Furman named Maccabi GB sportsperson of the year

Dean Furman capped off a memorable sporting week on Sunday evening, when he was named Senior Sportsperson of the Year at the 2013 Maccabi GB Sports Awards.

Staring the week by being part of the South African side who beat Spain 1-0 in an international friendly on Tuesday, he then scored his first goal for Doncaster on Friday, in their 2-1 win over Yeovil.

And he then crowned off a superb five days, by being announced the John Dymant Senior Sportsperson of the Year at the Awards ceremony held in Radlett.

And during an evening which looked back at last summer’s 19th Maccabiah Games, Furman said how one day he’d like to be part of the ‘Jewish Olympics’.

After receiving his award, he said: “One day when my career’s over, I’d like to attend a Maccabiah – hopefully as a player. A lot of my best friends, and of course my brother played at a Maccabiah, I’ve heard great things about it as well as reading articles and watching videos and I hope to be part of it sometime in the future.”

Tennis player Lillian Geey finished as runner-up, with 73-year-0ld triathlete Ivan Green finishing in third.

The Sam Bulka Junior Sportsperson of the Year Award was won by squash player Elise Lazarus.

She said: “I wasn’t expecting it, I was shocked, I was surprised and amazed by it. I didn’t even think I would be nominated for an award, it’s wonderful.”

Elise, who just turned 13 and is looking to turn professional next year, is the youngest ever player to represent England’sU13 at 9 years of age. She was the double national U11 and U13 champion, has also recently won the British Closed U15 Championships, and more incredibly, recently took part in the U23 Championships, which she finished in fourth place.

Saying she doesn’t feel any different when she steps onto a court against people who are double her age, she says: “It’s hard to describe how I feel on court, but I don’t really think about it like that – that I’m smaller than them or younger. To finish fourth at the U23 Championships was great. My opponents congratulate me and the number one seed Sarah Jane Perry wrote an article about me which I thought was really nice of her.”

Looking ahead to her immediate future, she says: “I’ve got the British Open and World Championships taking place, starting in January, and looking ahead, I’d like to keep improving as a player and see where that gets me.”

Powerlifter Shachar Head was runner-up, with trampoline star Joshua Newman in third.

The UJIA Team of the Year Award was jointly won by the Maccabiah-gold winning junior netball and U16 boys football teams. Other awards included MGBSFL chairman David Woolf winning the Richard Urban Lifetime Achievement Award and Sandra Waldman win the Fred Worms Award.

FULL AWARD WINNERS:

John Dymant Senior Sportsperson of the Year Award:

Winner: Dean Furman (Football)

Runner-up: Lillian Geey (Tennis)

Third Place: Ivan Green (Triathlon)

Sam Bulka Junior Sportsperson of the Year Award:

Winner: Elise Lazarus (Squash)

Runner-up: Shachar Head (Powerlifting)

Third Place: Joshua Newman (Trampoline)

UJIA Team of the Year Award:

Winner: 19th Maccabiah Games U16 Football Team and 19th Maccabiah Games Junior Netball team

Runner-up: 19th Maccabiah Games Junior Rugby Team