Special Feature

Malta in the San Marino 2001 GSSE

 The Road to San Marino - Judo

Judo has established its roots at the GSSE since the first edition in 1985. The discipline ranks as the most successful sport for Maltese athletes. In the previous eight editions, Maltese judokas have amassed a total of 29 medals resulting in 6 gold, 11 silver and 12 bronze.

After Alex Bezzina narrowly lost out on the bronze medal in 1985, the first medal to be won in judo was in Monaco in 1987. Stephen Farrugia in the 65kg category won his first bout against Anthony Molne of Andorra. However, an unfortunate breakdown of communication, resulted in Farrugia leaving the hall thinking that he was scheduled to compete again in the afternoon. In reality, Farrugia was called into action that same morning and since he failed to show up, his opponent was awarded a walk-over and Farrugia missed a golden opportunity to contest the final.

Judo has indeed done Malta proud as our athletes have always managed one or more places on the podium without fail since 1987.

The breakthrough for the gold medal came in Malta in 1993 when little known Jacqueline Xuereb stormed into the limelight by winning the 52kg category stunning all her opponents on the way to glory. Xuereb went on to repeat her feat in 1995 in Luxembourg and two years later in Iceland. In fact her three gold medals translate into 50% of all gold medals won in judo over the years. A remarkable feat indeed.

In the last edition of the GSSE in Liechtenstein, Maltese athletes maintained the solid trend by winning five medals including Laurie Pace's gold in the 63kg category.

In San Marino, the Maltese squad will comprise 11 athletes. The national squad has been following a rigorous training programme, coupled with international competition and training camps. Sergei Teliouk, the national coach who has marshalled the national side since 1994, must ensure that the athletes peak and are in the right frame of mind for the San Marino event. The Russian coach is aided by John Zammit as Team Manager and Alex Bezzina as Sports Director. Zammit and Bezzina have an extensive portfolio in judo and both have tasted glory at the Games in past editions.

In line with the Malta Olympic Committee's initiative, a number of Italian judokas will be coming to Malta in mid-May to act as sparring partners for local athletes. This will help the Maltese athletes to team up with stiff opposition in order to help shape their build-up for the Games in San Marino.

The Maltese contingent will also be buoyed by the presence of three non-resident athletes who will compete in San Marino. Michelle Grech who is currently reading for a doctorate in naval engineering in Tasmania will be arriving in Malta on May 2nd and will travel to San Marino with the rest of the contingent. She will be contesting the 57kg category.

Mick Cutajar has already travelled from the land down under and is currently training with the rest of the Maltese squad. He is expected to contest the Under 100kg category.

On the other hand, Nathalie Galea will have to undergo a selection process to claim her place in the Under 70kg. Galea competed for Australia at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Other household names who have won medals in past editions, including Laurie Pace and Jason Trevisan, are expected to be present in San Marino. With such an experienced squad, Malta's chances of striking success in judo look ripe once again and the medals' tally amassed over the past editions, is likely to increase.