Although a 12-member selection committee originally prepared a ten-member list for the highest sports award of the country, a last minute twist saw an extra name included before it was placed to the main committee headed by State Minister for Youth and Sports Fazlur Rahman.

The surprise entrant in the honoured list was Laila Noor, a little known female swimmer of the early 80s.

However, the other awardees are very well known and have dominated their respective fields. They are -- Mohammed Miljar Hossain (athletics), Enayetur Rahman Khan, Shahidur Rahman Shantoo (football), ASM Farooque (cricket), Mohammed Malek Chunnu (hockey), Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman (swimming), Nasimul Hassan Kochi (table tennis), Khurshida Akhter Khushi (judo), Abdul Halim and Sadeque Hossain Khoka (organiser).

The striking feature of this year's selection was that two of the awardees -- Enayetur Rahman and Shahidur Rahman Shantoo won the country's sports Oscar without even applying personally or being nominated by the federations, which is the usual norm for the awards.

Both Enayet and Shantoo, now settled in the United States, are two of the brightest footballers the country has ever produced. The award was long overdue for the superstars of the 70s and early 80s who have been ignored by previous committees. While Enayet is arguably the best striker to kick a football in the country, Shantoo is considered second to none when it came to standing under the bar. Shantoo also led the national football team at the 1978 Asiad in Bangkok.

Besides, the tall goalkeeper coached the Under-17 national team last year with some degree of success in international football.

Sadeque Hossain Khoka has been a man of sports all his life, but it took him longer than expected to win the best organiser's award. Now the Mayor of Dhaka, the bearded freedom fighter was one of the pioneers of Brothers Union's birth and the clubs eventual prosperity.

Country's top middle distance runner Miljar unfortunately failed to win a SAF Games medal at his peak in the 80s but he made a lasting impression by winning the silver medal at the Asian Junior Athletics.

ASM Farooque captained Mohammedan Sporting Club for a long time and although he did not represent a full national team, he was manager of Bangladesh's World Cup squad last year in South Africa.

Malek Chunnu was also one of the finest hockey players of the country while Nasimul Hasan Kochi dominated table tennis for three decades.

Abdul Halim was also a consistent domestic performer and although he missed a SAF Games gold medal, he remains the only Bangladeshi boxer to win a gold medal in an international meet, in Manila at the 1978 Asian Junior Championships. Gymnast turned judoka Khurshida Akhter, who has a black belt, has dedicated the latter part of her career in guiding young gymnasts and judokas.

Mahbubur Rahman won the award for his swimming gold in the Kolkata SAF Games

The winners will receive a medal, a certificate and Tk 20,000 at a gala show which will be arranged shortly.