Maltese take on Sicilians in 12 different sports

Forty Maltese athletes will be vying to raise their profile as well as that of their sport when they compete against their Sicilian counterparts in the Mediterranean Friendship Games next week.

The second edition of these Games, to be held in sporting venues across the island between May 1 and 3, encompasses 12 sports, namely badminton, cycling, dancesport, fencing, golf, karate, pool, snooker, table football, triathlon, beach volley and weightlifting.

"These Games were conceived with the aim of increasing opportunities of international competition for those federations who aren't normally involved in major events like the Olympics, Mediterranean Games, GSSE or the Commonwealths," Lino Farrugia Sacco, the president of the Maltese Olympic Committee, told reporters during a news conference yesterday.

"We had discussed the idea of a quadrangular tournament with the participation of athletes from Tunisia and Libya but after consulting their respective national Olympic committees we concluded that it was not viable for a number of reasons."

The Mediterranean Friendship Games will take place just six months after Palermo hosted the first edition.

The programme for the first staging of these Games included events in 10 disciplines but this year has seen the addition of two new sports - beach volley and mountain biking.

MOC officials envisage strong competition from the Sicilians who will be coming over with most of their best athletes. Their contingent will be made up of 70 athletes and around 40 officials, an indication of the seriousness with which the Sicilians are treating these Games.

Golfer Andy Borg, who the MOC president described as an "athlete with great potential but who has perhaps not received the credit he deserves" will be Malta's flag-bearer during Thursday's opening ceremony at the Topaz Hotel, Bugibba.

Karate official Anthony Zammit and triathlete Danica Spiteri will read the traditional oath on behalf of all referees and athletes taking part. The medals will be presented during the closing ceremony, also at the Topaz Hotel, on Saturday evening.

Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco said the future of these Games will be assessed after the end of competition, adding that the level of public interest for next week's events will be a decisive factor. He called on the Maltese to endorse these Games, which are part of the MOC's 80th anniversary celebrations, and give their support to the local athletes. Entrance for all events will be free.

Joe Cassar, the MOC secretary, expressed hope that the Maltese replicate the positive results achieved in Palermo last year. Apart from the competitive aspect, these Games are also an opportunity for the MOC and the Sicilian committee to strengthen their relationship, Cassar said.

Yesterday's news briefing was also addressed by Marie-Therese Zammit, the chef-de-mission, and MOC officials Vince Scicluna and David Azzopardi who are overseeing the overall organisation of the tournament in close collaboration with the participating federations.

Badminton
Officials: John Attard; Francis Vella.
Athletes: Joanne Cassar; Catherine Dimech; Kenneth Vella; David Cole.
Cycling (mountain bike)
Officials: Pierre Zammit Endrich; Stephen Camilleri.
Riders: Etienne Bonello; Ramon Grech; Marie Claire Aquilina; Stephania Magri.

Dancesport
Officials: Annie Cassar; Christopher Zammit.
Dancers: Kurt Spiteri; Amanda Amaira; Joseph Bartolo; Marianne Bartolo.

Fencing
Officials: Juan Formosa; Alex Micallef.
Athletes: Marie Jo Scicluna; Susan Ronald; Norman Martinez; Pierre Bianchi.

Golf
Officials: Maureen Borg; Henning Schulze Doering.
Players: Andy Borg; Nicholas Borg.

Karate
Officials: Anthony Zammit; James Galea.
Athletes: Christopher Rotin; Caroline Bugeja; Joseph Galea; Steven Bugeja.

Pool
Officials: Vincent Degiorgio; Carmel Cilia.
Players: Clint Azzopardi; Clayton Attard.

Snooker
Officials: Frans Bugeja; Paul Galea.
Players: Mario Brincat; Duncan Bezzina.

Table Football
Officials: Joe Zammit Pavia; Hansel Mallia.
Players: Joseph Mifsud; Derek Conti.

Triathlon
Officials: Emmanuel Azzopardi; Fabienne Azzopardi.
Athletes: Donatelle Callus; Danica Spiteri; Fabio Spiteri; Keith Galea.
Volleyball (beach volleyball)
Officials: Branko Vlahovic; Jovan Vuvalovic.
Athletes: Alison Borg Hayman; Belinda Milton; Aaron Stivala; Robert Balzan.

Weightlifting
Officials: David Saliba; Simon Brincat.
Lifters: Christian Saliba; Clint Sammut; Gordon Cachia; Shehu Hawnan.