24 Maltese youngsters in Sicily
A strong contingent of promising athletes will represent Malta in the 2006 Island Games which will be held in Sicily between today and Saturday. The Games will have over 1,000 athletes (ages 15-16) competing in nine different sport - athletics,...
A strong contingent of promising athletes will represent Malta in the 2006 Island Games which will be held in Sicily between today and Saturday.
The Games will have over 1,000 athletes (ages 15-16) competing in nine different sport - athletics, volleyball, basketball, table tennis, judo, swimming, sailing, gymnastics and tennis.
The Malta Olympic Committee team, 24 in all, includes youngsters from athletics, judo, gymnastics, sailing and swimming. They are accompanied by coaches and MOC officials Joe Cassar and Dr Lucienne Attard.
The main goal of the Island Games is not only the sporting competition but to stimulate youth in the field of training, environmental protection, community life and Fair Play. Youngsters also interact with each other and learn more on different cultures.
Since 1997, the Island Games have taken place every year. This international sporting event brings together young athletes from islands in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Caribbean.
Participants hail from Azores (Portugal), Balearics (Spain), the Canaries (Spain), Cape Verde, Corfu (Greece), Corsica (France), Guadeloupe (France), Jersey (UK), Madeira (Portugal), Malta, Martinique (France), Mayotte (France), Reunion (France), Sardegna (Italy), Sicily (Italy) and the Isle of Wight (UK).
The Games are recognised by the International Olympic Committee, the European Olympic Committee and also the European Parliament.
The Maltese contingent in Sicily:
Athletics: Diane Borg, Martina Xuereb, Francesca Xuereb, Dorianne Micallef, Rebecca Sare, Christabel Attard, Matthew Croker, Owen Camilleri, Andy Grech, Gabriel Chircop. Coach - Tanya Xuereb.
Sailing: Ella Fleri Soler, Louisa Manduca, Gabriel Pace, Sean Borg. Coach - Jean Paul Fleri Soler.
Swimming: Talisa Pace, Kim Attard. Coach - Andy Colbourn.
Judo: Carl Lewis Cardona Fiott, Aaron Bezzina. Coach - Mario Cardona.
Gymnastics: Roxanne Bonnici, Nicolette Schembri, Sonia Schembri, Jeremy Saywell, Terrence Gatt, Michael Brown. Coaches - Angelov Plamen Peynov and Janet Muscat.