Rugby league star Justin Olam won the male athlete of the year prize at the SP Sports Awards ©Getty Images

Rugby league star Justin Olam and tennis player Abigail Tere-Apisah scooped the top prizes at the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee SP Sports Awards.

Olam, who plays as a centre for reigning National Rugby League champions Melbourne Storm, won the male athlete of the year award.

The 27-year-old, who has scored 23 tries for Storm since joining the club in 2018, took the accolade ahead of weightlifter and double Pacific Games gold medallist Morea Baru and cricketer Norman Vanua to land the honour.

Vanua claimed the people's choice award after missing out on the top prize.

The awards were held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic ©SP Sports Awards/Facebook
The awards were held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic ©SP Sports Awards/Facebook

The Papua New Guinea cricket team were also chosen as team of the year after qualifying for the T20 World Cup, set to be held in India later this year after being moved from Australia.

Tere-Apisah received the female athlete of the year award ahead of weightlifter Dika Toua, Commonwealth Games gold medallist and three-time Pacific Games champion, and track and field star Rellie Kaputin.

Tere-Apisah is ranked 466th in the world on the Women's Tennis Association standings and won her sole International Tennis Federation tournament to date in Singapore in 2019.

Para-athlete Steven Abraham took the best sports person with a disability award.