( l - r ) Campbell-Brown, Chris Gayle

THE country's leading sporting personalities will be rewarded tonight as the RJR Sports Foundation's 50th National Sportsman and Sportwoman of the Year Awards ceremony takes place at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel starting at 7 p.m.

Some 17 individuals, which include 10 males and seven females, will vie for the top prize in a very competitive field. American Edwin Moses the 1984 Olympic 400-metre hurdles champion will be the guest speaker.

Former West Indies cricket captain Christopher Gayle and outstanding track and field athlete Veronica Campbell-Brown are favourites to be named top Sportsman and Sports-woman following excellent results in their fields last year.

Gayle is expected to get the nod over rivals, following his brilliant triple century in the West Indies/Sri Lanka first Test at the Galle cricket ground, where he hit a majestic 333 runs, which included nine sixes, the most by any West Indian batsman in Test cricket.

The innings by Gayle had many other firsts, as he became the highest individual scorer in a Test match, against the Sri Lankans; the highest score by a West Indian in the subcontinent, overtaking Rohan Kanhai's 48-year-old record of 256 in Kolkata. Gayle also became the fourth batsman in history to make two 300 plus scores after Don Bradman, Brian Lara and Verander Sehwag.

If Gayle walks away with the top award tonight he will become the fifth cricketer to do so, following in the footsteps of Lawrence Rowe in 1974, Jeffrey Dujon in 1988, Patrick Patterson in 1991 and Courtney Walsh, a two-time winner in 1999 and 2000.

While Gayle is favoured, there won't be much separating the contenders; Lerone Clarke and Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association's Male Athlete of the Year, Jermaine Gonzales, being his main rivals.

Following his gold medal at the Commonwealth Games where he won the 100 metres in 10.12 seconds, Clarke has good credentials. Gonzales also has good credentials, following his national record of 44.40 seconds done in the 400 metres at the Monaco Golden League, where he broke Roxbert Martin's 1997 record of 44.49 seconds.

Once again, track and field is set to dominate the female category. Campbell-Brown looks set to win her fifth award following those in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008, the latter shared with 400-metre hurdler Melaine Walker.

13 awards

The last time a non track and field sport personality won the award was in 1976, when cricketer Vivalyn Latty-Scott walked away with the title. All winners since then are from track and field, with veteran Merlene Ottey leading the way with 13 awards.

Undoubtedly, the most decorated female athlete in Jamaica, Campbell -Brown, who has won sprint titles at all levels, had a splendid year last year. She added the 60 metres indoor title to her credentials, grabbing gold in Doha in 7.00 seconds to post the fastest winning time in 11 years at these championships. She also posted the fastest times of the year in the 100 and 200 metres. She ended number one in the 100 metres after clocking 10.78 seconds at the Eugene meet in Oregon in early July, while her world-leading 200 metres time of 21.98 seconds was done at the Diamond League meet in New York, where she defeated top American sprinter Allison Felix.

Despite having a wonderful year, fellow athletes; Trecia-Kaye Smith and Kaliese Spencer will find it difficult to come out ahead of the former Vere Technical athlete.