Bazunu secures Young Sportsperson gong at RTE awards
There was elation for soccer star Gavin Bazunu on Saturday evening as the Firhouse teenager was named Young Sportsperson of the Year at the RTÉ Sport Awards.
Despite being a couple of months shy of his 20th birthday, Bazunu was a popular choice for this prestigious honour. Having begun the year with the intention of being the last line of defence for Republic of Ireland U21 boss Jim Crawford, he was instead thrust into the limelight by senior supremo – and Crawford’s fellow Tallaght native – Stephen Kenny for a FIFA World Cup qualifier at home to Luxembourg in March.
While Ireland suffered a shock 1-0 defeat on the night, Bazunu more than held his own and has accumulated 10 senior caps under the guidance of Kenny. In addition to keeping three clean sheets towards the tail end of 2021, he also produced a superb penalty stop from Cristiano Ronaldo in a cruel 2-1 away reversal at the expense of Portugal on September 1.
Having initially made headlines with six first-team appearances as a 16-year-old at his boyhood club of Shamrock Rovers, Bazunu sealed a big move to English Premier League giants Manchester City in 2019.
Although he is still awaiting an opportunity at the Eastlands club, he has accumulated 54 senior appearances between loan spells in League One at Rochdale and Portsmouth.
In securing this prize, Bazunu held off the claims of Rhasidat Adeleke – the precocious Tallaght athlete who won double gold at the U20 European Championships. Others who were up for consideration as Young Sportsperson included Ireland cricket international Amy Hunter, Meath ladies footballer Emma Duggan, cyclist Lara Gillespie and and Paralympic medallist Nicole Turner.
Elsewhere on the night, Kellie Harrington – from Portland Row on Dublin’s northside, but a member of the St Mary’s Boxing Club in Tallaght – was one of eight nominations for the much-discussed RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year. One of six female athletes to make the shortlist, the Olympic gold-winning boxer missed out to groundbreaking National Hunt jockey Rachael Blackmore.
After claiming back-to-back SSE Airtricity League Premier Division crowns, Shamrock Rovers were deserved nominees in the Team of the Year category. In the end, the Paralympic duo of Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal – double medallists in Tokyo – came away with this prize.
Hoops boss Stephen Bradley was also shortlisted for Manager of the Year, but lost out to Dominic Casey – the rowing coach behind the extraordinary success of Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy at the Tokyo Olympics.