43 athletes in contingent for Med. Games

The Maltese Olympic Committee will have 43 athletes in next week's Mediterranean Games in Pescara, Team Malta's chef-de-mission Joe Cassar announced yesterday.

This is by far the largest group ever to represent the country in the Games even though one has to consider that in Pescara the Maltese will figure in two team sport - basketball and football.

Malta will be represented in ten sport, namely, athletics, shooting, basketball, football, tennis, canoeing, sailing, wrestling, golf and bowls.

Although the level here is by far higher than the GSSE, the Maltese still achieved some remarkable results since the first edition was held in Egypt way back in 1951.

In 1993, shooter Manuel Abela won bronze in trap and four years later we doubled our medals tally when Carol Walsh won silver in the marathon and the bowls team took bronze.

In Almeria 2005, William Chetcuti won a bronze medal in double trap.

Chetcuti will be making the trip to Pescara along with fellow shooters Nazzareno Attard (trap) and Clive Farrugia (skeet).

A notable inclusion is that of canoeist Chris Camilleri. He will take part in K1 500 and 1,000. It will be Malta's first showing in the Med. Games canoeing events.

Women's basketball coach Santino Coppa was forced to make one change to the squad that won gold in the Cyprus GSSE as Ashleigh Vella is unavailable. She has been replaced by Stephanie De Martino.

Team Malta will be headed by MOC president Lino Farrugia Sacco. In Pescara, he will be seeking a new term on the Executive Committee during a general assembly.

The contingent

Athletics: N. Portelli.

Bowls: D. Farrugia, N. Farrugia.

Basketball: Women's national team.

Canoeing: C. Camilleri.

Football: U-21 national team.

Golf: A. Borg, C. Bergedahl, J.J. Micallef Verelst.

Sailing: M. Podesta.

Shooting: N. Attard, W. Chetcuti, C. Farrugia.

Tennis: K. Cassar.

Wrestling: A. Vassallo.