The athletes to contest for a place in the finals of the national sporting contests organized by the Sportswriters Association were announced yesterday.
Addressing a news conference at the Westin Dragonara Resort, association president Charles Camenzuli said the criteria on which the athletes have been selected remained the same as those of past years. He added the only difference this year is that five athletes who won gold medals at the Special Olympics in China will be given a special award.
The categories which will be contested are Sportsman of the Year, Sportswoman of the Year, Official of the Year, Team of the Year and Under 17 athlete of the year.
The executive committee will also be giving a special recognition to a journalist for his career as well as the international activity of the year.
The athletes contesting these initial voting sessions by the executive committee are:
Sportsman: Gilbert Agius (football), Etienne Bonello (cycling), Steve Camilleri (waterpolo), Rashid Chouhal (athletics), Massimo Cremona (table-football), Gary Curmi (Drag Racing), Simon Gerada (table-tennis), Darren Gilford (athletics), Michael Mifsud (football), Nikolai Portelli (athletics), Mark Spiteri (tenpin bowling).
Sportswoman: Sue Abela (tenpin bowling), Charlene Attard (athletics), Marcon Bezzina (judo), Joanne Camilleri (judo), Angela Galea (swimming), Johanna Grech (table-tennis), Josephine Grima (basketball), Madeleine Scerri (swimming), Danika Spiteri (triathlon), Carol Walsh (athletics), Francesca Xuereb (athletics).
Official of the Year: Timmy Camilleri (snooker), Tony Chircop (athletics), Anthony Debono (horse-racing), Marvic Micallef (volleyball), Kyril Micallef Stafrace (Sports Medicine), Dr Joseph Mifsud (football), Bernard Vassallo (basketball).
Team of the Year: Athletics (men's and womens relay teams 4 x 100); Women's U-18 national women's team; national cricket team; national football team; Sailing - Elusive team; national judo team; Chaudron powerboat team; Women's national rugby team; Masters national snooker team; Youths national shooting team and the women's national squash team.
Under 17 athlete of the Year (John Debattista Trophy): Benji Borg, Sean Borg (sailing), Darren Borg (bodybuiling), Diana Borg, Francesca and Martina Xuereb, Andrew Cassar Torreggiani) (athletics), Davina Mangion (swimming), Colette Sultana (squash).
It is worth noting that for the first time in these contests, an athlete has been nominated for a place in the finals in two different categories. She is Francesca Xuereb who is in the shortlist for the Sportswoman of the year and in that for the Under 17 athlete of the year.
In all, 22 sports disciplines are represented. Before the final voting session, the lists will be reduced to five in each category and those five will be the finalists. These will be announced on 12 January during an activity at St James Cavalier in Valletta where the Minister of Education, responsible for sport, Dr Louis Galea, will also make his policy speech.
Camenzuli thanked Westin Dragonara Resort for accepting to be among the main sponsors. In fact, the presentation night is to be held at the same hotel in the last week of January at a date still to be announced.
The president also congratulated committee member Benny Pace on his being inducted into the MOC’s Hall of Fame recently.