IT was a two-sentence email that led to the reinstatement of an age-old institution of ceremony celebrating Blak excellence in the field of sport.

The 2023 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sports Awards saw over 500 guests from around the country and sportspeople across the length and breadth of all the games we play come together at the Olympic Room within the iconic MCG in Naarm-Melbourne. 

Over a traditional food-inspired entrée and meal, guests stood to applaud Olympic gold medallist Cathy Freeman’s lifetime of achievement, Jenny Pryor’s selfless work as a sports administrator in far north Queensland, international rep Ash Gardner’s sustained excellence in cricket, the work of the remote island-based Torres Strait Youth & Recreation Sporting Association in ensuring young people can realise their ambitions, 2023 Koori Knockout champions Walgett Aboriginal Connection, and trailblazer…