Nicol heads the nominations

THE Sports Writers Association of Malaysia (SAM) yesterday announced the names of five athletes who are on course for the SAM-100 Plus excellence award and the RM10,000 cash prize that goes with it.

Women's squash World No 1 Nicol David heads the nominations but is closely followed by national shuttlers Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong. The others are Wong Mew Choo (badminton), Lee Hup Wei (high jump) and Roslinda Samsu (pole vault).

Nicol won the award in 2005, while Kien Keat-Boon Heong won it in 2006.

Athletes are judged based on five elements -- success, discipline, consistency, personality and attraction.

"We are happy to support this event and have been associated with it for five years now," said F & N corporate affairs director Datuk Kamal Harun at a press conference. "And we feel it is the best way to reward an athlete for his or her hard work."

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