Mediaboss Marketing

by Colin Brown

Former World Superbike Champion James Toseland is to be the Guest of Honour at the 2011 Sports Awards sponsored by Isle of Man Bank.

James – who lives on the Island – had a successful career in Superbikes before graduating to MotoGP which is the cream of motorcycle racing.  Unfortunately, he injured his right wrist, badly, early last year in a crash while testing at Aragon in Spain.  This ultimately led him to announce his retirement from the sport last September.

Before bowing out of motorcycling James ensured he would go down in history as one of the ‘greats’ by becoming the youngest-ever Superbike World Champion and securing the title for Ducati in 2004.  He said goodbye to World Superbikes after again lifting the World crown in 2007 and moved up to MotoGP.

Geoff Karran, executive chairman of Isle of Man Sport – which hosts the sports awards ceremony – said: ‘We are delighted to have James as our Guest of Honour.  We do try and make sure we attract sportsmen and women from different sports and it is appropriate that at long last we will have a motorcyclist as guest on this most important night for sport.  I am sure James will be an inspiration to all our young sports people and will join us in making this a wonderful celebration of sport – where we can all be proud to be Manx.’

James (31) is an accomplished pianist and singer and, before his motorcycle successes, had considered a professional career in that form of entertainment.  He is now expected to resume the musical side of his life – particularly as he is engaged to singer Katie Melua.

John Lindon, Isle of Man Bank’s Community Investment Manager, said Isle of Man Sport continued to attract the biggest names in their fields to be the official guests of honour.  He added: ‘James will be the first motorcycling star to grace the event.  Given the Island’s reputation, not only as a mecca for motorcyclists but also as a production line for locally-grown talent, I am certain his presence will be eagerly anticipated.

‘James is well known as a very fine musician and it will be interesting to see whether he drops some hints as to the way his music career might develop now he has retired from the motorcycling scene.’

Doncaster-born Toseland announced his retirement in a letter, to his fans, on his website.  He explained that during his first meeting with his consultant after the crash in Spain he was warned that the damage to his wrist could be career-threatening.  Following a further crash at Nurburgring in Germany he returned to the consultant and was given the bad news.

He said: ‘The easiest way to explain it is that I don’t have enough range of movement in my wrist to race professionally and no amount of physiotherapy is going to improve that.  It all led to the verdict that it was no longer safe for me to continue a career in motorcycle racing.  I have to put the safety of the other riders on the track first, as well as thinking about my own.’

The sports awards evening takes place at the Villa Marina on Thursday March 29th with the usual categories and culminating with the presentation of the Sports man and woman of the year trophies.

Said Mr. Karran: ‘Last year was another great year for sport on the Island with the hosting of the Commonwealth Youth Games and more and more successes for our talented athletes.  The panel will have its work cut out to even agree on the nominees for awards in all the categories, let alone finding actual winners.’

- Ends -

In Other Isle of Man News

If you'd like to send any information or news releases to us then please feel free to do so and we would be more than happy to consider sharing your news with the Isle of Man!

Send your Isle of Man news to:webmaster@manx.net

© Manx Telecom Ltd 2012

Manx Telecom Ltd, Isle of Man Business Park, Cooil Road, Braddan, Isle of Man IM99 1HX
Registered in the Isle of Man Reg no.5629V Vat Reg no GB 003-2919-12

Continued here:
Another World Champion to Guest at Sports Awards Ceremony