Sport Lisburn & Castlereagh Shines a Spotlight on Local Talent

Sport Lisburn & Castlereagh has celebrated, once again, the wealth of local sporting talent, following the announcement of the prestigious Sports Personality of the Month Awards for October & November.

Sponsored by Decathlon, the award recognises the achievements and dedication of sporting stars in the Lisburn & Castlereagh area. The winners are selected each month by the Sport Lisburn & Castlereagh Executive Committee and each successful winner is presented with a £100 Decathlon voucher.

The Sports Personality of the Month winner for October was golfer Fionn Dobbin. At just 17 years old, Fionn has represented Ulster at the Golf Ireland Inter-Provincial tournaments, at both boys and men’s level, and contributed to the victorious boys’ team by representing Ireland at the R&A Home Internationals against Scotland, England and Wales. Fionn has also represented Golf Ireland as part of the European Championship team and he has played internationally as an individual in both France and Portugal, winning the Edge Golf championship in Portugal. The talented golfer has recently been re-selected onto the Golf Ireland National High-Performance panel for 2023/24. His first coaching session at Golf Ireland HQ in Carton House took place on the 14th &15th October. National panel selection ensures Fionn continues to showcase his skills on the global golfing scene. In recognition of his golfing prowess, Fionn has been awarded a full scholarship to play college golf at Kansas State University in the USA. He officially became a K-State Wildcat on National Signing Day, 8th November. We wish Fionn the very best as he heads across the Atlantic in August 2024.

Men’s gymnast David Martelli was November’s Sports Personality of the Month winner. David recently competed in the Men’s Gymnastics Irish International Trials at the National Indoor Arena in Dublin. The trials, which were held on the 4th and 5th November, saw David dominate both days and achieve a remarkable Personal Best score of 13.35 on the Pommel Horse. Driven by his pursuit of perfection, David made a strategic move to Origin Gymnastics, where under the guidance of Luke Carson, Gymnastics Ireland National Coach, he is excelling in his training alongside his sporting idol, two-time World Gymnastics Champion, Rhys McClenaghan. Coach Luke Carson recently attended the 2023 Sport Lisburn & Castlereagh LCCC Draynes Farm Sports Personality of the Awards as the event’s special guest.

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Sports Development Officer Faron Morrison said, "Congratulations to Fionn and David for their remarkable achievements in golf and gymnastics. Fionn's outstanding golfing skills earned him another place on Golf Ireland's National High-Performance panel, and he has been awarded a full scholarship to play college golf at Kansas State University in the USA. Meanwhile, David's dominance in international trials and achievement of a personal best showcase his exceptional talent in gymnastics."

"Last month, we celebrated the prestigious Sport Lisburn & Castlereagh LCCC Draynes Farm Sports Personality of the Year Awards, honouring local sporting talent. The Sports Personality of the Month provides another chance to applaud local athletes for their year-round achievements in their respective sports. I hope these two amazing athletes will inspire other clubs or families to make a nomination and showcase the breadth of sporting talent we have in Lisburn & Castlereagh.” 

Matthew Ferguson, Communication Manager at Decathlon Belfast added, “We are very proud to support this great Council initiative to shine a light on high performing athletes in the local area. We hope that with the £100 Decathlon gift card, each monthly winner will be able to purchase the sports equipment and training aids that they require to develop further in their chosen sports. We have met many great sports personalities through the initiative and look forward to following their sporting journeys in the years to come.”

Entries for the latest Sports Personality of the Month are currently open. For more details or to make a nomination, please visit https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/December23andJanuary24/  Nominations close on Friday 2nd February 2024 at 5pm.

Pictured L-R: David Martelli, Matthew Ferguson, Communication Manager, Decathlon Belfast, Fionn Dobbin and Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Sports Development Officer, Faron Morrison.