Brad Hindle Deguara and Diane Desira completed a clean sweep of honours for Malta at the Squash-house in Vaduz yesterday after winning the respective singles events.
Earlier in the week, the Maltese teams won gold in both categories and yesterday it was the turn of Hindle Deguara and Desira to make it an en plein of victories to seal the country’s most dominant performance in a GSSE competition ever.
Hindle Deguara had little difficulty in reaching the final as he brushed aside Christian Billard, of Monaco, 3-0, to set up a showdown with Sanjay Raval, of Luxembourg.
The final also turned out to be a one-sided affair as Malta’s no.1 player won in straight sets, 11-1, 11-8, 11-4.
“This has been a brilliant week of sport for me,” Hindle Deguara said.
“Everything went well for us and I was in top form throughout.
“My goal now is to represent Malta in the next Commonwealth Games which will be held in Glasgow in 2014.
“Last year, in India, I was unlucky not to make progress in the singles event but, hopefully, I will be able to make up for that upset in Scotland in three years’ time.”
Desira, like Hindle Deguara, found little difficulty in negotiating her way past Vaso Karasava Hambides, of Cyprus, 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-6) but hopes of an all-Malta final were dashed when Annabelle Oli-vieri Munroe was beaten by Sandra Denis, of Luxembourg, 3-1.
Olivieri Munroe then played the play-off for third place but lost to Hambides 3-1. Desira took revenge for her team-mate’s elimination in the semis as she outclassed Denis 11-3, 11-9 and 11-4.
“Our goal here was to defend the two gold medals we had won in Malta 2003 so I’m delighted to have contributed strongly to that cause,” Desira said.
“Victory was also kind of revenge for me as Sandra Denis had beaten me during the Malta Games but this time it was our turn to celebrate. In future I also want to represent Malta in the Commonwealth Games.”
Asked on the prospects of the sport in Malta, Desira, who is based in Australia, said: “Colette Sultana represents the future of this sport in Malta.
“At 15 years she is very talented and indeed has bright prospects.
“But, I still feel that we need more young players coming up and practising the sport.”
Medal winners
Gold – eight
Athletics: Diane Borg (200m).
Athletics: Kevin Arthur Moore (400m).
Athletics: (Women’s 4x100m) Diane Borg, Martina Xuereb, Charlene Attard, Rebecca Camilleri.
Athletics: (Women’s 4x400m) Charlene Attard, Francesca Xuereb, Celine Pace, Nicole Gatt.
Squash: Brad Hindle Deguara (singles).
Squash: Diane Desira (women’s singles).
Squash: (team) Carl Camilleri, Mark Lupi, Daniel Zammit Lewis, Joseph Desira, Brad Hindle Deguara.
Squash: (team) Diane Desira, Theresa Brousson, Annabelle Olivieri Munroe, Johanna Rizzo, Colette Sultana.
Silver – 12
Athletics: Diane Borg (100m).
Athletics: Lisa Marie Bezzina (10,000m).
Athletics: Lisa Marie Bezzina (5,000m).
Athletics: Rebecca Camilleri (long jump).
Athletics: (Men’s 4x100m) Owen Camilleri, Raschid Chouhal, Andy Grech, Karl Farrugia.
Athletics: (Men’s 4x400m) Karl Farrugia, Kevin Arthur Moore, James D’Alfonso, Neil Brimmer.
Judo: Jeremy Saywell (66kg).
Judo: Brent Law (60kg).
Swimming: Andrew Chetcuti (100m free).
Swimming: Talisa Pace, Melinda Sue Micallef, Davina Mangion, Nikki Muscat (4x200 free relay).
Table tennis: Simon Gerada and Daniel Bajada (doubles).
Tennis: Kim Cassar and Elena Jetcheva (doubles).
Bronze – nine
Athletics: Nicole Gatt (400m).
Athletics: Raschid Chouhal (long jump).
Athletics: Owen Camilleri (200m).
Athletics: Alessandra Pace (triple jump).
Judo: Joanna Camilleri (57kg).
Swimming: Andrew Chetcuti (50m freestyle).
Table tennis: Peng Fei Li and Jessica Pace (teams).
Table tennis: Peng Fei Li and Jessica Pace (doubles).
Tennis: Matthew Asciak and Nick Camilleri (doubles).