Team Gaudos wins the second IZIBET Elite Athlete Award for 2025

Team Gaudos wins the second IZIBET Elite Athlete Award for 2025

National Lottery plc and the Malta Sports Journalists Association (MSJA) are pleased to announce that Team Gaudos won the second IZIBET Elite Athlete Award for 2025, covering the months of March and April.

Team Gaudos, made up of Stephen Grima and Brandon Sultana, is the first Maltese team to successfully complete the Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race, held in South Africa in March. Team Gaudos placed 266th overall out of 743 teams. Their total race time was of 38 hours, 7 minutes, and 10 seconds.

This eight-day competition pushes participants to their limits, covering 600 kilometres with a total elevation gain of 16,500 metres. The participants endured extreme weather conditions, including mountain temperatures reaching 51°C, torrential rain, strong winds, and muddy trails.

Stephen Grima received the coveted Cape Epic medal, becoming the first Maltese to be recognised as a Cape Epic Legend after previously completing the Andorra Epic and Swiss Epic.

Brandon Sultana earned his Cape Epic medal after also completing the Swiss Epic. He now looks forward to joining Grima as the second Maltese Epic Legend once he also completes another Epic

Franco de Gabriele, Chief Commercial Officer at National Lottery plc, commented: “We are proud to support and celebrate Team Gaudos for their exceptional achievement in one of the most demanding endurance events in the world. Their resilience, teamwork, and commitment embody the spirit of the IZIBET Elite Athlete Award. It’s an inspiration to see Maltese athletes breaking barriers on the global stage.”

Lorraine Cunningham, Malta Sports Journalists Association’s General Secretary said, “We are very proud that through this bimonthly honour we get to showcase athletes and sport that maybe are not established household names, and we get to do this thanks to National Lottery and their IZIBET brand. One cannot but admire and appreciate the determination and discipline of athletes competing in sport that not only challenges their body strength but also their mental wellbeing as well as the rigorous training and stamina needed to compete in such events. Still the fact remains that one can never be prepared enough for the harsh climatic elements faced which are not what we are used to locally.”

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 provides the rules and regulations governing the award.

(From left) Lorraine Cunningham (General Secretary of the Malta Sports Journalists Association) Stephen Grima and Brandon Sultana (Team Gaudos) and Clinton Buhagiar (President of the Malta Sports Journalists Association).

Team Gaudos wins the second IZIBET Elite Athlete Award for 2025

National Lottery plc u l-Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sports, bi pjaċir iħabbru li Team Gaudos rebaħ it-tieni unur tal-IZIBET Elite Athlete Award għal din is-sena li jkopri x-xhur ta’ Marzu u April.

Team Gaudos magħmul mill-Għawdxin Stephen Grima u Brandon Sultana sar l-ewwel tim minn Malta li temm l-Absa Cape Epic li saret fl-Afrika t’Isfel, f’Marzu li għadda. Team Gaudos spiċċa fil-266 post overall minn 743 tim parteċipant. Grima u Sultana għamluha f’ħin totali ta’ 38 siegħa, 7 minuti u 10 seckondi.

Din it-tiġrija iebsa bil-mountain bikes mifruxa fuq tmint ijiem, fuq distanza ta’ 600 kilometru u b’elevazzjoni ta’ 16,500 metru. Il-parteċipanti raw ma’ wiċċhom kundizzjonijiet klimatiċi estremi bħal temperaturi ta’ 51°C flimkien ma’ xita torrenzjali, riħ qawwi u toroq mimlijin bit-tajn.

Stephen Grima ingħata l-midalja Cape Epic hekk kif għamel ukoll l-Andorra Epic u l-iSwiss Epic sabiex ġie rikonnoxut bħala Cape Epic Legend.

Brandon Sultana wkoll irċieva l-istess midalja wara li għamel l-iSwiss Epic u qed jimmira biex huwa wkoll bħal Grima jsir it-tieni Cape Epic Legend Malti.

Franco de Gabriele, Chief Commercial Officer ta’ National Lottery plc, qal: “Kburin li nappoġġjaw u niċċelebraw il-kisba eċċezzjonali ta’ Team Gaudos f’wieħed mill-aktar avvenimenti ta’ reżistenza impenjattiva fid-dinja. Ir-reżiljenza, il-ħidma bħala tim, u l-impenn tagħhom jinkorporaw l-ispirtu tal-IZIBET Elite Athlete Award. Hija ta’ ispirazzjoni li tara atleti Maltin jegħlbu diversi ostakli fix-xena internazzjonali tal-isport.”

Min-naħa tagħha Lorraine Cunnigham, Segretarju Ġenerali tal-Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sport qalet, “Huwa ta’ pjaċir għalina li permezz ta’ dan l-unur qed jirnexxielna nagħtu għarfien lil atleti li forsi huma jew l-isport li jipprattikaw ma jkunux daqshekk magħrufa mal-pubbliku in ġenerali u ta’ dan nirringrazzja lil National Lottery u l-brand tagħhom IZIBET. Wieħed irid bilfors jammira u japprezza d-determinazzjoni u d-dixxiplina eżerċitata fi sport li jkun qed jisfida mhux biss is-saħħa tal-ġisem iżda wkoll dik mentali meta apparti l-istamina u t-taħriġ li wieħed għandu bżonn biex imur jikkompeti f’dawn it-tip ta’ tlielaq jibqa l-fatt li qatt ma tkun ippreparat biżżejjed għall-elementi ħorox tat-temp li mhumiex normali f’pajjiżna.”

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.