Italy’s Olympic gold medallist Roberto di Donna will be the special guest at this evening’s MOC Sports Awards gala night, to be staged at the Corinthia Palace Hotel, Attard.
As in most of the previous 14 editions of the annual ceremony, the Maltese Olympic Committee saw it fit to have someone of Di Donna’s calibre to present awards to the country’s top performers in 2016.
Di Donna won a gold medal in the 10m air pistol at Atlanta 1996. During those Games in the US, he went on to add a bronze medal in the 50m air pistol shoot.
“Roberto Di Donna’s presence will add prestige to the occasion and we’re all looking forward to having him with us,” MOC president Julian Pace Bonello was quoted as saying when revealing the name of this year’s distinguished sports personality for the awards night.
Last year, the special guest was Alessandro Campagna, the Italian waterpolo national team coach.
The 2016 shortlist, announced last month by Mark Cutajar, the chairman of the organising committee, includes athletes who left their mark on the international scene in various sport and different categories throughout the year.
This year, the MOC added the Category of Merit to its list of honours by way of reaching a wider pool of athletes in the contest.
Tthe Platinum Award remains the most prestigious accolade on the list followed by the gold, silver and bronze titles.
There were 75 nominations from 24 different national associations. The MOC eventually approved 47 candidates from 23 sport.
Today, another small group of former athletes, yet unnamed, will be inducted into the MOC Hall of Fame.
Nominations for the 2016 MOC awards...
Athletics: R. Chouhal, C. Wingfield, L. Bezzina.
Badminton: M. Abela, S. Cassar.
Basketball: Women’s national team.
Bodybuilding: L. Debono.
Bowls: D. Farrugia, S. Farrugia, G. Gemelli, R. Farrugia.
Boxing: H. Laamouz.
Bowling: S. Abela, T. Carrannante, N. Sullivan, M. Spiteri, S. Montanaro, E. Xuereb, S. Xuereb, M. Magro, S. Psaila, A. Schembri.
Cycling: M.C. Aquilina, S. Alden, D. Bonello Spiteri, H. Pace, M. Pullicino, M. Vella Wood.
Darts: N. Attard.
Golf: J. Verelst Micallef, A. Borg, R. Critien, L. Schembri.
Gymnastics: S. Grillo.
Pool: Men’s national team.
Horse racing: A. Demanuele, R. Gatt, C. Camilleri, J. Farrugia,
Rugby: Men’s national team and women’s sevens team.
Sailing: V. Schultheis.
Snooker: B. Cini, A. Borg.
Shooting: W. Chetcuti, N. Attard, G. Chetcuti, N.L. Xuereb.
Squash: K. Sultana.
Table football: J. Pisani, D. Conti, S. Bartolo, J. Balzan.
Triathlon: D. Bonello Spiteri, K. Galea, H. Pace.
Tennis: H. Pellicano.
Waterpolo: Men’s national team.
Weightlifting: P. Psaila, K. Micallef, R. Pulis, Y. Zammit Stevens, R. Agius.