Bowler Sian Gordon was named Senior Sports Performer of the Year at the third annual Canterbury and District Sports Awards.

The 22-year-old from Whitstable, who won a team bronze medal with England at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, beat off competition from 2009 winner Brendan Barker, a member of the all-conquering Herne Bay United roller hockey team and Kyokushin Karate student Troy Russell.

International tenpin bowler Hannah Frost was Junior Sports Performer of the Year, with England under-18 basketball player Kalil Irving and cross-Channel swimmer Abby Taylor-Baptie – who is also a karate black belt – runners-up.

Tony Smith, who has coached at the City of Canterbury Swimming Club for 37 years, was Coach of the Year while winner of the inaugural Community Award, sponsored by the Kentish Gazette, were Westbere Sailing Opportunites, who provide experience of sailing to people of all ages with disabililites.

Harry Roberts, a member of of Herne Bay Rowing Club for more than 20 years, was the Unsung Hero in Sport, while Canterbury Hockey Club were named Senior Club of the Year.

Greenhill Gymnastics were Junior Club of the Year, with paralympic shooter Nathan Milgate – a gold medallist at the recent IPC Paralympic Shooting Cup – being named Disabled Sports Achiever of the Year

More than 100 nominations were received across the eight categories and the awards evening, held at Darwin College, was hosted by Rob Smith, from BBC South East.

Sponsors were Safety Net Associates, McDonald’s, Herne Bay Mobility and the Kentish Gazette.

During the evening, there were demonstrations by gymnast Phoebe Stone, 2008 Junior Sports Performer of the Year, and youngsters from the City of Canterbury Rhythmic Gymnastics Club.

The guest speaker was Great Britain wheelchair rugby player Steve Brown, who revealed how sport had brought him back from the brink of despair after he broke his neck falling from a balcony in 2005.

Picture: Gazette editor Leo Whitlock presents the Community Award to Valerie James, of Westbere Sailing Opportunities. Mrs James is the widow of the club's founder David James.

For more pictures from the event see this week's Kentish Gazette