It’s a mix of big performers, regular contenders and new standouts vying for the top honours of 2011 at the First Citizens Sports Foundation (FCSF) awards ceremony today at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s from 7 p.m.

Shooter Roger Daniel, the FCSF Sportsman of the Year for 2010, will be among the favourites to score another win, along with cyclist Njisane Phillip and swimmer George Bovell III, who is generally a contender every year.

Daniel might have the edge, though, with his Pan American Games silver medal in the 10 metres air pistol competition. And not only did the veteran shooter dominate local competition, but he struck dual gold at the Norwegian Hell Open International Air Gun Championships.

West Indies pacer Ravi Rampaul bowled his way into contention with a brilliant 2011 for both the regional team in the World Cup and against India and Bangladesh and for Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean T20 and Champions League, while the consistent Kwandwane Browne is the men’s hockey nominee for yet another year.

Sprinter Rondel Sorrillo also had a good year and earned the nod for athletics, along with midfielder Kevin Molino, who provided one of the bright sparks in a year when almost all T&T’s football news was negative.

Among the women, Kelly-Ann Baptiste has emerged front-runner for Sportswoman of the Year for her 2011 exploits.

Baptiste was constantly among the top world sprinters last year, streaking to several sub-11 clockings before bagging Trinidad and Tobago’s first-ever global female sprint medal in the World Championships with 100-metre bronze.

She and Daniel also picked up the T&T Olympic Committee Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year trophies, respectively.

Baptiste is in good company among talented teenage golfer Monifa Sealy— who led T&T to the women’s title in the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships at home—and cricketer Anisa Mohammed, who spun her way to the impressive figures of seven wickets for 14 runs in 8.3 overs against Pakistan in helping West Indies qualify for next year’s Women’s World Cup.

Boxer Ria Ramnarine also returns to the list, along with Rheann Chung (table tennis) and Aditi Soondarsingh (chess).

In all, 49 nominees—28 men and 21 women—will vie to reach the top ten at the function, before the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year are announced.

The T&T women’s hockey team will hope to repeat as Team of the Year and collect the Lystra Lewis Award, while the Jeffrey Stollmeyer Award for Best Sporting Administration—shared last year by the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) and the T&T Netball Association (TTNA)—is also up for grabs.

FCSF Awards 2011 nominees

Men: Andrew Fermin (boxing), George Vire (archery), Rondel Sorrillo (athletics), Sheldon Bissessar (Automobile Sports), Rahul Rampersad (badminton), Neal Bonaparte (bodybuilding), Ryan Mendes (canoeing/kayaking), Ryan Harper (chess), Ravi Rampaul (cricket), Njisane Phillip (cycling), Kwandwane Browne (hockey), Kevin Molino (football), Talin Rajendranath (golf), William Albert (gymnastics), Brian Boodramsingh (horse racing), Kwame Kinsale (karate), Kerron Commissiong (powerlifting), Latiff Khan (rally), Wayne Kelly (rugby), Andrew Lewis (sailing), Roger Daniel (shooting), Colin Ramasra (squash), George Bovell III (swimming), Dexter St Louis (table tennis), Lenn Hypolite (taekwondo), Yohansey Williams (tennis), Ancil Greene (triathlon), Saleem Ali (volleyball)

Women: Ria Ramnarine (boxing), Kelly Ann Baptiste (athletics), Virginia Chariandy-Balwant (badminton), Tamara Ribeiro-Bailey (bodybuilding), Nina Chaves (canoeing/kayaking), Aditi Soondarsingh (chess), Anisa Mohammed (cricket), Kristin Thompson (hockey), Karyn Forbes (football), Monifa Sealy (golf), Thema Williams (gymnastics), Janelle Alexander (karate), Crystal-Ann George (netball), Cheryl Abraham (powerlifting), Juliana Straker (rugby), Rhea Khan (squash), Samantha Rahael (swimming), Rheann Chung (table tennis), Katherine Lee-a-Ping (taekwondo), Breana Stampfli (tennis), Krystle Esdelle (volleyball)