18 League, Britanny Schrin of Women’s United in the Simon Robshaw Caytech Women’s League and Mark Ebanks of Future in the Fosters Senior Men’s League.

Coach of the Year awards were handed out to Antonio Smith of Scholars International in the Foster’s Senior Men’s League, Bobby McLaren for Simon Robshaw-Caytech Senior Women’s League and the Simon Robshaw Under-16 Girls League, Elbert McLean of Bodden Town for the Under-16 and Under-18 leagues and Glen Whelwell from St Ignatius for the Under-14 League.