Up-and-coming Bajada joins Fioccola in Italian Serie B

Malta table tennis champion Daniel Bajada will continue to hone his skills outside Maltese shores this season after signing for ASD Fioccola, an Italian Serie B team based in Castellana Grotte, near Bari.

The contract was signed earlier this week in St Julian’s in the presence of Malta Table Tennis Association (MTTA) president Joe Borg Cardona and Nino Bianco, a top ASD Fioccola official.

Bajada, 17, made a great effort to join an Italian club this summer. He had four trials with Serie B teams before securing a one-year deal with ASD Fioccola.

Borg Cardona voiced his satisfaction at Bajada’s move to Fioccola. Describing Bajada as a very promising talent, the MTTA head also had words of appreciation for the player’s previous school, Stella Maris College, for their crucial contribution in ensuring that the transfer went through.

“Daniel has been a model of consistency throughout the season, improving every week and showing determination and a sporting attitude while also enjoying himself,” Borg Cardona said.

“He is a rising star and has great potential in this sport. No doubt, he sets a positive example for other youths. Indeed, he is an inspiring athlete.”

Supported and coached from a young age by his father Leslie, Bajada is currently ranked Malta’s no.1 after becoming the youngest player to win the national championship.

He had good reason to celebrate at the end of the 2009/10 season after completing a clean sweep of all five senior ranking tournaments, besides the prestigious Malta title.

Winning run

Bajada maintained his relentless pace in August, winning a gold medal in the sixth International Table Tennis Festival which was played in Cervia, Italy. This top tournament was contested by no fewer than 55 players.

Those impressive results probably alerted foreign clubs as Italian teams suddenly showed an interest in Bajada who was offered various trials, Borg Cardona said.

Meanwhile, Stella Maris College physical education teacher, Kevin Azzopardi, said Bajada’s move to the Italian league vindicates the school’s policy to achieve the highest standards, even when the students are away from the traditonal classroom environment.

Azzopardi explained that Bajada will be travelling to Italy to play matches only with the first assignment scheduled for tomorrow when ASD Fioccola take on Tennistavolo Norbello in a league game.

This season, Bajada will be involved in 14 matches in all, played on a home and away basis. The season comes to a close in May. The top team will automatically win promotion to Serie A2 while the bottom two will be relegated to Serie B2.

Bianco said Bajada is ASD Fioccola’s first foreign signing.

“We’re delighted to have made this acquisition,” he said.

“Fioccola never had a foreign player before and there’s renewed interest among the fans following the decision to sign Bajada for the coming season.”

After the contract signing, Kevin Attard, Customs and Freight Agency Ltd director, presented the first sponsorship to Bajada on behalf of Passalacqua Bari.