Malta’s gold medal tally at the Mediterranean Games could double today if Raffa pair Stefan Farrugia and David Farrugia beat Italy in the title match in Mersin.

The route to the final was no easy task though as the Maltese pair only made it from the group on a better points average than Libya and Algeria after all three countries had finished with two wins from four matches.

Yesterday, Malta lost to Algeria 12-9 and also conceded a heavy 12-1 defeat to Italy. However, the 12-4 victory over Libya proved decisive as the Farrugias qualified with a +5 in the points-for column in contrast with Libya (-3) and Algeria (-14).

The Maltese pair looked a different lot in the evening session for the semi-final against San Marino who had progressed without defeat as Group 2 winners.

They seized the early initiative and never relinquished the lead before securing a 12-7 win and a place in today’s final against Italy who ousted France 12-6 in the other semi-final.

Also in action yesterday was wrestler Adam Vella in the 60kg freestyle category.

Vella lost his first bout to Morocco’s Fatah Hamza, the eventual beaten finalist. Later in the afternoon, Vella suffered the same fate at the hands of Macedonia wrestler Jasin Redjalari in a bronze medal repechage bout.