A Sussex presenter has made a big impression in Singapore after relocating to cover the English Premier League football.

Richard Lenton, from Lansdowne Place in Hove, has been crowned Best Sports Presenter at the 2013 Asian TV Awards after relocating to Singapore two years ago to present English Premier League football.

The former newspaper reporter lifted the trophy at a lavish ceremony that was broadcast to more than 30 million people across Asia.

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Mr Lenton, who presents coverage of the European Champions League and a range of magazine shows on Singtel Mio TV, said: “I’m absolutely chuffed to bits.

“When I started my career as a newspaper reporter, my long-term ambition was to become the editor of Boxing News magazine, but it’s amazing where this crazy career in the media has taken me.

“The only minor disappointment is that the awards ceremony could have taken place anywhere in Asia – I was really looking forward to going somewhere like Beijing or Bangkok – but it was at a venue ten minutes away from my apartment.”

The 39-year-old began his media career as the sports editor of a newspaper in Lewes, and also worked as the deputy editor of the award-winning Golf Punk magazine that was based in Falmer.

In 2009 he launched its sister title Football Punk alongside the former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland defender Phil Babb, beforemoving intoTVas a reporter with ESPN the following year.

In 2011 he became the lead presenter on MioTVin Singapore, and he hasn’t looked back since.

He said: “I sometimes pinch myself because I can’t believe how lucky I’ve been, Singapore is an amazing place to live, and I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to live and work out here.

“The only drawback is not being able to visit home during the football season.

“It would be great to spend Christmas in Brighton and Hove, but I’ll be there in spirit.”