Bezzina injury a blow for Hibs, national team

Fate can play strange tricks as Hibs Go Mobile and their inspirational player Lucienne Bezzina discovered to their cost last weekend.

Fresh from winning the BoV Knock-Out for a record sixth time in a row, Hibs' sights were now set on wresting the league crown from rivals Depiro.

Starting their best-of-five play-off series against Naxxar Danone with a bonus win, Hibs' hopes of reaching the final suffered a blow when their captain Bezzina sustained a knee injury during the first session of last Saturday's game. Naxxar won the match 34-31 to level the tie at 1-1.

Initial fears about the seriousness of Bezzina's injury were confirmed when medical tests revealed that the Hibs skipper had damaged her cruciate ligaments.

As a result, Bezzina will be out for the rest of the season, including the Small Nations Games in Andorra where the Maltese women's team will be defending the gold medal they famously won in the last GSSE held here two years ago. Her rehabilitation from surgery will also rule Bezzina out of the opening months of next season.

Bezzina, named player of the year last season, had been one of the most consistent players before her participation was cut short by injury.

Her shooting prowess gave her a total of 531 points in 29 matches for an average of more than 18 points per game. Bezzina, wife of Etienne who turns out for Malta champions Pembroke, also sank in 32 three-pointers, a no mean feat even for a male player.

In a statement, Hibs Go Mobile said they empathise with Bezzina during this difficult time, adding that her injury is as much a personal setback as it is a big loss for them and the Malta national team.

"We wish Lucienne Bezzina a speedy recovery," the statement said. "Patience is the key as coming back from this kind of injury is not easy. We are sure that Bezzina's character will shine through."

Yesterday's results - Hibs vs Naxxar 45-42 (2-1); Depiro vs Luxol 49-36 (3-0, Depiro in final).