Ben Salnitro (Athletics) and Liam Daly (Triathlon) are the winners of June’s Atlas Youth Athlete of the Month Award. 

Ben Salnitro enjoyed an outstanding month by stepping up to compete in the senior 110m hurdles (107cm) despite still being eligible for the Under-20 category. The talented hurdler clocked an impressive 14.94 seconds, establishing new Maltese Under-20 and Under-23 national records. 

Having already secured the qualifying standard for the 2027 Commonwealth Sport Small States of Europe (CSSE), Salnitro can now turn his attention to the Under-20 hurdle height (99cm) as he targets qualification for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships. 

Meanwhile, fifteen-year-old Gozitan triathlete Liam Daly announced himself on the international stage in remarkable fashion during his first month representing Malta. 

Daly made his international debut at the Africa Triathlon Junior Cup in Yasmine Hammamet, Tunisia, where he claimed the bronze medal. Just one week later, he travelled to Tarragona, Spain, where he was crowned 2026 European Age Group Champion (16–19 Sprint Triathlon), winning the gold medal. 

At only 15 years of age, Daly achieved these results while competing against athletes up to three years older than himself, making his debut international campaign one of the most successful ever by a young Maltese triathlete. Two races, two medals—one bronze and one gold—made June an unforgettable month for both Daly and Maltese triathlon. 

The Atlas Youth Athlete of the Month Award for June was presented to the winners by Robert Micallef, Chief Commercial Officer of Atlas Insurance. The Malta Sports Journalists Association was represented by President Antvin Monseigneur. 

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’ achievements during the month under review and at the same time invites local sports 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 [email protected]. The rules and regulations of the award can be viewed on www.maltasportsjournalists.com.