The fifth edition of the MOC Sports Awards, Malta’s premier event that gives recognition to Maltese athletes who have excelled at international level, is drawing near.
Prior to the actual awards night, the Malta Olympic Committee hosted a presentation ceremony where all nominees for these awards received a certificate acknowledging their nomination. During this presentation which took place at the MOC headquarters, 50 athletes coming from a variety of sports practised in Malta including bocci, horse racing, judo, lawn bowls, pool, sailing, shooting, table football, table tennis, tennis, tenpin bowling and triathlon received their nominee diploma presented by Pippo Psaila, Chairman MOC Sports Awards Organising Committee and the MOC President Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco.
Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco highlighted that athletes coming from a variety of sporting disciplines have shown that they too can achieve success at international competitions despite Malta’s limitations. Maltese athletes through sheer determination, dedication and sacrifice can inspire and show Maltese society how important practising sport is. He also went on to say that the awards ceremony has established itself as a prestigious event in the sporting calendar and is eagerly awaited by all. Expectations are high as the general public and the local sporting world will be wondering who will be recognised by the Malta Olympic Committee adjudicating board for outstanding sporting achievements for 2006 and then on the night to find out who will receive either a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze award.
Mr Psaila went on to say that this special evening will culminate with presentations to the newly elected members of the Hall of Fame, legendary sporting heroes in local sport. These are individuals who have greatly contributed to Maltese sport, whether as an administrator or as an athlete; the Hall of Fame allows the MOC to commemorate these individuals for their dedication and effort.
The MOC Sports Awards Gala ceremony will take place on 12 December at the Dolmen Resort Hotel, compered by well known TV presenters John Demanuele and Graziella Attard Previ. Entertainment for the 2006 MOC Sports Awards will be provided by the Big Band Brothers.
This event is sponsored by Malta International Airport plc. The general public will also be able to follow this event thanks to Education22 which will be broadcast at 10pm of the same day, Secretary General Joseph Cassar announced.
Nominees include Bocci: Athletes: Stefan Farrugia, Arthur Darmanin, Joseph Demanuele, David Farrugia; Horse Racing: Athlete: Charles Camilleri, Judo: Athlete: Marcon Bezzina; Lawn Bowls: Athletes: Doubles – Leonard Callus and Francis Vella; Lawn Bowls: Athletes: Triples – Joseph Attard, Victor Brincat, Alfred Vella; Pool: Athlete: Duncan Bezzina; Pool: Athletes: Team – Duncan Bezzina, Ivan Rizzo, Antoine Cuschieri, Chris Mills, Adrian Camilleri, Mario Cutajar, Clint Azzopardi, Marcel Micallef, Jesmond Schembri, Stanley Chircop; Sailing: Athletes: Rolex Middle Sea Race 2006 Artie Crew; Skippers – Lee Satariano/Sebastian Ripard, Crew – Matthew Gusman, Anthony Demajo, Mark Schranz, Kurt Casapinta, Isaac Borg, Thomas Ripard; Sailing: Athletes: Rolex Middle Sea Race 2006 Elusive Crew; Skipper – Arthur Podesta, Crew: Maya Podesta, Christoph Podesta, Aaron Podesta, Yasmin Degiorgio, Mark Vella, Sonke Bruhms, Benji Borg, Paul Apap Bologna; Shooting (Trap): Athlete: Rebecca Madyson; Shooting (Double Trap): Athlete: William Chetcuti; Shooting (Double Trap Pairs): Athlete: William Chetcuti and Rodney Micallef; Table Football: Athlete: Massimo Cremona; Table Tennis: Athletes: Edward Baldacchino and Simon Gerada; Tennis: Athlete: Matthew Asciak; Tenpin Bowling: Athletes: Lorraine Casha, Ray Falzon Reale, Brian Farrugia; Triathlon: Athletes: Mark Zammit, Danica Spiteri.
MOC Sports Awards: Profiles of the nominated athletes (1)
Bocci
Athletes: Stefan Farrugia, Arthur Darmanin, Joseph Demanuele and David Farrugia
Men’s European Bocci Championships 2006 were held in Stuttgart, Germany between 30 September and 3 October 2006. 18 countries participated in these championships (Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, Turkey, San Marino, Croatia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Liechtenstein, Hungary, Cyprus, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, the Netherlands and Malta). From 18 these had to be reduced to 16 with preliminary rounds of 2 matches wherein Malta was drawn against Hungary winning 2-1. Malta then went on to compete against Liechtenstein winning 3-0. In the second round Malta was drawn against Turkey winning 2-1. In the quarter-final match, Malta was up against the favourite host country Germany, winning 3-0. Malta made it to the semi-finals against Austria losing 0-3. In the match for third and fourth place, Malta played against Switzerland and lost 0-2 placing fourth in these European Bocci Championships.
