Bartolo runner-up in U-19 event

Eleven Maltese players have just figured in the World Cup tournament which was held in Tournai, Belgium. Five of them played in the Open category and two players each took part in tournaments for Veterans, U-19 and U-15.

Italian players returned home with the major honours. Bolognino clinched the Open category, Fringiani the Veterans and Bertelli the U-19. They also won the World Cup for national teams.

Without doubt, Malta's best result came from Samuel Bartolo. In his last appearance in the U-19 class, he reached the final where he was marginally beaten by Bertelli 2-1.

After easily winning his group, Bartolo eliminated Italian Buono 5-4 on golden goal, Belgium's Bacega 4-2 and Barros, of Portugal, 4-1 in the semi-finals.

Mauro Camilleri, the other Maltese player in the U-19 category, was eliminated in the group stage.

The Maltese had hoped for better results in the Open. Massimo Cremona, Joseph Mifsud, Hansel Mallia and Charles Aquilina advanced from the group stages but made little progress thereafter. Derek Conti did not qualify to the knock-out stages.

In the last 32, Cremona eliminated Belgium's Dejarden 3-2 in a shoot-out after a 2-2 draw but then lost the Last 16 match to top seed Verhagen, of Holland, 2-1.

In the Last 32, Aquilina lost to Nastasi (Italy) 4-1, Mifsud was ousted 3-0 by Ruelle, of Belgium, and Austria's Heider beat Mallia 2-1.

In the Veterans class, Patrick Pace and Mario Spiteri qualified from their respective groups. Spiteri was knocked out in the next round by Belgium's Mazzaglia 3-2 (golden goal) and Pace, after ousting German Sauerwein on shots, lost to Italy's Tecchiati 1-0.

In the U-15 tournament, Timothy Spiteri and Andre Grima failed to reach the knock-out stages.

Day Two of the World Cup was dedicated to the national teams. Malta's squad was composed of Mifsud, the captain, Mallia, Aquilina, Conti and Cremona.

Malta was drawn in a tough group with France, Spain and Holland. They started with a 2-2 draw with France but identical 2-1 wins in the next two qualifiers saw the Maltese through only to lose in the quarter-finals to hosts Belgium 2-0.

The U-19 team was formed by Bartolo, Camilleri, Spiteri and Grima. Here, the Maltese were eliminated in the group stage after three losses to Germany, Belgium and Portugal.