Winners to be announced today

The winners of the 2009 SportMalta Awards, l-Għażliet Sportivi Nazzjonali will be announced tonight at the Mediterranean Conference Centre during a variety programme that will be broadcast live on TVM, starting at 8.45 p.m.

This year the Sports Journalists Assoociation is again holding the contest in conjunction with Kunsill Malti għall-Isport in a joint venture that both parties are looking to prolong in future.

The 2008 winners of the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards, William Chetcuti and Sue Abela, are again among the five finalists in both categories after a series of successful performances, in shooting and bowling respectively, at home and abroad.

However, Chetcuti faces a stern challenge this time around as he must contend with the daring exploits of Aaron Ciantar in the P1 championship besides the equally impressive snooker champion Alex Borg, sprinter Nikolai Portelli and horse racing driver Charles Degiorgio.

Abela, who also won the journalists' vote in 1999, has to reckon with the talents of Rebecca Thorensen Brincat (basketball), Therese Camilleri Brusson (squash), Kim Cassar (tennis) and Danica Spiteri (triathlon).

The KMS award winners will be determined via a more complex format that sees the participation of journalists, association delegates and the public's SMS voting.