BISP Athletics Director Jeff LaMantia and Headmaster Neil Richards
The BISP Swim Academy at British International School, Phuket won the Silver Award for Best Sports Youth Academy of the Year in Thailand at the 2016 SPIA Asia – Sports Industry Awards in Bangkok on Tuesday 4 October.
The winners were announced at a black tie gala dinner on Tuesday evening in Bangkok attended by more than 300 sports professionals from around the region. Following a rigorous judging process and a record 208 entries, winners were awarded in 17 categories recognising excellence of events, organizations, and academies across 17 Asian countries.
Speaking at the Gala Dinner and Awards ceremony in Bangkok, Mr Didier Brun, Deputy CEO of organiser Sport360 said, “The Asian Sports Industry Awards has grown this year – a clear sign of the industry’s health. It’s encouraging to see such a large number of entries, but what is even more encouraging is the quality of those entries.
Twenty independent judges, each a leader in their field, undertook a thorough judging process and after many hours identified winners across 17 categories representing the best-of-the-best in the Asian sports industry.”
After the initial round of judging, 72 Thai entries were short-listed across the 17 categories and claimed five Gold, five Silver and five Bronze awards, with the BISP Swim Academy pipped by Chelsea Soccer School for the category’s top prize.
Along with BISP Headmaster Neil Richards, BISP Athletics Director Jeff LaMantia was at the ceremony in Bangkok to accept the award on behalf of the school, and he had this to say about their experience: “It was an incredible night, and an inspiration for the BISP Swim Academy to be recognised alongside all these famous organizations, clubs and academies.
“While we are disappointed not to have taken Gold, we are still proud of coming a close second out of 15 entrants, and would like to thank all the hard work put in by our swimmers and our coaches: Head Coach Colin Braund and Hayley Palmer. Recognition must also go to ex-Head Coach Simon Jones, who was instrumental in laying the foundation for the continuing success of the BISP Swim Academy, before he took over as coach of the Thai national swimming team.
“Next year we’re going for gold!”
Best Sports Youth Academy Of The Year – Thailand
Gold – Chelsea Soccer School
Silver – BISP Swim Academy
Bronze – Siam Muay Thai Academy
Click here to read Swimming World news about the BISP Swim Academy
Learn more about the BISP Swim Academy at www.bisphuket.ac.th/swimming, follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/swimphuket or email: cbraund@bisphuket.ac.th