The draws of the BOV Knock-Out competitions were made yesterday at the basketball pavilion in Ta’ Qali.

The stand-out tie of the preliminary round of the men’s Division One KO is the clash between Siġġiewi and champions Athleta, a repeat of last season’s final which the latter won 85-56.

Depiro have been paired with Loyola in the other preliminary round match.

The winner of the Siġġiewi/Athleta encounter will face Luxol in the semi-finals while Floriana await the winner of the other preliminary round match.

Rivals Hibs and Depiro have avoided each other in the semi-finals of the women’s BOV KO, scheduled for this weekend. The Paolites will play in-form Loyola and Depiro will meet Luxol.

“A total of 21 teams are participating in this year’s KO competitions,” Edward Muscat Azzopardi, head marketing at Bank of Valletta, told a news conference.

“The bank’s partnership with the MBA aims to increase the game’s popularity and we are happy to see two new teams enter the KO competitions.”

Paul Sultana, the president of the Malta Basketball Association, said the re-introduction of foreign players is having a positive effect on the local game.

“The presence of foreign players has enhanced the spectacle during local matches,” Sultana said. “The Maltese players have responded to the high standards set by the foreigners and this is resulting in fast-paced games and higher scores.”

BOV KO Fixtures

Division One: Preliminary round – Depiro Mtarfa vs Loyola Tata Motors; Siġġiewi vs Athleta A-Z Elec. Semi-finals – Depiro/Loyola vs Floriana; Siġġiewi/Athleta vs Luxol.

Division Two: Quarter-finals: Qormi vs Athleta; Floriana Eurobasket vs Bell Net SN Suns; Miscela D’Oro Mtarfa vs Starlites; Mellieħa vs Siġġiewi.

Women’s semi-finals: Hibs vs Loyola; Luxol vs Depiro.