NSW Hall of Champions announces six new inductees

Six of NSW’s and Australia’s finest ever athletes will be inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions at the prestigious rebel NSW Champions of Sport ceremony at the International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour on Monday, November 28.

Joining an illustrious alumnus of 388 sports greats from 59 sports are Brad Dalton (Basketball), Craig Johnston (Football), Phil Kearns AM (Rugby Union), Joanne ‘Joey’ Peters (Football), Prashanth Sellathurai (Gymnastics) and Liesl Tesch AM (Wheelchair Basketball & Para Sailing).

Brad Dalton, who competed at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games for Australia and at the 1982 and 1986 World Championships with the Boomers, enjoyed a 13-year career playing 290 games with the City of Sydney Astronauts, West Adelaide Bearcats, Sydney Supersonics, Geelong Cats and Sydney Kings. He joins his sister, Karen, a two-time Olympian, in the NSW Hall of Champions.

Craig Johnston had a celebrated 271-game career with English football club Liverpool and was part of the team that claimed the English League Championship, League Cup and European Cup treble titles in the 1983-84 season and, two years later, netted the winning goal in the 1986 FA Cup final against fellow Merseyside club, Everton.

Phil Kearns has the rare distinction of playing in the 1991 and 1999 World Cup winning Wallabies teams during a 67-game Test career which included 10 matches as captain.

Joanne ‘Joey’ Peters, a veteran of 110 ‘A’ internationals, represented Australia at the 1999, 2003 and 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments, and scored a goal against the USA at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. She was one of the first Australian women’s players to play professionally overseas in the USA and Brazil.

Prashanth Sellathurai is one of Australia’s most decorated gymnasts with five medals from the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games, plus five World Cup and three World Championship medals.

Liesel Tesch’s remarkable career saw her attend five Paralympic Games with the Australian wheelchair basketball team, where she won silver medals at the 2000 and 2004 Paralympics and a bronze in 2008, before switching to Para Sailing and capturing gold medals in the SKUD18 class at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games.

NSW Sport Hall of Champions Committee Chair, Alan Whelpton AO, said the accomplishments of the six inductees during their distinguished careers earned them worthy selection.

“The six inductees are recognised for their outstanding sports careers which saw them reach the pinnacle of their chosen sport. They represented their country, state, sport, and themselves with distinction and inspired a new generation of athletes to follow in their footsteps,” said Mr Whelpton.

Sport NSW Chairperson, Carolyn Campbell, said the inductees reflected the inclusive nature of sport.

“Sport has the great ability to bring together male and female players of all abilities, shapes, sizes and ethnic backgrounds and provide the opportunity to enjoy organised competitions and the ability to excel and reach the highest levels,” said Ms Campbell.

“These six new inductees to the NSW Hall of Champions have shown the way and we honour their selection,” she added.

Hall of Champion inductees are approved by the Minister for Sport following recommendations from the Hall of Champions Selection Committee and NSW peak sporting bodies.

The NSW Hall of Champions https://www.quaycentre.com.au/NSW-Hall-of-Champions  is located at the Quaycentre, Sydney Olympic Park.

Tickets to the rebel NSW Champions of Sport Ceremony are now available and can be purchased at  https://www.sportnsw.com.au/events/160364/

Greg Campbell, PRISM Strategic Communications