2005: Sports
MaltaMedia's Sports Editor reviews highlights from 2005 in football, athletics, waterpolo, hockey, rugby and other sports across the Maltese islands.
2005 will probably be remembered for the best performance ever by Maltese athletes in the Games of the Small States of Europe away from home.
Participation in the Andorra 2005 Games was in doubt a couple of months before the games kicked-off due to lack of financing. When it was finally decided that Malta was going to take part, the MOC made sure that only those athletes who had satisfied the Minimum Qualifying Standards had to take part. In fact, a rather small contingent of 64 athletes was selected and Malta did not take part in a number of events.
Athletics provided Malta with excellent results - two gold medals by Carol Galea and the men's 4x100m relay team, nine silver (Galea, Rashid Chouhal (2), Martin Xuereb, Rebecca Camilleri, Lisa Bezzina, the women's 4x100m relay team, the women's 4x400m relay team and the men's 4x400m relay team) and six bronze medals (Lisa Bezzina, Darren Gilford, Nikolai Portelli, Charlene Attard, Mario Bonello and Jean Paul Callus).
Angela Galea won a gold medal in the 200m butterfly - the first gold medal ever in swimming. Galea and the women's 4x200m freestyle team won bronze medals. In the men's table-tennis event, Malta claimed two gold medals thanks to Simon Gerada and the men's team (Gerada and Andrezei Makowski), a silver and a bronze.
In judo, Marcon Bezzina claimed gold, the women's team claimed silver while Reuben Micallef, Evgeny Ulanov and Michael Zahra won a bronze medal. Shooting provided the usual satisfaction with William Chetcuti winning the gold medal in the double trap. Emmanuel Grima won a silver medal in the same event and Frans Pace claimed bronze in the trap event.
Boris Pashanski won a silver medal in tennis while Roderick Muscat (cycling), Lisa Camenzuli (tennis), Lisa Camenzuli/Stephanie Pace (tennis) won bronze medals. The greatest disappointment was that of the women's basketball team which suffered two defeats although they still managed to collect a bronze medal.
In all, Malta won 7 gold medals, 13 silver and 17 bronze.
William Chetcuti obtained an excellent result as he obtained a most prestigious second place in the Double Trap event in the ISSF World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia. Chetcuti won a bronze medal for Malta in the Mediterranean Games which were held in Almeria, Spain and a silver medal in the European Junior Championship in Belgrade. In October, he established a new world record at Bidnija when hitting 148 clays from 150. In the recent World Cup finals in Dubai, he placed fourth. Chetcuti was presented with the newly-introduced MOC Platinum Award which honours those who achieved an outstanding sporting feat during this year.
Another remarkable feat was that of snooker player Alex Borg who was crowned European champion and earned the right to play in the professional WSA Main Tour. Together with Guzi Grech and Simon Zammit, they also won the continental teams' championship.
In football, the national team disappointed in the first four matches, losing to Norway (0-3) in a friendly match at Ta' Qali and to Croatia (3-0), Sweden (6-0) and Iceland (4-1) in three World Cup qualifiers away from home. However since August, the team bounced back with a 1-1 draw in a friendly match with Northern Ireland in August, a 1-1 draw against Croatia in September and another 1-1 draw with Bulgaria, the last two being World Cup qualifiers. In September, Malta lost 4-0 to Hungary in Budapest.
The game against Croatia will be remember for the chaos created at Ta' Qali by a number of Croatian supporters, who could not believe their side was dropping two important points in Malta.
Coach Horst Heese announced his decision to step down from his post as national team coach. In summer, assistant coach Carmel Busuttil had also quit the post.
At club level, local clubs disappointed in Europe with Valletta, Sliema Wanderers, Hibernians and Birkirkara all failing to reach the next stage.
Sliema Wanderers were crowned champions for the third successive season while Birkirkara won the FA Trophy after beating Msida St. Joseph 2-1. The Stripes won the BOV Super Cup defeating Sliema 3-0 in the final. Sliema however won the Euro Challenge Cup.
Over the past calendar year, former national team goalkeeper David Cluett passed away at the age of 39 in July while a female footballer Graziella Fenech lost her life in a traffic accident in August.
The UEFA Executive Committee met in Malta on 7 and 8 November 2005 to discuss a number of matters including the short listing of three bidders who will progress through to the second phase of the bidding process for hosting UEFA EURO 2012.
