Preston City Council‘s annual awards ceremony, Preston Guild Hall Sports Awards, will be presented by Olympic Gold medalist Nicola White.

The England Hockey player, from Oldham, secured 1st place at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games earning herself a gold medal and will be this year’s guest of honour at Preston Guild Hall on Friday 10 March.

She began playing hockey at age seven and made her senior international debut for England against Germany in 2009, later winning a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Read more: Ronnie O’Sullivan dazzles the crowd at World Grand Prix snooker in Preston

Nicola White said: “I am honoured to have been asked to speak at this year’s Preston Guild Hall Sports Awards.

“I understand the ceremony is all about local talent and recognising those in grass roots sport who provide opportunities for the local people to take part and excel in sport.

“I am looking forward to supporting the awards and expressing gratitude to the people of Preston is very important to me.”

Councillor Peter Kelly, Cabinet member for leisure and culture, added: “Nicola is a fantastic choice as Preston’s 2017 guest speaker.

“Her very recent success captured the nation’s enthusiasm for hockey and I am sure her sporting story will be one that motivated our award nominees to continue with their dedication to sport.

“The event promises to be a huge success and has become a major highlight in Preston’s calendar of sporting events.”

Tickets can be bought online for £25 before Monday 6 March, and they are non-refundable.

For more information about the event, you can follow Preston City Council’s Sport and Health team on Facebook and Twitter.

Will you be attending the Awards evening? Have you visited Preston Guild Hall recently? Let us know in the comments below