Tommy Wallbank (Athletics – Long Distance Runner) and Caden Tanti (Football) are the winners of February’s Atlas Youth Athletes of the Month Award.

Tommy Wallbank, 19, competed in the Half Marathon during the 40th edition of the Lifestar Malta Marathon, where he emerged as the first athlete to cross the finish line in the Under-23 category, the second Maltese male, and third overall. This remarkable achievement is the result of years of dedication and perseverance. Back in 2021, Tommy ran 1000 kilometres as he pledged to run 1 kilometre for every €5 donated in memory of his childhood friend, Rebecca Zammit Lupi, who passed away earlier that year after battling cancer.

Meanwhile, Caden Tanti, 16, formerly of Luxol St. Andrew’s Football Club, is the first Maltese male youth player to ever sign a professional contract with an Italian Serie A club. In fact, last January he joined Genoa’s Under 16 team and made his debut in February. Over four years ago he remarkably took the stage onthe popular TV show Malta’s Got Talent and impressed the judges with his football juggling skills.

The Atlas Youth Athlete of the Month Award was presented to Tommy Wallbank by Matthew von Brockdorff, Managing Director and CEO of Atlas Insurance, together with Robert Micallef, Chief Commercial Officer. The Malta Sports Journalists Association was represented by President Clinton Buhagiar and General Secretary Lorraine Cunningham. Caden Tanti’s presentation will be held at a later date when he returns to Malta for his O-Level exams.

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

Tommy Wallbank (Atletika – Long Distance Runner) u Caden Tanti (Futbol) huma r-rebbieħa tal-Atlas Atleti Żgħażagħ tax-Xahar ta’ Frar.

Tommy Wallbank, li għandu 19-il sena, ħa sehem fin-Nofs Maratona waqt l-40 edizzjoni tal-Lifestar Malta Marathon fejn ġie fl-ewwel post fil-kategorija ta’ taħt it-23 sena, it-tieni atleta raġel u t-tielet fil-klassifika ġenerali. Dan huwa riżultat tad-dedikazzjoni u l-perseveranza li Tommy wera tul is-snin. Lura fis-sena 2021, Tommy kien ġera’ elf (1000) kilometru hekk kif ġera’ kilometru għal kull donazzjoni ta’ €5 b’tifkira tal-ħabiba tiegħu Rebecca Zammit Lupi li kienet ħalliet din id-dinja fl-istess sena wara li ġġieldet il-marda tal-kanċer.

Min-naħa l-oħra, Caden Tanti li għandu 16-il sena, huwa l-ewwel plejer żagħżugħ Malti li ffirma kuntratt professjonali ma’ klabb tas-Serje A fl-Italja. Fil-fatt, f’Jannar li għadda ħalla lit-tim ta’ Luxol St. Andrews F.C. sabiex ingħaqad mat-tim ta’ taħt is-sittax-il sena ta’ Genoa u lagħab l-ewwel logħba tiegħu magħhom fi Frar. Madwar erba’ snin ilu, Caden Tanti tela’ fuq il-palk tal-programm televiżiv popolari Malta’s Got Talent u impressjona lill-ġurija bil-freestyle juggling tiegħu.

Il-preżentazzjoni tal-unur tal-Atlas Atleta Żagħżugħtax-Xahar lil Tommy Wallbank saret minn Matthew von Brockdorff, Managing Director u CEO ta’ Atlas Insurance, flimkien ma' Robert Micallef, Chief Commercial Officer. F’isem l-Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sports kien hemm preżenti l-President Clinton Buhagiar u s-Segretarju Ġenerali Lorraine Cunningham. Intant, il-preżentazzjoni lil Caden Tanti se ssir aktar tard meta jkun lura f’Malta għall-eżamijiet tal-O-Levels.

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.