Horse Racing
Athlete: Charles Camilleri
Charles Camilleri competed in the European Professional Drivers Championships 2006 in Berlin where 17 competitors and countries competed. He managed to place first and fifth in the qualification races beating Switzerland, Czech Republic, Spain, Slovenia and Russia. Eventually Charles Camilleri secured the eighth place in the finals with automatic qualification for next year’s European Championships. During the finals Charles Camilleri beat the champions of world repute, Pierre Levesque (France), R. Vecchione (Italy) and Esa Holopainen (Finland).
Judo
Athlete: Marcon Bezzina
Marcon participated in the Commonwealth Judo Championships in Derry North Ireland where seven countries took part including Scotland, Wales, England, New Zealand, Canada, North Ireland and Malta. Marcon moved up in her pool to fight for the Bronze medal against reigning champion of New Zealand Clutha Mahana Oceania, Junior Bronze Medallist and Silver Medallist in the Oceania Senior Championships. She also won gold in the Malta International open when she came against Lisa Bradley, Silver Medallist in the 57th Commonwealth Games 2002 and won with an Ippon in the last few seconds.
Marcon is also the current national champion in the -63kgs and open category.
Lawn Bowls
Athletes: Doubles – Leonard Callus and Francis Vella
Leonard Callus and Francis Vella represented Malta at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in the Pairs. They competed against England, Cook Islands, Samoa, Wales, South Africa, Scotland and Australia.
They made it up to the semi-finals where they came against Scotland and lost 2-1 and had to fight for the Bronze medal against host country Australia losing 1.5–0. The Malta team ended up in the fourth place.
Lawn Bowls
Athletes: Triples – Joseph Attard, Victor Brincat and Alfred Vella
Joseph Attard, Victor Brincat and Alfred Vella represented Malta at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in the Triples. They competed against Kenya, South Pacific Island of Niue, Canada, Australia and Northern Ireland. They made it up to the quarter-finals where they came against Northern Ireland and lost 2-0.
Pool
Athlete: Duncan Bezzina
Took part in the World Eight Ball Pool championships which took place in the UK where 114 competitors coming from 13 different countries took part.
Duncan was awarded best tournament player which is an honour awarded to the player who wins the most number of frames in the team event during the championships.
He was also selected as a member of the World Team. Duncan formed part of the team that made it to the final in the team event.
Pool
Athletes: Team – Duncan Bezzina, Ivan Rizzo, Antoine Cuschieri, Chris Mills, Adrian Camilleri, Mario Cutajar, Clint Azzopardi, Marcel Micallef, Jesmond Schembri and Stanley Chircop
Malta qualified for the final round from 13 countries in the World Eight Ball Pool Championships.
Having made it to the top 6 teams for the round robin stages where Malta placed fifth, the Malta team had to play the play-off against Scotland winning 11-10 and hence qualified for the semi-finals which brought them against Wales which they beat 11-7.
The Malta team made it to the finals coming up against Ireland losing 8-4.
MIA Olympic Special – What’s On
On Thursday on TVM at 5pm, Friday on E22 at 9pm (RPT), Sunday on E22 at 10am (RPT) and Monday on E22 at 2.30pm (RPT) will feature the following:
Athlete profile
Edward Baldacchino is a 34-year-old self-employed and semi-professional table tennis player. He is the current national champion and has been Malta’s national champion five times, apart from winning all local competitions in the last season organised by the Malta Table Tennis Association.
Find out more about Edward Baldacchino in this interview produced by University communication students Mohit Bindra and Louise Caruana Galizia.
What is sailing?
Sailing is an Olympic sport in 95 nations. Sailing can be fun for anyone: young people sail smaller boats on shortened course.
Fit and skilful sailors can swing outwards on trapezes, and those in between have a choice of over a hundred different types of boats to choose from.
Classes of sailing dinghies which are most popular in Malta are the Optimist, the Mirror 10, the Miracle, the Laser Standard and the Laser Radial. Find out more about this sport practised in Malta in this feature produced by University communication students produced by University communication students Lara Schembri and Daniel Vella.
Feature event
The 19th edition of the Malta International Darts Open held was between the 21-23 November. Participants hailed from England, Scotland, Wales, Greece, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic and Malta.
Find out what happened during this international tournament, including a number of interviews with MDA officials.
Highlight events
This week’s highlights will focus on the Lotta National Championships organised by the Malta Lotta Federation on 26 November at Furtu Selvatico Trade School, Naxxar, a Fencing Ranking tournament held at the Mtarfa Gym the past weekend and Bocci.
Schedule available every week on www.nocmalta.org and on The Malta Independent every Thursday. Produced in collaboration with E22 and University of Malta, Centre for Communication and Technologies (CCT) Video Production Students (Video3 – 2006).
‘Malta u Dinja tal-Hames Crieki’
On Sunday at 1.05pm on 103FM (RTK), this programme will feature representatives of the Malta Cricket Association and the Malta Aquatic Sports Association who will discuss their respective association’s national youth development programme. There will also be medical advice from Dr Kirill Micallef Stafrace.