Luxembourg top team in qualifiers at Cottonera SC

The men's Junior European Championship qualifiers for Small Countries came to a close last weekend with Luxembourg emerging winners at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

Cyprus and San Marino finished in second and third places respectively. The qualifiers were hosted by the Malta Volleyball Association (MVA) under the tutelage of European body CEV.

The Maltese team lost all their matches in the qualifying phase of the championship but showed promising qualities, particularly in the match against Northern Ireland. This was the first international commitment for the national U-20 squad.

The three-day tournament was rounded up with the presentations ceremony and Luxembourg receiving the winners' trophy from Clyde Puli, the Parliamentary Secretary for Sport.

In a short speech, MVA president Branko Vlahovic thanked all those who attended and contributed with their help. He mentioned the favourable comments received from visiting delegations who praised the tournament organisation and spoke positively about their stay in Malta.

The MVA, Vlahovic said, will be hosting two other international tournaments this year.

In May, the senior women's team will meet their counterparts from Cyprus, San Marino and Iceland, and in June, the men's team will face Cyprus, Iceland and Scotland in a similar competition.