Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash, the NBA MVP for the last two seasons, was voted as Canada's male athlete of the year on Tuesday.

He received The Lionel Conacher Award as the top vote-getter in a survey by The Canadian Press and Broadcast News. Nash defeated fellow MVPs Justin Morneau of baseball's Minnesota Twins and Joe Thornton of ice hockey's San Jose Sharks in balloting of sports editors and broadcasters across Canada.

Nash, who is from Victoria, British Columbia, also won this award in 2002 and 2005.

(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2006)