Recognition for top performers as MBA launches awards night

The top performers in last season’s MBA competitions will be honoured during the Malta Basketball Awards, to be held next Saturday at the Le Meridien Hotel in St Julians.

The awards were launched yesterday by Malta Basketball Association (MBA) president Antonio Mizzi who explained that the aim of this event is to reward those players who distinguished themselves for their respective teams last season.

“Every time we’ve discussed the local competitions I always felt that there was something missing,” Magistrate Mizzi told reporters yesterday. “The introduction of an awards night will give our players an added incentive to perform to the maximum of their abilities throughout the season.

“I would like to thank Colin Schembri, the driving force behind this idea. I hope this event will become an annual appointment on the MBA calendar.”

During Saturday’s presentation night, the MBA will also recognise the achievement of the members of the men’s national team who won Malta’s first ever medal in the Games of the Small States of Europe in San Marino back in 1985.

“This year, we are commemorating the 25th anniversary of the national team’s bronze-medal success in the first edition of the GSSE in San Marino,” Magistrate Mizzi said.

“That was Malta’s first ever podium finish in these games and we feel that all the members of that squad deserve recognition for their feat as their efforts earned the MBA its first success on the international scene.”

For his part, Schembri, the event co-ordinator, said that a total of 18 awards will be distributed to the protagonists in the three main leagues, namely the men’s division one and two and the women’s championship.

“When we started planning for these awards, we thought that, apart from the traditional player of the year accolades, those players who excel in different areas of the game should also be rewarded,” he said.

“Thus, we will also be giving prizes for the best rebounder, assist and three-point shooter in all three divisions. There will also be awards for those in U-20 and U-17 categories.”

The MBA awards night, to be presented by sports journalists Simon Farrugia and Mirana Silvio, will be broadcast live on Melita’s sports channel MaltaStars, starting at 8 p.m.

Detur and KDM Group of Companies are the main sponsors of the event.