The Hungarian Sports Writers Federation has voted judo champion Akos Braun and women’s modern pentathlete, Zsuzsanna Vörös Hungary’s 2005 Athletes of the Year. The 48th annual awards ceremony was held against the backdrop of a dinner for 600 people. The awards ceremony traditionally takes place on the December 19 anniversary of the Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB), or in honour of this occasion. This year the celebration was also an opportunity to congratulate the MOB on its 110th anniversary, and was broadcast live by Hungarian public service television in a show lasting 100 minutes. This was the first live transmission of the event, having previously always been broadcast over the Christmas holidays from recorded material. In other categories Women’s K-2 Canoeing Olympic 500 metre duo Natasa Janics and Katalin Kovács were voted Team of the Year Award. Winners were announced in five categories: individual man and woman, team, national team manager and personal coach. As in previous years, prizes were again awarded to the most successful disabled sports performers, and the Hungarian Golden Ball was awarded to the best of the country’s footballers. Also lauded at the gala evening were two members of the legendary national football team of the 1950’s, Gyula Grosics and Jeno Buzánszky. Each was presented with a special award on the occasion of their 80th birthdays. Confusion has been caused among sports fans for several years by the fact that various media and sporting organizations have attempted to hold similar votes, and announce results at various locations at the end of the year. The Hungarian Sports Writers Federation found a solution to this problem in 2005 by copyrighting the title “Sports Performer of the Year”, so that nobody else is allowed to publish election results under this name.
Best national sportsman: Akos Braun (judo)
Best national sportswoman: Zsuzsanna Vörös (modern pentathlon)
Best national team: Natasa Janics, Katalin Kovács (canoeing, K-2)
Best national team manager: Tamas Farago (water-polo)
Best national personal coach: Fabianne Rozsnyoi Katalin (canoeing)
Most successful disabled sports performers: Gabor Vincze (judo)
Winner of the Hungarian Golden Ball: Zoltan Gera (West Bromwich)
Istvan Szekeres
President
