The race is on for the most prestigious individual honour in European basketball, as FIBA Europe has announced the nominees for its annual Player of the Year awards for 2010. Awards will be given in four categories: Men, Young Men, Women and Young Women. The winners in each category will be decided by the public and an expert panel vote. Players born in 1990 or after are eligible for the Young Men and Young Women awards.Voting in all four categories will cease on 31 January 2011.

The winners will be announced through fibaeurope.com in early February and will be later presented with a special trophy. The FIBA Europe Player Of The Year awards were established in 2005, with Dirk Nowitzki of Germany and Maria Stepanova of Russia winning the respective men's and women's awards. Stepanova and Ricky Rubio ('90) -in the Young Men's category- are the most decorated players to date with three awards each, while Pau Gasol has won the award two years in a row, 2008 and 2009. Basketball fans can go through the candidates' profiles and vote here.

 

Candidates:

-Andrew Albicy (France, '90): Paris Levallois.

-Davis Bertans (Latvia, '92): Olimpija Ljubljana.

-Mario Delas (Croatia, '90): Siauliai.

-Enes Kanter (Turkey, '92): University of Kentucky.

-Przemek Karnowski (Poland, '93): Sport School Cetniewo.

-Dmitry Kulagin (Russia, '92): Nizhny Novgorod.

-Dejan Musli (Serbia, '91): Caja Laboral.

-Kostas Papanikolaou (Greece, '90): Olympiakos.

-Nikos Pappas (Greece, '90): Kolossos.

-Mateusz Ponitka (Poland, '93) -at the pic-: Politechnika Warszawa.

-Ricky Rubio (Spain, '90): FC Barcelona.

-Dario Saric (Croatia, '94): KK Zagreb.

-Tomas Satoransky (Czech Republic, '91): Cajasol Sevilla.

-Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania, '92): Lietuvos Rytas.

-Jan Vesely (Czech Republic, '90): Partizan.

 

Photo: FIBA Europe / Alius Koroliovas