International badminton will once again take centre stage with the fifth Malta International Youth Tournament. This is being held at St Aloysius and St Martin's between today and Sunday.

In addition to the Maltese under-18 squad, the event will also see the participation of the Hurlford Badminton Club from Scotland.

The Maltese squad, led by coach Norman Spiteri, is made up of the following players: Maria Borg, Fiorella Farrugia, Edmond Degiovanni, Avner Vella and Adrian Chetcuti.

Coaches Billy and May Fulton are in charge of the Scottish team. Lynne MacMillan, Sarah Cashmore, Martin Ronald, David Baird and Robert Young are the members of the Hurlford squad.

The event will be run in accordance with the rules of the International Badminton Federation. Apart from the direct encounter between the Maltese and the Scottish junior squads, the event will comprise separate singles and doubles competitions featuring all the local and foreign players taking part.

Dates and times of the tournament: Today - St Aloysius College, 9 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. Doubles event. Tomorrow - St Aloysius College, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Malta vs Scotland. Sunday - St. Martin's College, 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Singles event.

This international badminton weekend is scheduled to come to its competitive end on Sunday with the presentation of trophies.

A spokesman for the local Badminton Association stated that the regular organisation of such tournaments is in line with the association's commitment to give international exposure to its promising players, thereby increasing their experience while motivating them to higher achievement. He also thanked Janatha Stubbs for her valuable assistance and support.