The awards were presented at a gala dinner at Cessnock Leagues Club on Friday night.

Repacholi’s win came on the back of an impressive Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he won gold in the men’s 10-metre air pistol and bronze in the men’s 50-metre pistol.

He first won the sportsperson award in 2010, when he won bronze at the Delhi Commonwealth Games.

The Nulkaba resident said it was a great honour to be named Cessnock City Sportsperson of the Year, and congratulated the other nominees on their achievements.

Repacholi was recovering from surgery on Friday and wasn’t able to attend the awards, and was represented by his wife Alex.

Repacholi has been named in Shooting Australia’s Aiming 4 Gold squad, a program that is part of preparations for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

His next big competitions include World Cup events in Germany and Azerbaijan, and the Oceania championships in Sydney in December, where he will be looking to seal a spot in the Rio squad.

He thanked Cessnock Pistol Club, Shooting Australia, Anytime Fitness Cessnock, Pro Fit Australia, the Australia Hotel, the CFMEU and his workplace Rio Tinto’s Mount Thorley Warkworth mine for their support.

Weston javelin thrower Matt Rees, who represented Australia at the Youth Olympics in China last year, was named the junior sportsperson of the year for the third year in a row – his last year as a junior.

Rees placed fourth at the Youth Olympics in August (aged 17) and also won the NSW and Australian under-18 titles.

Millfield equestrian Jessica Meyers received the East Cessnock Bowling Club junior scholarship prize of $2000.

The nine-year-old won the Grand Champion Youth Exhibitor at the Australian Quarter Horse World Show for the second year in a row, and went on to be named the Australian Quarter Horse Association youth point score winner.

Para-athlete Tyson O’Neil, also of Weston, received the award for a junior athlete with a disability after he represented NSW at the School Sport Australia track and field championships.

Ten pin bowler Dana Ford received the senior athlete with a disability award for her excellent performance at the NSW State Disabled Ten Pin Bowling Championships.

Mother-son archery duo Narelle and Janszen Cook received a family achievement award in recognition of their success at the World Field Archery Championships, where Narelle won gold in the adult female freestyle unlimited B-class division and Janszen, 14, won the junior boys’ freestyle unlimited B-class division.

East Cessnock Bowling Club’s men’s fours and Kurri Bowling Club’s men’s pairs sides shared the team of the year award after both won their divisions at the prestigious Australian Open tournament last year.

Baseball umpire Paul Hyham won the administrator/official of the year award after he was named Baseball Australia’s Diamond Official of the Year for the second time.

A special award was presented to the Weston Bears Football Club in recognition of the club’s 50th consecutive year of State League football, in which they made the grand final and scooped the pool at the Northern NSW Football awards.

Paralympic swimming champion Maddison Elliott was the special guest speaker and was interviewed on stage by MC Warren Parsons. The night also featured entertainment by Weston singer Justess Jones.