COLEFORD'S Mike Burris (pictured) was named runner-up at the Deaf Sports Personality of the Year awards at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry last weekend.

The top award went to Umesh Valjee, a cricketer who scored three centuries in the Deaf Ashes.

Rugby player Matt Gilbert, a former Hartpury College, Llanelli and Scarlets back-row forward who is now playing for Mogliano in Italy, came third. He wears a hearing aid under his scrum cap.

Burris's success has been remarkable.

He won a silver medal at the World Deaf Badminton Championships in South Korea last year and is now an integral part of the GB deaf team.

He is currently training for next summer's Deaf Olympics in Bulgaria.

Mike also represented the England deaf golf team after winning the English National Deaf Open at Luffenham in June by nine shots.

He followed up by winning the Welsh Deaf Open at the end of August.