Jake Frame, right, presented with the Junior Sportsperson of the Year award by Steve Backley

by Matthew Panting

Medway's sporting finest were honoured at the 2009 Medway Sports Awards on Friday evening.

An enjoyable evening saw 12 awards handed out, recognising the achievement in the past year at all levels of a variety of sports.

Up and coming water skiing star Jake Frame won the coveted Junior Sportsperson of the Year award, with Emily Evans taking silver and Victoria Loftus bronze.

The Sportsperson of the Year honour went to golfer Matt Haines with Jason Plowman second ahead of Daniel Groom.

Gillingham boss Mark Stimson was named Coach of the Year and Martin Laws, of Jumpers Trampolining Club, won the Lifetime Contribution Award. The Junior Club of the Year, as voted for by readers of the Medway Messenger, was won by Rainham Eagles Football Club.

The awards were handed out by former javelin world record holder and three-time Olympic medal winner Steve Backley, Gillingham player-of-the-year Simon King and professional Medway boxer Tom Dallas.

The awards were held at the St George’s Centre in Chatham and organised by Medway Council with their key partners, the Medway Messenger and University of Kent.

The major sponsors of the evening were Greenacre School Sport Partnership and Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre.