Antognoni main guest for gala night

Former Italy and Fiorentina midfielder Giancarlo Antognoni will be the guest of honour for this week's MOC Sports Awards gala night at the Grand Hotel Excelsior, the Maltese Olympic Committee announced yesterday.

President Lino Farrugia Sacco told reporters that the MOC had successfully concluded talks with the Italian Olympic Committee and the country's football federation for Antognoni to be present for the awards night on Sunday.

Antognoni had a successful career that reached its peak when he helped Italy win the 1982 World Cup. On Sunday, he will be the main attraction but, strangely, none of the 44 nominees announced yesterday come from the local football fraternity.

A quick glance at the list, one finds some familiar names, including double trap shooter William Chetcuti, winner of the Platinum Award last year, track and field GSSE medal winners Carol Walsh and Nicolai Portelli, and the women's basketball team who won gold in the Cyprus Games in spring.

Aaron Ciantar, P1 world champion for the second successive year in SuperSport, was also among those shortlisted for the MOC awards. He received a Certificate of Merit in 2008.

On Sunday, the MOC will also induct six former athletes/ officials in the Hall of Fame. The names will only be announced on Sunday.

Meanwhile, a special attraction this year will be the Queen's Baton which will be here this weekend as part of a long relay ahead of next year's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

On Monday, the MOC will organise a run along the Sliema front where the Queen's Baton will be carried by local sports personalities along the route.

Joe Dimech and Stephanie Cassar will present Sunday's presentation night which starts at 8 p.m.

The nominees

Athletics: Men's 4x100 relay; men's 4x400 relay; G. Camilleri, J. D'Alfonso, N. Portelli, C. Walsh.

Basketball: Women's national team.

Bowls: D. Farrugia.

Canoeing: N. Borg Costanzi, C. Camilleri.

Gymnastics: Girls' national team; K. Caruana.

Judo: M. Bezzina, J. Camilleri, B. Law, K. Law.

Netball: U-17 national team.

Powerboats: A. Ciantar.

Rugby: Women's Sevens team.

Sailing: Artie crew; M. Podesta, T. Zammit Tabona.

Shooting: J.J. Aquilina, N. Carabott, D. Vella, C. Farrugia, N. Attard, W. Chetcuti, W. Vella.

Squash: National teams (men and women).

Table football: M. Cremona, M. Fenech, M. Gauci.

Table tennis: S. Gerada.

Tenpin bowling: S. Abela, B. Farrugia, M. Spiteri.

Tennis: M. Asciak, K. Cassar, E. Genovese.

Triathlon: D. Galea, K. Galea, D. Spiteri, M. Wood.