D'Alfonso, Pace - top performers for 2009

It seems that, of late, organisations involved in sport are duty-in-bound to recognise the best performers of the season, or year just past, through an awards occasion.

One would argue, quite rightly, that this is how it should be. However, at each award ceremony it seems that different criteria help determine who are the 'best' athletes, those that most deserve the award.

It is for this reason that the Malta Amateur Athletic Association (MAAA) adopted, some time back, award criteria that are applied to each of its category winners in the hope that, through this rigorous process, perhaps too elaborate for some, the fairest, justifiable recognition is given to the winners.

Certainly, in athletics, it is not easy to distinguish between the achievements of one compared to another, especially due to the diversity of the sport, divided as it is into four main disciplines, namely, throws, jumps, sprints and endurance running.

This dilemma of comparison found recognition many years ago by the international body responsible for the sport, with the result that what is known as the 'Hungarian Tables' (in recognition of the mathematical scientist who introduced them) is the main tool used to gauge athletes' performances, irrespective of the discipline.

Naturally, Athletics Malta incorporated this tool in its set of criteria.

Indeed, these tables are central to determine the points awarded. This is not to say that the association has come up with the perfect method, but the overall feeling is that the many hours devoted to the formulation of these criteria have produced a creditable yardstick which, incidentally, has been published on regular occasions for the sake of transparency.

Thus, points are awarded to the nominated athletes according to character, presence and performance during the National Championships, any national records set, international participation resulting from a nomination by the association, and, finally, performance, which, naturally, garners the most points (40 per cent of the total).

The application of the Hungarian Tables, as explained, features in all headings barring the section dealing with character.

For the year 2009, Athletics Malta again had to sift through quite a large number of athletes as there were more than a handful who deserved recognition.

In its choice, the association feels that the five males and the five females chosen truly represent the better among the best achievers, where, for some established names, it was only misfortune, like a sports injury, that prevented them from making it to the top this time round.

Starting with the lower categories, for athletes who were not older than 13 years of age by the end of the year, Eric Borg Saywell and Nicole Gatt stood out among their peers, especially in competition abroad when both formed part of the Malta selection at the Wrexham Games.

For U-15 athletes by end 2009, Ylenia Lapira and Clayton Sheldon flourished in the sprints.

The next category, for those termed as Intermediate, jumping determined the winners as Andrew Cassar Torregiani set new marks along the way while Marija Sciberras raised the standard in the hurdling sprints.

For junior athletes, the category for 18-and 19 year-olds, the medium was once again the long jump, Andy Grech consistently bettering the national record and Alessandra Pace shining in both the distance jumps.

The hardest choices to make were those in the senior categories, but in the end, it was the exploits of Maltese-Australian James D'Alfonso, in the 400m and 800m, and the sprinting of Lara Scerri, besides their international participation, that won the most points.

Harder still for the association was the choice of the overall best athletes.

Finally, the decision fell on Pace and D'Alfonso, the latter also scoring 'high points' thanks to his good nature, dedication and his typical easy-going Aussie ways.