The larger motorsport events such as the TT and Manx Grand Prix were back and there was a full programme of league action in domestic football, hockey, rugby and cricket.
Other mainstream activities such as athletics, cycling, tennis, netball, table tennis, squash, badminton, bowls, swimming, snooker and darts were all uninterrupted.
The Isle of Man was well represented at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last July where, although no medals were secured in this instance, there were some notable team and individual performances.
Two of the highlights of the Games were provided by Lizzie Holden and Becky Storrie who were fourth and fifth in the women’s time trial.
Numerous Isle of Man swimming records were broken in the pool,
Kim Dean was the first female para-athlete to represent the Isle of Man at the Commonwealth Games, finishing eighth in the women’s lightweight Para Powerlifting event.
Tara Donnelly got to the final in the women’s gymnastics, ultimately finishing 13th.
David Mullarkey broke the Manx 5,000-metre record with a fine performance on the track, while Glen Quayle made the final of the men’s pole vault.
Sadly, one of the biggest talking points of the opening weekend of the Games was Matty Bostock’s horrific crash in the qualifying heat for the men’s scratch race when he had looked a possible medallist.
Only one week before, Bocky had won the Manx International Stage race in fine style on home soil.
If you had to pick out a single sporting highlight of the year for an Isle of Man competitor it would undoubtedly be Yasmin Ingham’s fantastic performance in winning the World Eventing Championship in Pratoni, Italy riding Banzai Du Loir.
Her partner, Jamie McCanney, was a member of the four-man Great Britain team that won the World Trophy contest at the International Six Days Enduro in France three weeks earlier.
The various categories are listed in the panel (below) and the closing date for entries is Sunday, January 29, so you have approximately one month to get your selection/s in.
There will then follow a selection process where the names will be whittled down to a shortlist in advance of the Isle of Man Sports Awards ceremony on Thursday, March 30 in the Villa Marina’s Royal Hall.