Madyson named as Malta’s flagbearer for opening ceremony

Trap shooter Rebecca Madyson will carry Malta’s flag during today’s opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, the Maltese Olympic Committee announced yesterday.

The Australia-based shooter will lead Malta’s contingent of athletes and officials during the traditional march past at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi which will see the participation of over 6,000 athletes from the 72 participating nations.

For Madyson this will be the second time that she was chosen as flagbearer by the Maltese Olympic Committee as she led the Malta team during the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

In Australia, Madyson achieved Malta’s best ever result in these Games when she won the silver medal in the women’s trap event.

This time, Madyson will try and go one better when she lines up for the trap competition along with compatriot Kate Cassar.

Meanwhile, most of the athletes forming part of Team Malta arrived in New Delhi and are currently residing at the Athletes Village.

Wrestler Abraham Vassallo is the only selected athlete who has yet to make the trip to India. He is expected to leave for New Delhi this morning.

The first competitions in the 2010 Commonwealth Games will get under way tomorrow.

Malta’s involvement on the first day of competition will be in squash and lawn bowls.

Squash player Brad Hindle Deguara will start his campaign in the singles when he plays his first matches from the opening phase which will be held on a round robin format.

In lawn bowls, Michael Debono, Joe Saragozza and Leonard Callus will make their first appearance in the triples event.