MBSA team for European championships in Russia

Twelve Maltese players and two referees are in Russia to represent Malta in the 2009 European Team Championships and the U-19 competition to be staged in St Petersburg between tomorrow and March 26.

The Malta Billiards and Snooker Association contingent, led by president Joe Caruana Curran, will field two teams in the men's category and another in the Masters (Over 40).

Four Maltese players will also participate in the U-19 singles championship.

The men's category will see the participation of 20 teams from 15 countries. They were split into two groups of ten with the top four from each section progressing to the quarter-finals.

Malta has won these championships twice, the inaugural edition in 2004 in Latvia and the following year in Malta.

In this year's edition, Malta A is composed of Alex Borg, Simon Zammit and Duncan Bezzina. They were drawn in Group B together with Scotland, Belgium, Ireland B, Poland, Iceland, Switzerland, Belarus and two Russian teams.

Malta B is formed by Mario Brincat, Clayton Castaldi and Duncan Pisani.

They will play in Group A together with Ireland A, Finland, Wales, Cyprus, Germany, France, Israel and another two Russian teams.

Twenty-three teams will compete in the Masters category. They were split in four groups. Tony Mifsud and Peter Tonna will play in Group C along with England, Wales, Scotland, Belgium and Russia.

In the U-19 championships Malta will be represented by Thurston Grixti, Aaron Busuttil, Matthias Mallia and Gozitan Shaun Sultana.

International referees Willie Mifsud and Raymond Debattista will be controlling matches during these championships.