Those athletes, officials and teams distinguishing themselves most last year will be announced during a televised Sport Malta Awards show at the MFCC, Ta’ Qali, today.
The presentations night will be the final leg to a contest, organised jointly by Kunsill Malti għall-Isport and the Sports Journalists Association, that started last month with the first nominations in the five categories before the list was trimmed to five candidates in each section.
The organising committee of the awards, under the stewardship of Pippo Psaila, sought to raise more awareness in the build-up to the contest with a series of activities targeted mainly to promote sport among school-children and youths.
On Wednesday, around 2,800 students from various schools around the island filled the stands to their seams at the Cottonera Sports Complex for a ‘mega sport’ programme where emphasis was laid on participation and sport as a way of life in the presence of several of those who made the final cut in the Sportivi awards.
Some household names in the local sporting scene are through to the final having left their mark yet again during the past year through their exploits at home and abroad.
However, the only candidate in line to retain her title is triathlon champion Danica Bonello Spiteri as squash features prominently in the list of finalists this year.
All 10 finalists in the two main categories will also be in contention for the special SportMalta Award, an honour claimed by Massimo Cremona, of table football, last year.
The voting format for this prize will be as follows: 40 per cent of the final outcome will be based on the preferences of journalists, 40 per cent from real-time voting by the presidents of the various national associations, and the remaining 20 per cent from a public vote through SMS.
Meanwhile, the special guest for the awards night today will be Antonio Cabrini, the Italy 1982 World Cup winner and former Juventus wing-back.
Last year, the distinguished personality from the international scene invited to attend the awards night was Jean Todt, the Federation Internationale de Automobile (FIA) president.
The Finalists
Sportsman: Steve Camilleri (waterpolo) 50616725; William Chetcuti (shooting) 50616726; Brad Hindle Deguara (squash) 50616728; Kevin Arthur Moore (athletics) 50616729; Jeremy Say-well (judo) 50616730.
Sportswoman: Sue Abela (bowling) 50616721; Danica Bonello Spiteri (triathlon) 50616722; Diane Borg (athletics) 50616723; Rebecca Camilleri (athletics) 50616724; Diane Desira (squash) 50616727.
Team: Rugby (men), Artie sailing crew, squash (men), squash (wo-men), 4x100m (girls – athletics).
Official: J. Bugeja (shooting), D. Neill (rugby), D. Buhagiar (ar-chery), J. Caruana (weightlifting), J. Pace Bonello (bowling).
Under-17: N. Gatt (athletics), Nic. Muscat (swimming), R. Pulis (weightlifting), N.L. Xuereb (shooting), C. Sultana (squash).
Note: In brackets SMS voting numbers.