Maltese aim to maintain good track record

Table tennis has established itself as a very successful discipline in the Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE).

When table tennis was first introduced in the Iceland GSSE in 1997, Maltese athletes excelled, claiming a total of five medals - one gold, two silver and two bronze.

The Games in Liechtenstein (1999) and in San Marino (2001) also featured table tennis in their sport programmes.

Malta's overall tally of 12 medals in table tennis in the past three editions is nothing short of exceptional, justifying the high expectations ahead of the Malta GSSE next month.

All table tennis events will be staged at the Victoria Sports Complex, thus enabling Gozitans to enjoy a taste of the Games.

In the men's events, Malta's hopes are pinned on Simon Gerada who narrowly missed out on the gold medal in the individual event in San Marino two years ago.

With two more years of professional experience under his belt, Gerada is expected to make the final of the men's individual event on Saturday June 7.

With Gerada all but assured of his berth in the Maltese GSSE team, the race is still on for the two other available slots.

Wayne Gerada, Simon's brother, looks a solid bet to don the Maltese colours for the first time.

Wayne, the elder of the Gerada brothers, is eligible to play for Malta and has been preparing well to stake his claim for inclusion in the Maltese squad.

Edward Baldacchino, who has a wealth of experience at international level, and young Alex Soler, who recently participated at the European Championships held in Italy, are the other two players vying for a place in the national selection.

The Gerada brothers have been undergoing an intense training programme in Australia and both participated in four international events.

The two athletes also travelled to Poland for a training camp before flying over to Malta to complete their final training phase.

The training programme will be boosted by the presence of Polish player Andrei Markowski who will act as a sparring partner to the Maltese players.

While most of the training sessions are being held in Malta, the Table Tennis Association has instructed its players to practise at the Gozo complex on weekends to ensure that the athletes cash in on home advantage. In fact, players have been crossing to Gozo since mid-April to train at the Victoria Complex.

It is envisaged that the Maltese table tennis teams take up residence in Gozo a week before the start of the Games to train on a full-time basis at the venue.

Ladies' events

Johanna Grech and Christine Cassar Torregiani have what it takes to perform well under pressure.

The two veterans have played in countless international tournaments and will have their sights set on going one step better than the two bronze medals they landed in the doubles and team events in San Marino.

Completing the Maltese ladies' trio is Cristina Saydon who is hoping to experience her baptism of fire at these Games.

The Malta Table Tennis Association will be sending the women's team to compete in the individuals' event of the World Championship in Paris, France, between May 19 and 25. This competition should help the Maltese players fine-tune their preparations for their ultimate assignment in Gozo.

National coach Mario Genovese and team manager Alex Anastasi know only too well that the onus will be on the Maltese athletes to win a number of medals next month.

This will not be an easy task when taking into account the strength of the team from Luxembourg. Newcomers Andorra may also turn out to be a surprise.

The first medal to be contested at the Games will be the team event. The men's singles will commence on Wednesday afternoon whereas the ladies' competition is scheduled to start on Thursday, June 5. Friday will be reserved for both the men's and ladies' doubles.

The last day of the Games will offer more drama as the semi-finals and finals of the men's and ladies' individual events will deliver the final verdict.

Pierre Albertini of France will be the International Delegate at these Games.

Meanwhile, the Maltese national championships are scheduled to be held this weekend and a keenly-contested competition is expected.