The Executive Committee of Malta Sports Journalists Association has published the semi finalists’ list of this year’s edition of SportMalta Awards Għażliet Sportivi Nazzjonali.
Following the nomination process from the local sporting associations and federations, the Malta Sports Journalists Executive Committee evaluated the nominations received in the light of the sporting achievements acquired during the year 2021. The list of 10 semi finalists in each category is as follows:

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR

  1. NEIL AGIUS (OPEN WATER SWIMMING)
  2. THOMAS BORG (PARALYMPICS)
  3. ANDREW GAMBINA (TABLE TENNIS)
  4. GARY GIORDMAINA (WRESTLING)
  5. MATTHEW MAGRO (TEN PIN BOWLING)
  6. ANTON MICALLEF (WEIGHTLIFTING)
  7. TYLER MIFSUD (HORSE RACING)
  8. JESRED PISCOPO (KICKBOXING)
  9. BEN PLUMPTON (WATER POLO)
  10. JEREMY ZAMMIT (LONG JUMP)

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR

  1. SUE ABELA (TEN PIN BOWLING)
  2. CLAIRE AZZOPARDI (LONG JUMP)
  3. MYA AZZOPARDI (SWIMMING)
  4. ELEANOR BEZZINA (TARGET SHOOTING)
  5. DANICA BONELLO SPITERI (TRIATHLON)
  6. ELLA BORG (GYMNASTICS)
  7. FRANCESCA CURMI (TENNIS)
  8. VLADISLAVA KRAVCHENKO (PARA SWIMMING)
  9. JANET RICHARD (ATHLETICS)
  10. YAZMIN ZAMMIT STEVENS (WEIGHTLIFTING)

MALE YOUTH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

  1. RYLEE BORG (WEIGHTLIFTING)
  2. JAYDEN CUTAJAR (WATERPOLO)
  3. ALEX DEGABRIELE (TENNIS)
  4. JEREMY MARK GATT (BADMINTON)
  5. KAYDEN LAGANÀ (TEN PIN BOWLING)
  6. NICK MERCIECA (PARA KARATE/PARA ROWING)
  7. MATTI SATARIANO (DARTS)
  8. RICHARD SCHULTHEIS (SAILING)
  9. KIJAN SULTANA (SQUASH)
  10. JEREMY ZAMMIT (LONG JUMP)

FEMALE YOUTH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

  1. THYIS ANTONELLI (KARATE)
  2. FRANCESCA CLARK (BADMINTON)
  3. ANTHEA CUTAJAR (TABLE TENNIS)
  4. CHERISE FARRUGIA (HORSE RACING)
  5. SASHA GATT (SWIMMING)
  6. RACHEL MIFSUD (TABLE TENNIS)
  7. LIJANA SULTANA (SQUASH)
  8. KAY LEE TESTA (ATHLETICS)
  9. TENISHIA THORNTON (WEIGHTLIFTING)
  10. TARA VELLA CLARK (GYMNASTICS)

COACH OF THE YEAR

  1. NATALIYA BEREHOVAY (GYMNASTICS)
  2. ANTHONY FARRUGIA (WATERPOLO)
  3. KEVIN GALEA (PARALYMPICS)
  4. CHARLES GAUCI (VOLLEYBALL)
  5. JESMOND GIORDMAINA (WRESTLING)
  6. JIVKO JECHEV (ATHLETICS)
  7. NOEL MERCIECA (KICKBOXING)
  8. LARSON MIFSUD (HORSE RACING)
  9. RODMAR PULIS (WEIGHTLIFTING)
  10. RICK VOGELESANG (TEN PIN BOWLING)

OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

  1. JOE BAJADA (CYCLING)
  2. JULIAN BAJADA (PARALYMPICS)
  3. TERRY CAMILLERI (BILLIARDS & SNOOKER)
  4. JESMOND CARUANA (WEIGHTLIFTING)
  5. PIERRE CASSAR (WRESTLING)
  6. TRUSTIN FARRUGIA CANN (FOOTBALL)
  7. ANTHONY FAVA (ATHLETICS)
  8. ALAN GRIMA (HANDBALL)
  9. ANNA VASSALLO (TAEKWANDO)
  10. BERNARD VASSALLO (BASKETBALL)

TEAM OF THE YEAR

  1. ATHLETICS – CSSE MALTA  RELAY TEAM LADIES
  2. BILLIARDS & SNOOKER – MASTERS TEAM
  3. FUTSAL – LUXOL ST. ANDREWS TEAM
  4. RUGBY – MALTA NATIONAL TEAM MEN
  5. TEN PIN BOWLING – MEDITERRANEAN CHAMPIONSHIP  TEAM LADIES
  6. TENNIS – MALTA  NATIONAL TEAM LADIES
  7. WATERPOLO – U/15  NATIONAL TEAM MEN
  8. WATERPOLO – U/17  NATIONAL TEAM LADIES
  9. WEIGHTLIFTING – EUROPEAN SMALL NATIONS TEAM MIXED
  10. WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL – MALTA TEAM

In the meantime, the voting process among all Malta Sports Journalists Association members has started this week and will continue till Wednesday 6th April 2022. Each journalist must vote for five finalists that he / she thinks should reach the final.

Eventually, the 5 finalists of each category will be announced on Wednesday 13th April during a press conference which will be streamed live on the Facebook pages Malta Sports Journalists Association and Be Active SportMalta.

This year’s edition of SportMalta Awards Għażliet Sportivi Nazzjonali will take place on Saturday 23rd April, where a jury panel will vote to determine the final winners of the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year, the Male and Female Youth Athlete of the Year, the Official of the Year, the Coach of the Year and the Team of the Year.

This year’s edition is being supported by Bank of Valletta, Atlas Insurance, Enemed, IZIBET and Responsible Gaming Foundation.