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30 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 DECEMBER 2019 SPORTS WEIGHTLIFTING THE annual Malta Weightlift- ing Association Award Cer- emony took place this week where Malta's top lifters were awarded for their successes during 2019. Evidently, the MWA has had one of its most success- ful years, as was highlighted by MWA president Jesmond Caruana during his opening speech at the ceremony. The most highly anticipated award for the night was the overall ranked senior ath- lete award which was given to Olympic hopeful Yasmin Zammit Stevens and Most Improved in 2019 which was given to 16-year-old Tristan Zammit. However, 14-year-old Ten- ishia Thornton stole the show and won four awards on the special night, including the Achievement Award for the 144 national records she broke during 2019, National Cham- pion in the U15, U17, Junior and Senior categories, first ranked youth overall and the most prestigious of the night, the Platinum Award. Indeed, Thornton had an in- credible 2019, where she also recently managed to break a European U15 record in the snatch and held the record be- fore another lifter broke it mo- ments after. Kim Camilleri Lagana, who was the youngest athlete to compete internationally this year, won the award for num- ber one ranked cadet lifter. Camilleri Lagana is only 11 years old and has already ac- complished breaking national records, an international ap- pearance, and now winning her first MWA award. Youth athlete and National Sports School student, Rylee Borg was awarded 1st place in the Youth -61kg category as well as an award for ranking in 2nd place in the most im- proved category. In the Men's class; Vlad Bal- dacchino, Shaun Ciantar and Kyle Micallef were awarded National Champion Awards in the 102kg, 81kg and 89kg cat- egories respectively. Rodmar Pulis and Anton Micallef placed in 2nd and 3rd respectively in the 81kg class. Anton Micallef was also awarded for his tremen- dous improvement this year, and was, in fact, the most improved senior athlete and placed in 3rd overall in the most improved category. Christina Grima won the ti- tle of National champion in the 64kg class while Yasmin Zammit Stevens won the same award for the 71kg class. Zam- mit Stevens, who was also giv- en a Silver Award for her rank- ing success for 2019, also had a memorable year. Throughout 2019 she man- aged to win Malta's first in- dividual Gold medal at the Small Nations Championships as well as improve her world wide ranking after competing successfully at the European and World Championships which were both important qualification events for the up- coming 2020 Olympics. She is currently ranked in a whopping 60th place in the Tokyo 2020 ranking list and only hopes to improve on it in the final period of qualifica- tion events next year. Zammit Stevens also placed in second place for most na- tional records broken in 2019. Bronze level awards were also handed out to Anton Mi- callef, Vlad Baldacchino and Kim Camilleri Lagana. The awards were handed out by MOC President, Julian Pace Bonello, MOC Secretary General, Joe Cassar and MWA honorary President Alfred El- lul Mercer. Jesmond Caruana finished off the night with some impor- tant words of inspiration and encouragement for the up- coming year. The Olympic Games being the highlight of 2020 in the eyes of any sporting associa- tion, Caruana emphasised the significance of the Malta In- ternational Open & Olympic Qualification event that will be held in Feb/March next year. Apart from Zammit Stevens who is actively attempting to qualify for the upcoming Games, other national lifters will be eligible to compete. Jesmond announced at the ceremony that over a 150 in- ternational athletes have ap- plied for the meet. Included in the entry list of athletes, we are expected to see the World's leading lift- ers fly into our island to com- pete at Malta's most awaited weightlifting event for 2020. Furthermore, Caruana em- phasised that the association's sights aren't solely focused on 2020 but beyond it too. He spoke about the investments and important planning the association has been making for the Youth Olympic Games in 2022 where he is confident Malta will have a representa- tive, as well as the 2022 Com- monwealth Games that will take place in Birmingham. 2019 top lifters recognised in award ceremony