Meath sports personality of the month - August - Darren Sutherland

Winner of a bronze medal at the Olympic Games Darren Sutherland is the Meath Chronicle/Cusack Hotels Sports Personalty-of-the-Month award for August. Sutherland was one of three Irish boxers who won medals at the Beijing Games along with Kenny Egan and Paddy Barnes. Sutherland, who defeated Venezuela"s Alfonso Blanco Porro to reach the semi-finals in the Workers Gymnasium in Beijing, studied in St Peter"s College, Dunboyne and was student of the year there four years ago. After achieving his Leaving Certificate in Dunboyne he continued honing his boxing skills as part of the elite performance athlete programme at Dublin City University. His parents Tony and Linda Sutherland and sisters live in Balreask Manor in Navan. The overall winner will be selected from 12 monthly winners and any the outstanding achievement recipients. There will also be a number of additional awards including a "young sports personality-of-the-year" and a Hall of Fame. Monthly winners will receive a specially commissioned award by a local Meath artist and there will also be a one-off trophy for the overall winner. Next January"s invitation-only second annual banquet will be a black tie affair at Knightsbrook where the monthly winners and guests will join representatives of some of the major sporting organisations in Meath, local dignitaries and sponsors for what will be a major sporting celebration. 2008 nominees January - Kieran Kelly (athletics); February - Paul Carberry (horseracing); March - Nina Carberry (horseracing); April - Damien McGrane (golf) and Navan RFC (joint winners); May - Denis Hurley (rugby); June - Johnny Murtagh (horseracing); July - Pat Coyle (GAA). August - Darren Sutherland (boxing)