Dec. 12, 2024
The 2024 Ottawa Sports Awards will mark the 72nd annual event to celebrate the finest in Ottawa’s amateur sports community. One hallmark of the celebration is the Lifetime Awards which recognize coaches, technical officials, and sports volunteers and/or administrators, as well as the Mayor’s Cup for longstanding overall sport contribution.
The 2024 recipients are: rhythmic gymnastics coach Xinhong (Sing) Jin, multi-sport official Ann Perry, cricket club president and league statistician John Lexmond, and Maureen Chopra and Sandeep Chopra of the Nepean Nighthawks field hockey club.
These remarkable members of the community will be celebrated at the 2024 Ottawa Sports Awards Dinner, which will be held on February 5, 2025 at the Infinity Convention Centre. Tickets for the event are on sale now.
Further award announcements will include the Athletes, Coaches, and Teams of the Year, the individual sport award winners in over 70 sports, over 50 championship-winning teams from local clubs, and the Spirit of Sport Award, Special Recognition, and Community Sport Endowment recipients.
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LIFETIME AWARD – TECHNICAL OFFICIAL: ANN PERRY
Ann Perry has been contributing to sport in Ottawa since as early as 1979 when she became a track and field official. She has remained active in athletics officiating while also adding important contributions in curling and also serving as a standard bearer in golf, including at the 2017 and 2022 CP Women’s Open events.
In athletics, Perry has notably held the position of Umpire at the 2015 Pan American and Para Pan American Games and the Chief Photo Judge at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, as well as at the 2022 Canada Summer Games. She is often spotted at local meets, including this year’s winter events at the Louis-Riel Dome.
On the ice, Perry attended her first curling umpiring clinic in 1985 and also became a club coach and instructor that season. A long-time OLCA curling association rep and RA Club member, she has recently served as the timer at the 2023 Brier, the 2023 World Men’s Curling Championship. Other major events Perry has acted as timer include the 2022 World University Games Qualifier, and she was the on-ice official at the 2017 and 2019 Continental Cups.
LIFETIME AWARD – COACH: XINHONG (SING) JIN
The Head Coach and owner of the Ottawa Rhythmic Gymnastics Club since she founded it in 1996, Xinhong (Sing) Jin is a certified NCCP level III coach and judge, as well as a NCCP course conductor who has overseen the development of regional, provincial, national and international level gymnasts.
Xinhong has coached Special Olympics athletes for over 15 years, supporting an integrated sport environment. She has coached five athletes who have attended the Special Olympics World Games and been a coach for Special Olympics Team Canada’s training squad.
In addition to her responsibilities at ORGC, Jin has taught a rhythmic gymnastics program for the City of Ottawa and ran a program teaching rhythmic gymnastics in schools. Xinhong has developed a program to encourage gymnasts who want to be a coach in the future, providing an important role model. She has been a mentor for the Coaching Association of Ontario Coach 2 Coach Female Mentorship Program.
Xinhong’ s caring, committed nature is the reason athletes to return to the club year after year. Her desire to coach all her athletes and give them a positive, fulfilling sport experience is a central part of her longstanding success.
LIFETIME AWARD – VOLUNTEER/ADMINISTRATOR: JOHN LEXMOND
John Lexmond has been a member of the Ottawa Valley Cricket Council since 1977 and is one of the most well-respected due to his tremendous knowledge of cricket and his dedication to volunteering.
The current President of the Ottawa Cricket Club, a position he has held for over a decade, Lexmond has been an executive member of the Ottawa Valley Cricket Council for over twenty years.
Notably, Lexmond took on the role of official scorekeeper and statistician the league in 1980 and continues to be found at the matches with his laptop at the ready to capture each moment.
His willingness to share knowledge with the younger generation and overall enthusiasm for the sport has fostered a sense of community among players and fans alike. As both a statistician and administrator, Lexmond’s contributions have become integral to the growth and sustainability of cricket in the region.
MAYOR’S CUP: MAUREEN CHOPRA AND SANDEEP CHOPRA
This duo has been described as the engine behind the rejuvenation and development of the local field hockey scene. Both have represented Canada as athletes and have given back to the sport as coaches at the high school and club levels and work tirelessly to promote and expand field hockey programming and facilities in the City, with inclusion always a key focus.
Maureen, a member of the Canadian Women’s National Team at the 1987 Pan American Games, co-founded the Nepean Nighthawks in 2002 and received the Grassroots coach of the Year award from Field Hockey Canada in 2021. She has volunteered at every Ontario Summer Games since 1995, and is a key organizer of local tournaments and umpiring clinics.
Sandeep, a member of Canada’s Men’s Masters entre at the 2018 and 2022 World Cup events, has been coaching for 40 years, including at the provincial level. Twenty years after co-founding the Nighthawks, the club is operating at maximum capacity at the only high level field hockey surface in the City and in response, Chopra has spearheaded the creation of the Field Hockey Centre – a facility development project with the City of Ottawa.
Together, they stand out as community builders in multiple areas. The Nepean Nighthawks club has intentionally acted upon the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 94 Calls to Action by developing the Stick Together Program, along with community partners. The program offers free field hockey programming and equipment to local Indigenous youth from ages 8-14 and also covers the cost of transportation to attend all sessions. The full Nighthawks coaching team of 18 recently completed the Aboriginal Coaching Module.
The club is also well-known for its success in attracting families who would traditionally be more familiar with ice hockey as well as with those hailing from parts of the world where field hockey is simply known as hockey. The club offers programming for men and women, boys and girls, encourages cultural connections with free food, and offers a special Moms Learn to Play program.
Focussing on fun and participation, the Nighthawks believe that sport is an effective tool in building community health and wish to truly ensure sport is for all. Coaches, administrators, and champions within their community, the Chopras have built an important legacy.
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The Ottawa Sports Awards honours the finest in the Ottawa amateur sports community. Click here to view our past winners!