ANYONE questioning sport’s power as a great leveller need look no further than Sunshine Heights Cricket Club.
A big winner at last year’s Brimbank Sports Awards, the club has again been honoured with the title of ‘inclusive club of the year’.
Brimbank Council’s general manager of community wellbeing Kelly Grigsby told a packed gathering at Keilor’s Overnewton Castle last Wednesday that the club had continued its bridge-building work, creating the Western Tigers in a partnership with a group of Sudanese refugees who played park soccer.
The Tigers had a fairytale first season, finishing second on the ladder.
“The Sunshine Heights Cricket Club has a long-standing reputation for being inclusive,” Ms Grigsby said. “In the past year, it’s built upon this reputation by undertaking exceptional activities that were inclusive, regardless of race, gender, financial status or ability.”
President Chris Hatzoglou hoped the award would spur other clubs to embrace an open and multicultural outlook.
“We’re strong believers in the social benefits of making sport accessible for as many communities as we can,” he said.
“We want our story to inspire other clubs that might be apprehensive to open their doors to refugees, to women, to the disabled or the disadvantaged.”
Hatzoglou said the hard work had been rewarded by the club expanding in a difficult sporting environment and being blessed with passionate members.
Melbourne Rebels rugby union stars James O’Connor and Cooper Vuna were on hand to help present the third annual awards.
Sunshine Heights Junior Soccer Club took out the accolade for community club of the year ahead of the Indian community’s Singh Saba Sports Club.
The soccer club runs a number of programs with local schools and offers low-cost and flexible membership to encourage newly arrived communities to take part.
Mustafa Fehmi of the Cairnlea Football Club was voted coach of the year, ahead of the Green Gully Soccer Club’s Ian Dobson.
The Singh Saba Sports Club, the only Indian community-based sports club based in Australia, won the gong for the club management of the year, ahead of Keilor Little Athletics Centre.
Legacy Taekwondo’s David Tonkich was named junior athlete of the year, pipping former Western Jet and Greater Western Sydney recruit William Hoskin-Elliott of the North Sunshine Football Club.
The sporting volunteer award went to Ian Lane of the Keilor Park Sports Club. Carl Comensoli of the Grand United Cricket Club was runner-up.
Twelve volunteers were inducted into the Sporting Volunteer Hall of Fame, a new award for volunteers who have contributed at least 25 years of service to a Brimbank sports club.
