New award introduced for disabled athletes

The Sportivi Nazzjonali contest has established itself as an annual appointment in the local sporting calendar. For the second year in a row, the Sportswriters' Association (GhKS) in collaboration with the Parliamentary Secretary for Sport, will organise the event.

This year's contest will feature a new category aimed at honouring disabled athletes. This was announced by Henry Calleja, president of the Sportswriters' Association, during a news briefing yesterday at the offices of the Parliamentary Secretariat for Sport in Floriana.

Calleja said that after the success of last year's edition, the first to be solely organised by the GhKS after the withdrawal of the Malta Olympic Committee, the association increased its efforts to improve this year's contest.

The GhKS president remarked that last year's contest reached a high level in terms of organisation thanks to the co-operation of Jesmond Mugliett, the Parliamentary Secretary for Sport, who has again pledged his support for this year's contest.

The introduction of the yearly award for the disabled athletes increases the number of categories in the Sportivi Nazzjonali contest to six.

The other five categories are Sportsman of the Year, Sportswoman of the Year, Official of the Year, Team of the Year and the John Debattista Trophy for the most promising U-17 athlete.

During yesterday's meeting, the organisers published the names of the shortlisted finalists for these annual awards. Four athletes have been nominated in the Disabled Athlete category while ten were shortlisted in the remaining five categories.

These finalists were chosen by means of a points-accumulation formula which seeks to quantify the achievements of Maltese sports people and teams, both locally and on the international scene, during the past 12 months .

By the end of the year, the number of finalists in each of the main categories will be trimmed to five. The five finalists will be officially named as the main contenders for this year's awards.

The members of the GhKS will then indicate their preferences through a mail voting system between January 12 and 24.

The presentation night will take place on Saturday, January 25 at a yet unnamed venue.

Mugliett described the Sportivi Nazzjonali contest as a very important event as it recognises the feats of Malta's top athletes and teams.

Mugliett opined that the timing of this year's contest is of particular significance as the presentation night will be held only a few months before the Games for the Small States of Europe, to be staged in Malta next June.

According to the Parliamentary Secretary for Sport, success in the Sportivi Nazzjonali will help to bolster the spirits of the winning athletes ahead of the GSSE.

Mugliett also announced that the sports policy speech, which most probably will be the last of this legislation, will be made on January 11 at the University Sports Complex.

The leading nominees...

Sportsman of the Year: J. Attard (Shooting), V. Busuttil (Darts), W. Chetcuti (Shooting), J. Caruana (Darts), R. Chouhal (Athletics), R. Falzon (Tenpin Bowling), D. Galea (Triathlon), D. Gilford (Athletics), D. Mercieca (Tenpin Bowling), A. Vassallo (Wrestling), S. Zammit (Snooker).

Sportswoman of the Year: S. Abela (Tenpin Bowling), M. Anastasi (Tenpin Bowling), R. Dimech (Tennis), C. Fenech (Athletics), M. Formosa (Archery), C. Galea (Athletics), M. German (Tenpin Bowling), J. Grech (Table-tennis), M. Mifsud Bonnici (Triathlon), E. Portelli (Judo).

Official of the Year: G. Asciak (Tennis), C. Cilia (Pool), V. Degiorgio (Pool), D. Dowling (Waterpolo), R. Ebejer (ASA), J.P. Fleri Soler (Sailing), R. Gatt (Hibernians FC), A. Mizzi (Basketball), J. Pace Bonello (Tenpin Bowling), P. Valentino (Sailing).

Team of the Year: Bowling national team, Football national team, Senior Girls Gymnastics team, Maltese Falcon (Sailing), Malta A (Pool), Rugby national team, Sliema Burger King (Waterpolo), Shooting national team, Women's Squash national team, Waterpolo national team.

John Debattista Trophy: M. Asciak (Tennis), M. Bezzina (Judo), F. Borg (Gymnastics), C. Borg (Gymnastics), E. Genovese (Tennis), R. Grech (Judo), Z. Muscat (Tennis), N. Portelli (Wrestling), S. Sullivan (Tennis), J. Zammit (Wrestling).

Disabled Athlete: A. Borg, G. Buttigieg, J. Cardona, J. Mifsud.