Maltco Lotteries, supported the Sport Malta Awards for the fifth consecutive year and presented Malta U21 Football Coach Silvio Vella with the coveted Coach of the Year Award.

Maltco Lotteries broadcast a number of sports through their U-BET platform. Coach Silvio Vella, who masterminded the Malta U-21s' positive run in the European qualifiers, was presented by David A. Gatt - Maltco Lotteries Sales & Marketing Director with the Coach of the Year award in front of an appreciative audience at the Mediterranean Conference Centre broadcast live on television.

Coach of the Year Vella obtained 110 points from the 8 independent juries and was the only nominated coach to garner a three figure points score, underlining the tremendous coaching work in the last Euro Championship qualifying campaign. Under Vella's guidance, the Malta U-21 team gained three wins, beating Latvia 1-0 at home and 2-1 away, and Moldova 3-2 at home in their final qualifier, played on October 11.

They also figured in two goalless draws away to Moldova and Montenegro for an unprecedented tally of 11 points which placed them above Latvia and Moldova in the group standings. Malta U-21 team's feat in collecting 11 points in Group One of the 2017 UEFA U-21 Championship qualifying campaign, a record for a Maltese national side, meant Coach Vella had every reason to celebrate his Coach of the Year title.

A spokesperson for the Company said that it is an honour for Maltco Lotteries to support this event year after year and to award the successful coaches and athletes. She also emphasised on the importance of promoting all sporting disciplines being practised in Malta in an effort to boost sports participation in the country. For further information email [email protected], visit the Maltco website www.maltco.com or call 2388 3000.