The winners of the SportMalta Awards Għażliet Sportivi Nazzjonali were announced on Saturday evening during a live transmission aired on TVM News+ as well as on the Malta Sports Journalists Association’s Facebook page. The 62nd edition saw the return of the finalists and guests back as an audience. The final night started with the Red Carpet hosted by Malta Sports Journalists Association’s Vice President and General Secretary, Clinton Buhagiar and Lorraine Cunningham.

Guest speakers during this event included the Minister responsible for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, Hon. Clifton Grima, CEO SportMalta Mark Cutajar and Sandro Micallef, President of the Malta Sports Journalists Association.  Also present AIPS Europe President and AIPS Vice President, Charles Camenzuli;  AIPS Vice President, Iannis Daras from Greece and the President of the Cyprus Sports Journalists Association, Erodotos Miltiadous.

As usual. this annual awards ceremony was a collaboration between the Malta Sports Journalists Association and SportMalta, with the backing of the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation.

During the live show hosted by Joanna Camilleri and Simon Farrugia, a total of 11 honours were announced, seven of which were a result of the votes by the jury. The rest of the awards included the People’s Choice Award, the International Sports Event of the Year chosen by the Executive Committee of the Malta Sports Journalists Association and the other two were given out upon a nomination by Special Olympics.

The honours were won as follows:

Sportsman of the Year – NEIL AGIUS (Open Water Swimming)

Sportswoman of the Year – SUE ABELA (Ten Pin Bowling)

Youth Athlete of the Year Men – JEREMY ZAMMIT (Long Jump – Athletics)

Youth Athlete of the Year Women – TENISHIA THORNTON (Weightlifting)

Team of the Year – MALTA NATIONAL TEAM U/15 MEN (Water Polo)

Coach of the Year – ANTHONY FARRUGIA (Water Polo)

Official of the Year – BERNARD VASSALLO (Basketball)

International Sports Event of the Year – EUROPEAN JUNIOR ARTISTIC CHAMPIONSHIPS (Aquatic Sports Association of Malta)

People’s Choice Award – NEIL AGIUS (Open Water Swimming)

Special Olympics Athlete Man Award – JAKE GATT (Athletics)

Special Olympics Athlete Woman Award – REBECCA DALLI (Golf)