The country’s outstanding performers in 2015 will take centre-stage tonight when the SportMalta Awards L-Għażliet Sportivi Nazzjonali event is held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.
This annual contest is organised jointly by the Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sport and the Kunsill Malti għall-iSport.
A panel of sports editors and journalists representing the leading media houses will be taking part in a live vote to select the winners in the seven main categories.
The sportsman of the year, the most coveted award at tonight’s event, will produce a new winner as blackball cueist Claudio Cassar is out of contention.
This year’s nominees are waterpolo star Steve Camilleri, sprinter Kevin Moore, bowler Mark Spiteri, swimmer Andrew Chetcuti, wrestler Adam Vella and weightlifter Rodmar Pulis.
Bowling queen Sue Abela is in with a chance of claiming the sportswoman of the year accolade for the third year running but faces strong competition from triathlete Danica Bonello Spiteri, long jumper Rebecca Camilleri, gymnast Peppijna Dalli and sprinter Charlotte Wingfield.
Waterpolo coach Karl Izzo is seen as favourite to retain the coach prize but Malta U-21 coach Silvio Vella is also regarded as a strong contender. The other finalists are Albert Chun (gymnastics), Jesmond Gior-dimaina (wrestling) and Richard Vogelesang (bowling).
The official of the year category also features a host of strong nominees as Joe Caruana Currana, president of the aquatic body ASA, is joined by football referee Clayton Pisani, Joseph Muscat, the general secretary of the Malta Basketball Association, Jesmond Caruana, president of the Malta Weightlifting Association, and Johann Pace, general secretary of the Assoċjazzjoni Sport Muturi u Karozzi.
The senior waterpolo side, winners of the team gong last year, have again been shortlisted for this year’s award along with their U-17 counterparts, the women’s gymnastics team, snooker duo Tony Drago and Brian Cini, and the tenpin bowling national team.
The finalists in the youth categories are: (Boys) Kurt Attard (bowling), Luke Camilleri (athletics), Kurt Cassar (basketball), Gary Giordimaina (wrestling), Kieran Mifsud (weightlifting) and Ben Plumpton (waterpolo); and (Girls) Peppijna Dalli (gymnastics), Amy Micallef (swimming), Janet Richard (athletics), Sara Xuereb (bowling) and Nina Zammit (triathlon).
The nominees for the People’s Choice Award are triathlete Hannah Pace (50616721), wheelchair dancesport participant Steven Fenech (50616722), shooter William Vella (50616723), rugby player Joseph Borda (50616724) and waterpolo player Matthew Zammit (50616725).
Clean sports
The presence of former Italian footballer Simone Farina at tonight’s awards ceremony is intended to send out a strong message against match-fixing and bribery in sport.
Farina, who met Chris Agius, the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport yesterday, rose to prominence for the right reasons in 2011.
The 33-year-old, now working as scout for English club Aston Villa, was offered money to influence the outcome of an Italian Cup match between Cesena and Gubbio but he rejected the approach and reported the incident to the police.