Special Feature

Malta in the San Marino 2001 GSSE

 The Road to San Marino - Bowls (Bocci)

This will be the first time that bowls have been included as one of the disciplines at the Small Nations' Games. Since San Marino ranks as one of the best countries in the world in this sport, it was no wonder that the organizing committee pushed hard to include this discipline at the games.

Even though our mutation of the discipline is unique, Maltese players have always managed good results when competing away from our shores in disciplines known as raffa and petanque. Our best ever result was achieved at the Mediterranean Games in 1997 when the Maltese duo won a bronze medal and came agonizingly close to clinch a place in the final.

Bowls or bocci is an immensely popular discipline in Malta. Nearly ever town or village boasts of a bocci club and a pitch, which is packed to capacity on our hot summer nights.

Our two competitors in the raffa event will be Stefan Farrugia and Godfrey Sciberras. Farrugia is undoubtedly one of our best players and he will be playing on familiar soil after having spent more than two months training on a professional basis with the San Marino squad earlier this year.

The Maltese duo are under the helm of national coach Joe Tonna who supervises daily training sessions at the Carlo Diacono school at Zejtun. One of the problems facing the local Bowls Federation is the lack of a professional boccidromo. The hall at the Zejtun school turned out to be the best possible alternative and officials from the federation undertook to erect a special platform to protect the marble floor from any damage which may be caused due to the throwing of the heavy bowls during training sessions.

In San Marino, Farrugia and Sciberras will be in action against every other player in their respective pools. Each match will be determined by a 12 point score system with each player gaining a point for each tie won.

Each player will be allowed to throw two bowls in each tie and up to three time outs can be called during the match. Like any other accuracy sport, bowls requires the utmost concentration with players having to overcome a battle of nerves as the match evolves.

As part of the build up for the forthcoming GSSE in San Marino, the Maltese squad took part in the World Clubs' Championships which were held in Cagliari, Sardegna, earlier this month.

While the athletes from San Marino will be hot favourites to clinch the gold and silver medals, our two players are expected to give all their opponents a good run for their money. The preliminary rounds of the raffa competitions will be held on Tuesday 29th May. The semifinals and final will be contested on the following day.

Meanwhile, two Gozitans will be representing Malta in the petanque discipline. This version involves metal bowls which are smaller in size than those used in the raffa competition.

Although petanque is not played in Malta, it is a popular discipline on our sister island. The two players set to make the trip to San Marino are A. Debono and P. Saliba who both have been following a rigorous training programme during the past months.

Like raffa, petanque will be contested on Tuesday and Wednesday with players winning a match when they reach the 13-point mark. Players will be allowed a 15-minute break before taking on a next opponent.

The events will be held at the Bowls Hall of Borgo Maggiore and four courts will be used for each event. Meanwhile, all eyes will be on our players as they hope for their reflexes to be at their sharpest as they bid for a place on the podium.