As the countdown continues to the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards 2019, our expert judging panel face a tough task in choosing the top performances of the year with Scots having already claimed podium spots at World and European events across an incredible array of sports.

Recognising outstanding achievement by those that put Scotland on the sporting map, 13 important award categories will be decided amidst a memorable night of inspiration and entertainment at the Awards in Edinburgh on 3 October.

Finalists for Community Hub, Club or School, Governing Body and Volunteer of the Year were announced last month and now it is the turn of those in the running for Male, Female, Para-Sport and Young Athlete of the Year, as well as the Team of the Year and Coach of the Year categories, after nominations closed on Sunday.

Coming from across the world of sport, with a range of backgrounds in volunteering, community sport, coaching, high performance and media, the nine-strong judging panel will be ready to use their experience and knowledge of the sporting environment in Scotland to decide the finalists and winners from the dozens of nominations received from across the country.

Chair of Commonwealth Games Scotland, Paul Bush OBE, leads a panel which also includes Michael Cavanagh OBE, CGS Chair during Team Scotland’s most successful Games to date at Glasgow 2014. Journalists Moira Gordon of The Scotsman & Scotland on Sunday and Susan Swarbrick of The Herald will lend the weight of their sporting knowledge alongside former First Minister for Scotland, Jack McConnell and five-time Commonwealth Games medallist, Jennifer Ross (nee McIntosh).

Adding their expertise to the panel are Director of High Performance at the sportscotland Institute of Sport, Mike Whittingham, Chief Executive Officer of Scottish Disability Sport, Gavin McLeod and Jaqueline Lynn, Head of School and Community Sport at sportscotland.

Delighted to be able to call on the knowledge of such a strong judging panel, Paul Bush OBE said: “I am thrilled to be working with some of the most respected names in their fields as we embark on the search for the best of the best across Scottish sport. The Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards is a wonderful celebration of the dedication, commitment and talent that goes into the performances that inspire the nation and it is vitally important to choose judges with wide reaching experience across high performance, grassroots and community sport.”

Meet the judging panel on our dedicated page.

The Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards will take place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) on Thursday 3 October with Team Scotland stars past, present and future, along with leaders of sport and business on the 600-strong guest list.

For more information on the 2019 Awards, or to book your place, visit: www.teamscotland.scot/events/team-scotland-sports-awards/