Chetcuti retains title

Double trap shooter William Chetcuti was again voted Malta's best sportsman by journalists members of the Sportswriters Association yesterday to retain the honour he won last year and make it an impressive eight titles in a glittering career.

Bowling champion Sue Abela was the 2008 Sportwoman of the Year but this time around she had to settle for second place in the contest after being beaten in the vote by basketball national team star Rebecca Brincat Thorensen.

Skeet's Clive Farrugia made it a memorable double for the shooting fraternity in the 2009 Sportivi Nazzjonali contest after topping the list in the U-17 category and basketball followers also had good reason to be happy yesterday when the women's team was named Team of the Year.

The 2009 Official of the Year award went to motor sport federation head Tonio Cini.

In a tight vote, he finished first ahead of judo's Envic Galea and snooker referee Terry Camilleri.

During a presentations night at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, hosted jointly by Kunsill Malti għall-iSport (KMS) and the journalists' association, the efforts of Michael Calleja and Alexia Wetz in Special Olympics received special recognition and the Judo Kata World Championships was declared as best event hosted on our shores in 2009.

A special memento was also presented to veteran association member Simon Bonello, this year marking his 40th anniversary as head of the Malta Wrestling Federation, and Bertie Muscat, the ex-Maltese Olympic Committee official.

The distinguished guests on the occasion were John Barnes and Massimo Bonini, the former Liverpool and Juventus stalwarts respectively.

When the final cut was announced earlier this month, many had predicted a close vote in the best sportsman category following the exploits of Aaron Ciantar in the P1 world championship and also taking into consideration the pedigree of the other three in the shortlist, namely, Alex Borg (snooker), Charles Degiorgio (horse racing) and Nikolai Portelli (athletics).

However, the fine showings of Chetcuti on the international scene were equally impressive and, in the end, the balance tilted heavily in his favour. He won a gold medal in the GSSE, a silver in the Mediterranean Games and had a creditable ninth placing in the World Championship to show.

Ciantar, however, still had something to smile about when he was named winner of the KMS SportMalta Award following a more complex vote that also involved the public.

He was selected from among all finalists in the sportsman/woman of the year contest. He was presented his award by Barnes and Bonini.

Brincat Thorensen, who plays for German team Wassenburg, was an influential figure for the national team last year. She was the GSSE tournament's best scorer, averaging 23 points per match as Malta went on to win the competition in Cyprus.

The basketball girls, who successfully defended their European Division C title besides leaving a good impression in the Med. Games, were the clear winners in the Team of the Year category.

They finished with 345 votes, well ahead of the men's waterpolo team and Ciantar's Chaudron Seagull in the P1 Championship.

Sportivi Nazzjonali

Sportsman of the Year: 1. W. Chetcuti 365; 2. A. Ciantar 261; 3. N. Portelli 246; 4. C. Degiorgio 239; 5. A. Borg 209.

Sportswoman of the Year: 1. R. Brincat Thorensen 341; 2. S. Abela 269; 3. D. Spiteri 266; 4. T. Brousson Camilleri 238; 5. K. Cassar 206.

Official of the Year: 1. T. Cini 284; 2. E. Galea 270; 3. T. Camilleri 268; 4. J. Mifsud 253; 5. F. Camilleri 245.

Team of the Year: 1. Women's basketball 345; 2. Men's waterpolo 289; 3. Chaudron Seagull 271.

U-17 athlete of the Year: 1. C. Farrugia 322; 2. T. Zammit Tabona 293; 3. S. Deguara 284.

Winners past 10 editions

1999 Mario Bonello; Sue Abela
2000 Tony Cauchi; Carol Galea
2001 Stefan Farrugia; Carol Galea
2002 William Chetcuti; Maria Mifsud Bonnici
2003 William Chetcuti; Tanya Blake
2004 William Chetcuti; Angela Galea
2005 William Chetcuti; Angela Galea
2006 William Chetcuti; Rebecca Madyson
2007 Michael Mifsud; Francesca Xuereb
2008 William Chetcuti; Sue Abela