In rugby, Malta reached round 3 of the Rugby World Cup 2007 qualifiers after beating Bulgaria 23-15 in Sofia and beating Denmark in a play-off. Malta lost 0-43 to Germany at the Hibs Ground in October but made a great comeback beating Serbia & Montenegro 16-3 away from home.
Both the men's and women's squash national teams had successful results in the European Small Nations Squash Tournament 2005 which was held in Cyprus. The ladies' team returned home with a well deserved silver medal while the men's team won a bronze medal.
In hockey, Malta for the first time, hosted an international tournament - the Hockey Nations Challenge II. Rabat Depiro hosted the European Club Challenge II. Serbian champions MB Trikotex won the tournament with Rabat Depiro placing third. On domestic level, Rabat won the National League for the fourth consecutive time and started off season 2005/2006 by winning the fourth consecutive Super Cup.
Sirens won the Waterpolo championship while Neptunes had to settle for the Knock-Out after beating rivals Sliema.
In basketball, Hamrun Liberty claimed the title after 21 years beating Pembroke in the play-offs. Rabat Depiro won the Women's National League title.
A new chapter was written in the history of local basketball when, for the first time ever, two local international officials were nominated together by FIBA to work out the same game. Maltese international FIBA referee Bernard Vassallo and FIBA commissioner Leonard Falzon were entrusted by FIBA for the FIBA Cup Group C game between Maddaloni Caserta of Italy and Clermont Fernand of France.
In volleyball, Paola Candy and Fleur de Lys FEB confirmed their status as the local strongest sides, winning the Fr. Tony Parnis Cup title, and adding it to the Super Cup and the National League they had already won during the season.
In canoeing, history was made on July 28 when thanks to the funding of the Malta Olympic Committee, the Malta Canoe Federation (MCF) received its first two professional sprint kayaks. These are the first ever Olympic class kayaks to be purchased on the Maltese Islands.
In bowling, Brian Farrugia and Sue Abela both achieved positive results in the European Championships for Individuals with Abela placing fifth.
See also: MaltaMedia Sports Update
MaltaMedia's Sports Editor reviews highlights from 2005 in football, athletics, waterpolo, hockey, rugby and other sports across the Maltese islands.
2005 will probably be remembered for the best performance ever by Maltese athletes in the Games of the Small States of Europe away from home.
Participation in the Andorra 2005 Games was in doubt a couple of months before the games kicked-off due to lack of financing. When it was finally decided that Malta was going to take part, the MOC made sure that only those athletes who had satisfied the Minimum Qualifying Standards had to take part. In fact, a rather small contingent of 64 athletes was selected and Malta did not take part in a number of events. Athletics provided Malta with excellent results - two gold medals by Carol Galea and the men's 4x100m relay team, nine silver (Galea, Rashid Chouhal (2), Martin Xuereb, Rebecca Camilleri, Lisa Bezzina, the women's 4x100m relay team, the women's 4x400m relay team and the men's 4x400m relay team) and six bronze medals (Lisa Bezzina, Darren Gilford, Nikolai Portelli, Charlene Attard, Mario Bonello and Jean Paul Callus).
Angela Galea won a gold medal in the 200m butterfly - the first gold medal ever in swimming. Galea and the women's 4x200m freestyle team won bronze medals. In the men's table-tennis event, Malta claimed two gold medals thanks to Simon Gerada and the men's team (Gerada and Andrezei Makowski), a silver and a bronze. In judo, Marcon Bezzina claimed gold, the women's team claimed silver while Reuben Micallef, Evgeny Ulanov and Michael Zahra won a bronze medal. Shooting provided the usual satisfaction with William Chetcuti winning the gold medal in the double trap. Emmanuel Grima won a silver medal in the same event and Frans Pace claimed bronze in the trap event.
Boris Pashanski won a silver medal in tennis while Roderick Muscat (cycling), Lisa Camenzuli (tennis), Lisa Camenzuli/Stephanie Pace (tennis) won bronze medals. The greatest disappointment was that of the women's basketball team which suffered two defeats although they still managed to collect a bronze medal.
In all, Malta won 7 gold medals, 13 silver and 17 bronze.
