Rabat Depiro, the undisputed Malta champions, will play in the European Club Challenge II for the second consecutive year.
As happened last year, the tournament, under the cap of the European Hockey Federation, will be played at the National Hockey Centre in Kordin between today and Sunday.
The European Club Challenge is the official competition of the Euro federation for teams winning the championships of their respective countries. The competition is organised with teams split into four divisions and battling it out for promotion or to avoid relegation from one section to another.
The team that finishes at the bottom of the table in one particular year, will relegate their country to a lower division, and hence the champion of that country will then play in that lower division in the following year.
This year's tournament will host teams from five European countries, namely Rabat Depiro (Malta), Aker (Norway), Kecioren Belediye (Turkey), Trikotex HC (Serbia & Montenegro) and SC Partille (Sweden).
The tournament gets underway with the first two matches today. Rabat Depiro will not be active on the opening day. They will take on Kecioren tomorrow at 10.30 a.m. and Aker at 5.30 p.m.
Live entertainment as well as various activities for children are being organised on Saturday starting at 1.30 p.m., prior to the match in which Rabat Depiro take on SC Partille.
Teams get off to an early start on Sunday when at 9.30 a.m. Trikotex take on Kecioren Belediye, followed by Aker vs Partille at 1.30 p.m. The final match of the tournament sees Rabat Depiro closing off the action in a match against Trikotex, starting at 4 p.m.
Last year's tournament in Malta was won by HT-85 from Finland. This year the Finnish champions will be playing in a higher division in a tournament that will be played in Zagreb, Croatia.
With the exception of a 1-1 draw against Aker, they won all their matches of the tournament. Rabat Depiro finished second, just one point below HT-85, while Aker placed third.
The tournament last year also featured the participation of a guest team from Malta - Young Stars HC. Their matches were unofficial and did not have any bearing on the final standings.
With effect from this year the European Hockey Federation has decided that guest teams in similar tournaments will no longer be allowed.
Aker (Norway) and Kecioren Belediye (Turkey) who also participated in last year's tournament, have been crowed champions in their respective countries and are once again participating in this tournament.
Today - 3 p.m. Trikotex (Serbia) vs Aker (Norway); 5.30 p.m. Kecioren Belediye (Turkey) vs Partille (Sweden).
Friday - 10.30 a.m. Kecioren Belediye vs Rabat Depiro; 3 p.m. Trikotex vs Partille; 5.30 p.m. Rabat Depiro vs Aker.
Saturday - 2.30 p.m. Partille vs Rabat Depiro; 4.30 p.m. Aker vs Kecioren Belediye.
Sunday - 9.30 a.m. Trikotex vs Kecioren Belediye; 1.30 p.m. Aker vs Partille; 4 p.m. Rabat Depiro vs Trikotex.