Fil-Aus handball star Bevan Calvert has added another feather on his cap. Bevan was voted as the Surprise Athlete of the Year 2020 in the online voting ran by Kieler Nachrichten or KN is the only German language newspaper published in Kiel, Germany.
The Kiel sports fans voted online to recognise the highest achievements of athletes from the region in 2020. For the 29th time that fans voted for the year’s Best Male Athlete, Best Female Athlete and Surprise Athlete.
All the winners of the online voting are connected to THW Kiel, the Champions Handball Team in Europe.
Not only did Calvert win the title, but he did so with a big margin. As published by KN, the voting results were as follow:
Bevan Calvert (handball) 51.7%
HSG Mönkeberg-Schönkirchen (handball) 23.9%
Ole Schweckendiek (Sailing) 14.1%
1. Latin Team Kiel-A-Formation (Dancing) 10.3%
Calvert earned the recognition of his stint with THW Kiel to help out the team in September 2020 when two team players were recovering from injuries. The call up was a surprise and dream come true for Calvert who works as a Right Winger and Assistant Coach for the U23 team of THW Kiel.
In the short time Calvert was with the Champion team, he set four records in handball history. He was the first Fil-Aussie to play with the Champion Team; play in the European Championship Leage; play in the German Supercup and in the German Bundesliga. He made five appearances with THW Kiel and scored three goals.
There’s more! Calvert has been shortlisted for the NSW Premiers Multicultural Community Medal in Sport. He was nominated by Charles Chan of Radio Bayanihan. His nomination was supported by Bronwyn Thompson, CEO and Secretary General of Handball Australia; Josie Musa, Founding and Current President of Adhika Inc which awarded him the 2016 Community Builders Award Hall of Fame Awards in Sports; and by Carmen Garcia, National President of Filipino Communities Council of Australia which gave him the Youth Achievement Award in the 9th Filipino National Conference held on October 2006.
The other community recognition received by Calvert were the Youth Awards in Sports from the Philippine Community Council of NSW Inc in 2002 and the Global Filipino Youth Awardee in 2008.
The winner of the NSW Premier’s Multicultural Community Medals will be announced during the Harmony Dinner to be held on March 13, 2021. So watch this space to know if the 34 year old athlete receives another acknowledgement of his handball prowess and contribution to the community and country.