William Chetcuti obtained an excellent result as he obtained a most prestigious second place in the Double Trap event in the ISSF World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia. Chetcuti won a bronze medal for Malta in the Mediterranean Games which were held in Almeria, Spain and a silver medal in the European Junior Championship in Belgrade. In October, he established a new world record at Bidnija when hitting 148 clays from 150. In the recent World Cup finals in Dubai, he placed fourth. Chetcuti was presented with the newly-introduced MOC Platinum Award which honours those who achieved an outstanding sporting feat during this year. Another remarkable feat was that of snooker player Alex Borg who was crowned European champion and earned the right to play in the professional WSA Main Tour. Together with Guzi Grech and Simon Zammit, they also won the continental teams' championship.
In football, the national team disappointed in the first four matches, losing to Norway (0-3) in a friendly match at Ta' Qali and to Croatia (3-0), Sweden (6-0) and Iceland (4-1) in three World Cup qualifiers away from home. However since August, the team bounced back with a 1-1 draw in a friendly match with Northern Ireland in August, a 1-1 draw against Croatia in September and another 1-1 draw with Bulgaria, the last two being World Cup qualifiers. In September, Malta lost 4-0 to Hungary in Budapest.
The game against Croatia will be remember for the chaos created at Ta' Qali by a number of Croatian supporters, who could not believe their side was dropping two important points in Malta.
Coach Horst Heese announced his decision to step down from his post as national team coach. In summer, assistant coach Carmel Busuttil had also quit the post.
At club level, local clubs disappointed in Europe with Valletta, Sliema Wanderers, Hibernians and Birkirkara all failing to reach the next stage.
Sliema Wanderers were crowned champions for the third successive season while Birkirkara won the FA Trophy after beating Msida St. Joseph 2-1. The Stripes won the BOV Super Cup defeating Sliema 3-0 in the final. Sliema however won the Euro Challenge Cup.
Over the past calendar year, former national team goalkeeper David Cluett passed away at the age of 39 in July while a female footballer Graziella Fenech lost her life in a traffic accident in August.
The UEFA Executive Committee met in Malta on 7 and 8 November 2005 to discuss a number of matters including the short listing of three bidders who will progress through to the second phase of the bidding process for hosting UEFA EURO 2012.
In rugby, Malta reached round 3 of the Rugby World Cup 2007 qualifiers after beating Bulgaria 23-15 in Sofia and beating Denmark in a play-off. Malta lost 0-43 to Germany at the Hibs Ground in October but made a great comeback beating Serbia & Montenegro 16-3 away from home.
Both the men's and women's squash national teams had successful results in the European Small Nations Squash Tournament 2005 which was held in Cyprus. The ladies' team returned home with a well deserved silver medal while the men's team won a bronze medal.
In hockey, Malta for the first time, hosted an international tournament - the Hockey Nations Challenge II. Rabat Depiro hosted the European Club Challenge II. Serbian champions MB Trikotex won the tournament with Rabat Depiro placing third. On domestic level, Rabat won the National League for the fourth consecutive time and started off season 2005/2006 by winning the fourth consecutive Super Cup. Sirens won the Waterpolo championship while Neptunes had to settle for the Knock-Out after beating rivals Sliema.
In basketball, Hamrun Liberty claimed the title after 21 years beating Pembroke in the play-offs. Rabat Depiro won the Women's National League title.
A new chapter was written in the history of local basketball when, for the first time ever, two local international officials were nominated together by FIBA to work out the same game. Maltese international FIBA referee Bernard Vassallo and FIBA commissioner Leonard Falzon were entrusted by FIBA for the FIBA Cup Group C game between Maddaloni Caserta of Italy and Clermont Fernand of France.
In volleyball, Paola Candy and Fleur de Lys FEB confirmed their status as the local strongest sides, winning the Fr. Tony Parnis Cup title, and adding it to the Super Cup and the National League they had already won during the season.
In canoeing, history was made on July 28 when thanks to the funding of the Malta Olympic Committee, the Malta Canoe Federation (MCF) received its first two professional sprint kayaks. These are the first ever Olympic class kayaks to be purchased on the Maltese Islands.
In bowling, Brian Farrugia and Sue Abela both achieved positive results in the European Championships for Individuals with Abela placing fifth.
See also: MaltaMedia Sports Update