Ronnie O’Sullivan. Picture by Monique Limbos

REIGNING world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has not been included in this year’s shortlist to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

Despite not playing a competitive match in more than six months, O’Sullivan lifted his fifth world title in May with victory over Barry Hawkins at the Crucible.

But his triumph, which followed a personal break from the sport, proved not enough to be selected by the shortlist panel for the annual event which celebrates the achievements of sporting stars across the calendar year.

The ten shorlisted names announced this evening (Tuesday) include Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, Sir Ben Ainslie, Leigh Halfpenny, Mo Farah, Ian Bell, Christine Ohuruogo, AP McCoy, Justin Rose, Hannah Cockroft and Chris Froome.

The shortlist panel is made up of BBC presenter Sue Barker, BBC Sport director Barbara Slater, head of TV sport Philip Bernie, three newspaper sports editors, three former nominees of the award including Dame Kelly Holmes, Marcus Trescothick and Baroness Grey-Thompson, and Liz Nicholl, chief executive of UK Sport.

The winner will be announced on Sunday, December 15 when the awards show is broadcast live to the nation.