Tributes to Lewis Portelli

The National Book Council has paid tribute to journalist and writer Lewis Portelli, whose death was announced on Thursday.

It said Mr Portelli will not only be remembered for the character of his sports journalism, nor just for his philanthropy, but also as the person who left behind a large number of books, both in the form of sports year books and books he wrote about the Olympic Games - games that were so close to his heart.

Carmelo Abela and Justyne Caruana, Labour Party spokesmen on sports and culture, also paid tribute to Mr Portelli.

They said that throughout his life he dedicated a lot of time to sport, including the broadcasting of sports activities.

His energy and love towards all he did, whether related to sports or other activities, including his work at the Dar tal-Providenza, was remarkable, they said.