MaltaMedia's sports editor Antoine Busuttil outlines another year to remember for a number of feats obtained by local athletes in international sports competitions.

After successfully making a bid to host the Games of the Small States of Europe, local sports enthusiasts had been waiting for 2003 as it promised to be a positive year for sports on the islands. As expected, these games stole the limelight

The games were a success in every aspect. Organisation, the turn-out of the public and the results. Malta claimed 11 gold medals, 18 silver and 15 bronze. Undoubtedly, the best result ever achieved by a Maltese contingent in such an event.

The women’s basketball team, under the guidance of Santino Coppa and Carlo Farrugia, claimed a gold medal in a most exciting final in front of a packed University Sports Complex.

Athlete Tanya Blake won two gold medals in the 800m and the 1500m event. UK-based Blake, who pledged her future to Malta, was the first athlete to qualify directly for the coming Olympic Games after obtaining the qualifying time during an event in the USA. Blake also managed to win another two silver medals in the GSSE. Other gold medallists in athletics were the ever-green Carol Galea and Rachid Chouhal.

In shooting, William Chetcuti won the gold medal in the double-trap event while Mario Aquilina and Benji Borg claimed gold in sailing. The other three gold medals arrived in squash with Michael Fiteni and Diane Desira winning the singles event and the women’s team winning the team event.

The men’s squash team won a silver medal, just like shooters Frans Pace and Paul Vella, swimmer Angela Galea who claimed two, athlete Ricky Baldacchino who also won two silver medals, Nikolay Portelli, Rebecca Camilleri, the women’s 4 x 100, the women’s 4 x 100m and the men’s 4 x 100m relay teams, sailor Peter Valentino, Lisa Camenzuli and Carol Cassar Torregiani in tennis and the women’s judo team and judokas Michelle Grech and Murman Korchilova.

The bronze medalists were judokas Helen Portelli, Reuben Micallef and Marcon Bezzina, athletes Gizelle Camilleri, Darren Gilford and the men's relay 4x400m, shooter Emmanuel Grima and the women’s 4 x 200m Freestyle team.

In football, 2003 was the year of Sliema Wanderers considering that they managed to claim the Premier League title for the first time after seven years. The battle for the title was mainly with Birkirkara and once the Blues managed to climb on top in February, they never looked back going on to make sure of the title a number of matches before the end of the season. The Wanderers’ success was completed with a memorable qualification to the second qualifying round of the Champions League when they managed to eliminate Skonto Riga of Latvia.

Birkirkara were definitely not left empty-handed as they claimed three trophies in four months. In May, they managed to win the FA Trophy beating champions Sliema in the final and then went on to beat Hibernians in the Super Cup final. In August, Birkirkara beat Hibs and Valletta to claim the Lowenbrau Cup.

For the national team, it was not a year to remember. 2003 brought to an end the era of Sigi Held. An era marked by a number of negative results but which however was wrapped up by a most creditable 2-2 draw with Israel in Antalya. Held’s contract was not renewed and a new coaching tandem was appointed - Horst Heese and Carmel Busuttil.

Unlike football, the Malta rugby national team extend its positive run to win promotion from Division Three Pool B to Pool A. Malta defeated Luxembourg and Bosnia in the process.

Malta’s professional snooker player Tony Drago tried his luck in pool. Drago won the World Pool Masters which were held in Holland and then went on to place third in the World Championships.

The Hockey Association at last has a synthetic pitch on which it could host national team matches and even international tournaments. The new pitch at the Corradino Complex was inaugurated in November with a 4-0 for Malta in a friendly match against Cyprus.