Women's national team make international bow in Cyprus

2008 will be remembered as the year the women's national team made its official debut in the international handball arena.

The Maltese girls are currently taking part in the fifth edition of the European Handball Federation Women's Challenge Trophy in Larnaca, Cyprus.

Preparations for this tournament have been going on for the past year with regular training sessions at the University Sports Hall. As part of the build-up, the women's national selection participated in the Interamnia World Cup in Teramo, Italy, in July last year.

The Challenge Trophy features eight national teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Great Britain, Israel, Cyprus and Malta.

The participants have been divided in two groups and Malta have been drawn in pool A together with Bosnia, Finland and Israel.

Malta's squad: Agius Marylyn, Barry Yvonne, Bonello Rebecca, Camilleri Brenda, Camilleri Stephanie, Cumbo Daniela, Debattista Roslyn, Desjardins Stephanie, Farrugia Francesca, Farrugia Maxlene, Friggieri Mathilde, Micallef Louise, Tabone Doriane and Vassallo Bernardette.

Orlando Bonnici and Margaret Mercieca are the national coach and team manager respectively.

MHA vice-president Clyde Borg Conti is the head of the Maltese contingent in Larnaca.