Luca Vella (Open Water Swimming) and Leia Summer Madden (Karate) are the winners of the Atlas Youth Athlete of the Month Award for August.

Luca Vella, aged 18, secured his third National Open Water Swimming Championship, following victories in 2021 and 2023. Luca was consistent throughout the whole championship and remained unbeaten after six races, of which five had a 2 kilometres course and the last one 4 kilometres. He finished the last race in 56 minutes and 49 seconds, just 3 seconds ahead of Sam Camilleri.

Meanwhile, Leia Summer Madden, who turned 13 this month, won the silver medal as she placed second in the World Karate Federation Youth League in Cancon, Mexico. This is the first time for Malta to win a medal in this competition. Leia was outstanding in the Under 47 kilogrammes Category reserved for youths under 14 years of age. She passed all the three rounds but in the final she lost 7-2 against Elina Balint from the USA. In August last year, Thyis Antonelli, who also practices Karate, won the Atlas Youth Athlete of the Month Award.

The Atlas Youth Athlete of the Month Award was presented to the winners by Matthew von Brockdorff, Managing Director and CEO of Atlas Insurance, together with Robert Micallef, Chief Commercial Officer. The Malta Sports Journalists Association was represented by General Secretary Lorraine Cunningham and Administrator Stephen Azzopardi.

This award is a joint initiative of the Malta Sports Journalists Association and Atlas Insurance. The adjudicating panel of this award takes note of all the youths’ national and international achievements of the month under review, and at the same time, it invites local sport associations and federations to send in their nominations for consideration if they feel that any of their under-21 athletes have distinguished themselves during that month. All the monthly winners are eligible for the annual award.

Nominations for this award may be sent via email to info@maltasportsjournalists.com. The rules and regulations of this award can be viewed through the link https://www.maltasportsjournalists.com/atlas-youth-athlete-of-the-month-rules-and-regulations/

Luca Vella (Open Water Swimming) u Leia Summer Madden (Karate) huma r-rebbieħa tal-unur tal-Atlas Atleta Żagħżugħ tax-Xahar għal Awwissu 2024.

Luca Vella li ghandu 18-il sena, rebaħ għat-tielet darba il-Kampjonat Nazzjonali tal-Għawm Open Water, wara li kien rebaħ dan l-istess titlu fl-2021 u fl-2023. Luca kien dejjem konsistenti u rebaħ is-sitt itlielaq, fejn ħamsa kienu fuq distanza ta’ żewġ kilometri u l-aħħar waħda ta’ erba’ kilometri. Fl-aħħar tellieqa kellu ħin ta’ 56 minuta u 49 sekonda fejn qabeż biss bi tliet sekondi lil Sam Camilleri.

Min-naħa l-oħra Leia Summer Madden li għadha kemm għalqet 13-il sena, rebħet il-midalja tal-fidda meta ġiet fit-tieni post fil-World Karate Federation Youth League li sar f’Cancun fil-Messiku. Għal Malta din kienet l-ewwel midalja mirbuħa f’din il-kompetizzjoni. Leia kienet dominanti fejn għaddiet mit-tliet rawnds, iżda fil-finali ġiet megħluba mill-Amerikana Elina Balint bl-iskor ta’ 7-2. Ta’ min jgħid li f’Awwissu tas-sena l-oħra, l-unur tal-Atlas Atleta Żagħżugħ tax-Xahar intrebaħ minn Thyis Antonelli, li wkoll tipprattika l-Karate.

Il-preżentazzjoni tal-unur tal-Atlas Atleta Żagħżugħ tax-Xahar lir-rebbieħa saret minn Matthew von Brockdorff, Direttur Maniġerjali u CEO ta’ Atlas Insurance, flimkien ma’ Robert Micallef, Chief Commercial Officer. F’isem l-Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sports kien hemm preżenti s-Segretarju Ġenerali Lorraine Cunningham u l-Amministratur Stephen Azzopardi.

Dan il-premju ta’ kull xahar jingħata b’inizjattiva konġunta bejn l-Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sports flimkien ma’ Atlas Insurance. Il-panel li jiġġudika r-rebbieħa ta’ dan il-premju jieħu nota tas-suċċessi miksuba lokalment u internazzjonalment matul dak ix-xahar u fl-istess ħin jistieden lill-assoċjazzjonijiet u federazzjonijiet sportivi sabiex jibagħtu n-nomini tagħhom. In-nominazzjonijiet iridu jkunu għal atleti ta’ taħt il-21 sena.

In-nominazzjonijiet għandhom jaslu b’email fuq info@maltasportsjournalists.com. Ir-regolamenti ta’ dan l-unur jinsabu f’dan il-link https://www.maltasportsjournalists.com/atlas-youth-athlete-of-the-month-rules-and-regulations/