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Wales and Manchester United football legend Ryan Giggs was named as the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Cymru Wales Sports Personality Of The Year 2009.

Following a public vote the award was announced by First Minister Rhodri Morgan live on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Wales Today on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú One Wales.

Due to Giggs' commitment to a Manchester United Champions League game in Germany on Tuesday, he was handed the award on Sunday 6 December by Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United's Carrington training ground. This is the second time Giggs has won the award, having last been awarded the trophy in 1996.

The evergreen 36-year-old football legend from Cardiff has had another outstanding year. Manchester United won the Premier League, the League Cup and were UEFA Champion League finalists, while Giggs himself won the Professional Footballers' Association Player Of The Year Award and was nominated for European Footballer Of The Year.

The Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Cymru Wales Sports Personaltiy Of The Year 2009 awards are to be held at the new Cardiff City Stadium later this evening.

In a special programme on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú One Wales tomorrow (Tuesday 8 December), Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Cymru Wales Sports Personality Of The Year 2009, Jason Mohammad will help the nation celebrate an exciting year of Welsh sport.

The programme will include interviews with many of Wales' top stars and a look back at the highlights of the Welsh sporting calendar.

The Team Of The Year for 2009 will be unveiled in the programme along with the Carwyn James Award for the Junior Sports Personalities and the Unsung Hero award. The programme will culminate with the presentation of the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Cymru Wales Lifetime Achievement Award.

Notes to Editors

Pictures of the winner available on request.

NP