Jake Azzopardi (Kickboxing) and Kayden Laganà (Bowling) are the winners of April’s Atlas Youth Athletes of the Month Award.

Jake Azzopardi, at just 11 years old, has officially become Malta’s youngest gold medal winner at the ISKA European Kickboxing Championships, held recently in Malta. Competing under the guidance of Master Noel Mercieca, Azzopardi delivered an outstanding performance, clinching the gold medal in the Muay Thai 40-kilogram category. He also won a silver medal in Unified Rules and a bronze in K1 Light.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Kayden Laganà is receiving this monthly award for the third time, having previously won it in September 2020 and January 2021. Lagana’ managed to win bronze in the Masters at the European Youth Championships in Turkey. He advanced to the semifinals after a close victory over the favourite Turkish player Tuna Boncu. Laganà finished third and claimed the bronze medal after being defeated by France’s Timeo Dujardin, who went on to win the title.

The Atlas Youth Athlete of the Month Award was presented to the winners by Matthew von Brockdorff, Managing Director and CEO of Atlas Insurance. The Malta Sports Journalists Association was represented by General Secretary Lorraine Cunningham and Administrator Stephen Azzopardi.

This award is a joint initiative of the Malta Sports Journalists Association and Atlas Insurance. The adjudicating panel of this award takes note of all the youths’ achievements of the month under review and at the same time it invites local sport associations and federations to send in their nominations for consideration if they feel that any of their under-21 athletes have distinguished themselves during that month. All the monthly winners are eligible for the annual award.

Nominations for this award may be sent via email to info@maltasportsjournalists.com. The rules and regulations of the award can be viewed on the website www.maltasportsjournalists.com

Jake Azzopardi (Kickboxing) u Kayden Laganà (Bowling) huma r-rebbieħa tal-Atlas Atleti Żgħażagħ tax-Xahar ta’ April.

Jake Azzopardi li għad għandu 11-il sena, huwa ufficjalment l-iżgħar rebbieħ ta’ midalja tad-deheb għal Malta waqt il-Kampjonati Ewropej tal-Kickboxing ISKA li saru f’Malta. Taħt it-tmexxija ta’ Master Noel Mercieca huwa rebaħ id-deheb fil-kategorija Muay Thai tal-40 kilogramma. Huwa rebaħ ukoll midalja tal-fidda fil Unified Rules u bronż fil-K1 Light.

Min-naħa l-oħra, Kayden Laganà li għandu 18-il sena, mhuwiex wiċċ ġdid għal dan l-unur hekk kif rebħu f'Settembru tal-2020 u f'Jannar tal-2021. Lagana’ rnexxielu jirbaħ il-bronż fil-Masters fil-Kampjonati Ewropej taż-Żgħażagħ fit-Turkija. Fil-fatt huwa għeleb lill-favorit Tork Tuna Boncu iżda fis-semifinali tilef kontra l-Franċiż Timeo Dujardin, li eventwalment rebaħ il-finali b'mod konvinċenti. B'hekk Kayden Laganà spiċċa fit-tielet post b’midalja tal-Bronż.

Il-preżentazzjoni tal-unur tal-Atlas Atleta Żagħżugħ tax-Xahar lir-rebbieħa saret minn Matthew von Brockdorff, Managing Director u CEO ta’ Atlas Insurance. F’isem l-Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sports kien hemm is-Segretarju Ġenerali Lorraine Cunningham u l-Amministratur Stephen Azzopardi.

Dan il-premju ta' kull xahar jingħata b'inizjattiva konġunta bejn l-Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sports flimkien ma' Atlas Insurance. Il-panel li jiġġudika r-rebbieħa ta' dan il-premju jieħu nota tas-suċċessi miksuba matul dak ix-xahar u fl-istess ħin jistieden lill-assoċjazzjonijiet u federazzjonijiet sportivi sabiex jibagħtu n-nomini tagħhom. In-nominati li jiġu evalwati jridu jkunu taħt il-21 sena.

In-nominazzjonijiet għandhom jaslu b’email lil info@maltasportsjournalists.com. Ir-regolamenti ta’ dan l-unur jinsabu fuq is-sit elettroniku tal-Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sports li hu www.maltasportsjournalists.com.