Gianluca Barbara wins the first IZIBET Elite Athlete Award for 2024

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National Lottery plc and the Malta Sports Journalists Association (MSJA) are pleased to announce that Gianluca Barbara won the first IZIBET Elite Athlete Award for 2024, covering the months of January and February.

Gianluca Barbara, 34, forms part of the Maltese club Iron Taekwondo League who participated in the Open de Liege 2024 in Belgium, featuring 700 athletes. In the 80 kg Masters Category, he won the gold medal against Dutch Norman Hornberger and secured his second consecutive international gold medal.

“It is a great pleasure for us to support athletes that are in search of excellence in their sport,” said Franco de Gabriele, Chief Commercial Officer of IZI Group. “The achievements of Gianluca in such a competitive discipline are just the tip of the iceberg. One would need to appreciate and support the arduous process that is involved in making sure that such achievements are attained. We wish Gianluca the best of luck for his future endeavours and hope that he will be an inspiration for other athletes competing at these levels.”

Sandro Micallef, Malta Sports Journalists Association’s President, said, “As Malta Sports Journalists Association, we are glad to have an athlete from an emerging sport discipline winning this award. This award is not only the reward for the continuous improvement of Gianluca Barbara as an individual athlete, but it also reflects the commitment that the Malta Taekwondo Association is giving to this sport in Malta.”

The IZIBET Elite Athlete Award recognises exceptional performances by local athletes and is awarded every two months.

A selection board composed of sports journalists and sports observers is responsible for evaluating the athlete's achievements during the designated review periods, ensuring a fair and thorough assessment process.

In the meantime, the official website of the Malta Sports Journalists Association https://www.maltasportsjournalists.com/ provides the rules and regulations governing the award.

Photo caption: (From left) Lorraine Cunningham, General Secretary of the Malta Sports Journalists Association, Gianluca Barbara, James Morgan Brand Manager of IZI Group plc and Stephen Azzopardi Administrator of the Malta Sports Journalists Association.

Gianluca Barbara jirbaħ l-ewwel IZIBET Elite Athlete Award għas-sena 2024

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National Lottery plc u l-Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sports, bi pjaċir iħabbru li Gianluca Barbara rebaħ l-ewwel unur tal-IZIBET Elite Athlete Award li jkopri x-xhur ta’ Jannar u Frar 2024.

Gianluca Barabara li għandu 34 sena, jagħmel parti mit-tim lokali Iron Taekwondo League li ħa sehem fl-Open de Liege fi Frar li għadda. B’kollox ħadu sehem 700 atleta. Fil-kategorija tal-Masters tat-80 kg, Barbara rebaħ il-midalja tad-deheb kontra l-Olandiż Norman Hornberger u b’hekk kiseb it-tieni midalja tad-deheb internazzjonali konsekuttiva.

“Huwa ta’ pjaċir kbir għalina li qed nappoġġaw l-atleti Maltin li qed ifittxu li jiksbu l-eċċelenza fid-dixxiplina rispettiva taggħhom,“ qal Franco de Gabriele, Chief Commercial Officer ta’ IZI Group. “Is-suċċess mkisub minn Gianluca Barbara f’din il-kompetizzjoni hija biss qatra f’oċean! Hemm bżonn li jiġu apprezzati u megħjuna l-isforzi kontinwi li jwasslu għar-riżultati miksuba. Nawguraw lil Gianluca Barbara aktar suċċess fil-futur u li jkompli jkun ta’ ispirazzjoni għall-atleti l-oħra.”

Il-President tal-Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sport Sandro Micallef qal, “Huwa ta' sodisfazzjon illi bħala Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sport naraw atleta minn dixxiplina sportiva emerġenti illi jirbaħ dan l-unur. Dan l-unur mhux biss huwa sinjal ta' miljorament tal-atleta nnifsu, Gianluca Barbara, iżda wkoll jirrifletti l-ħidma li qed issir lokalment mill-Federazzjoni Maltija tat-Taekwondo.”

Il-għan tal-IZIBET Elite Athlete Award huwa li jirrikonoxxi s-suċċessi miksuba mill-atleti lokali kull xahrejn.

Il-bord tal-għażla huwa magħmul minn ġurnalisti u osservaturi sportivi li se jkunu qed jevalwaw bir-reqqa il-kisbiet tal-atleti matul ix-xhur u jassiguraw li jkun hemm il-korretezza matul il-proċess kollu tal-għażla.

Ir-regolamenti tal-IZIBET Elite Athlete Award jistgħu jinkisbu minn fuq il-website tal-Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sports https://www.maltasportsjournalists.com/

Ritratt: (Mix-xellug) Lorraine Cunningham, Segretarju Ġenerali tal-Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sports, Gianluca Barbara, James Morgan, Brand Manager ta' IZI Group plc u Stephen Azzopardi, Amministratur tal-Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sports.

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Raw footage is available through this link: 
https://we.tl/t-YhKi7xK5x0

Video presentation including an interview with Gianluca Barbara is available through this link:
https://we.tl/t-ob9c4bat0s