On the 18^th and 19^th April, students from eight secondary State, Independant and Church Schools, will be taking part in the Inter Schools’ swimming competitions which will be held at Tal Qroqq Sports Complex from 9 am till noon.

The aim of this event is to encourage social inclusion, foster school ego and identify skilled athletes by bringing together students from all educational sectors in a demonstration of the skills acquired throughout their training programme

Students will be representing the National Sports School, Naxxar Middle School, St Dorothy’s School, St Francis Sliema, Verdala International School, Cospicua Middle School St Monica B’Kara and St Monica Gzira.

This event is being sponsored by Go & Fun

Is-Segretarjat Parlamentari ghal l-isport u SportMalta jifirhu it-tiratur ta’ Trap Brian Galea li dalghodu rebha medalja tal-Bronz fi trap fi loghob tal-Commonwealth.  Din hija it-tieni medalja li rebah it-tim Malti wara li granet ilu it-tim Feminili ta’ Lawn Bowls ukoll rebah il-Bronz.

Dawn ir-rizultati jaghti kuragg kbir lil Gvern biex ikompli jinvesti fl-Isport u anke huwa ta’ preludju ghal ftuh ta’ shooting range internazzjonali li ser tkun lesta fil-granet li gejjien.  Mhux hekk biss izda Malta ser tospitta iktar minn 50 pajjiz fi tazza tad-di dinja li ser issir f’pajjizna f’Gunju.

Is-Segretarju Parlamentari Clifton Grima ferah mhux biss lil Brian Galea izda anke lil kowc tieghu Frans Bugeja u lil Federazzjoni Maltija ta’ l-Isparar kif ukoll lil Kumitat Olimpiku Malti ghal dan is-success.

Summer on the Move is the biggest and most popular programme for kids and adults alike, where sport and physical activity are the focus for a fun-filled summer.  Now in its’ 15^th edition, Summer on the Move promises to provide over 7000 participants to choose their favourite activities from 400 weekly sessions offered at different times and venues.  Families are encouraged to take part together in activities offered for all ages at the same time.  SportMalta ensures that the best coaches are selected to deliver the best quality programme in a bid to encourage the participants to start practising sport regularly beyond summer.  Summer on the Move is definitely the best way to spend summer – join now!

Book Online

Move Transfer is a collaborative partnership project aiming to transferthe Slovenian Best Practices “Healthy Club”Quality Mark model to Bulgaria and Malta. SportMalta has partnered with SUS  (Sport Union of Slovenia), ISCA and  the Bulgarian BE Active Organization to promote this programme.  ISCA has launched the “Move Transfer” programme, three years ago and it has engaged over 20 organisationsand supported the development of 25 initiatives (http://www.move-transfer.com).

As part of this project, Ms Saska BENEDICIC TOMAT, Head of Projects of the SlovenianInternational Sport and Culture Association visited Malta, from the 9^th till the 11^th of April, 2018. During her visit Ms Saska Tomat had scheduled meetings (through SportMalta) with representatives from different organizations and sports clubs namely, Marsaxlokk Nursery Academy, Dar Kenn għal Saħħtek, Gozo Sport Board, Għajnsielem Redcoats and the Hibernians Association (Basketball). She had the opportunity to actually experience the activity of the club whilst talking to club and committee members.

Before leaving, she expressed that she was pleased with the outcome and congratulated all the clubs for their good work and initiatives. At the end of the project Sportmalta together with SUS will recommend which clubs will be  awarded the Healthy Club Quality Mark and eventually these will serve as good practices to encourage othersports or fitness clubs to obtain this Mark. This quality mark will eventually promote professionalism and healthy management within our associaations and clubs for the benefit of the community at large.

SportMalta has partnered up with several international sport organisations to embark on a three year project to promote education in and through sport with special focus on skills development of sports’ officials. Please follow the link below for more details…

http://eose.org/2018/04/onside-kickoff/

Triathlon scheduled for Sunday 15th April with a strong international Pro field.

NEW for this year is the fun 5.5km trail run and a kids obstacle run on the 14th April

The 4th annual Xterra Malta off-road triathlon will make a welcome return to the Maltese Islands on Sunday 15th April, when two hundred and sixty triathletes will undertake the course set in the remarkable Majjistral Nature Reserve.

The crystal blue waters of Golden Sands Bay, the breathtaking cliff-edge trails and the family atmosphere that the organisers bring to this tough challenge make this one of the most talked-about multi-sport races on the calendar.

The race will consist of a 1.5km triangular swim on a 750m course, a 30km mountain bike course of two 15km loops that passes through the garigue area and alongside cliff edge trails in the Majjistral Park, whilst the 11km run is a two-loop 5.5km route on the Ġnejna plateau, overlooking Ġnejna and Riviera Martinique bays.

Xterra Malta, forms part of the European multisport brand, which is present in 16 countries and provides top competition for professionals and amateurs alike. Throughout the weekend athletes are able to compete in multiple distances for all abilities and events for the entire family including trail runs and kids races will be hosted.

Pro Athlete Line Up

The 2018 edition will not only welcome an added pool of Pro athletes but will also welcome back last year’s top three male and female winners, as well as other athletes who have faithfully returned to Malta to race this circuit. Roger Serrano (ESP), Brigitta Poor (HUN) will be going all out to retain their titles, whilst athletes such as Maximilian Sasserath (GER), Francois Carloni (FRA), Helena Erbenova (CZE) and Nicole Walters (GBR) will be attempting to gain a better placing than that obtained in 2017.

Maltese Athletes

Thirteen Maltese athletes will be undertaking the full distance. Most athletes are returning to the Xterra fold and include the likes of Danica Bonello Spiteri and Peter-Jan Grech who registered the fastest times amongst the Maltese athletes. Another four athletes will be joining the race but undertaking the Sprint distance, whilst eight relay teams are made up of Maltese athletes.

“The Xterra Malta Team has worked really hard to see more locals take part and we are pleased to see representation growing slowly, especially with relay teams. We feel this is a great introduction to the sport, as many athletes undertaking a relay segment usually return the following year to do the full race” explained Xterra Malta Race Organiser Nathan Farrugia. “We are also very pleased to see many returning faces, especially from our international friends who keep coming back to Malta for this race”.

Age Group Winners will automatically qualify for the Xterra World Championships which are held annually in Maui, Hawaii in October.

The route has been designed to be spectator friendly and organisers encourage the general public to come watch and cheer on the athletes.

Xterra Malta is made possible with the support of the Radisson Blu Resort, Cisk Excel, Garmin Malta, Credorax, Jeep, ProAction and The Cyclist. We are also grateful for the support and cooperation of Costa Coffee, Nirvana Europe, SPR Travel, MIB Insurance, emvigee pr & marketing, Scouts, Red Cross Malta, Malta Police Force, Mġarr Local Council, Malta Youth Triathlon Academy,  ERA, Mellieħa Local Council, Malta Mountain Bike Association, Birkirkara St Joseph Sports Club, Agones SFC, ARRTS Timing, Majjistral Park Management, Melfar, Mdina Glass, VAM, Popeye Village, BirdLife Malta, Mellieħa Holiday Complex and all the volunteers.

Xterra Malta will take place on Sunday 15th April and will start with the swim segment in Golden Bay at 9:30am.

Schedule of Events

Saturday 14th April 

Xterra Fun Trail Run (5.5K) 

Registration: 8am @ Radisson Golden Sands Ballroom

Start: 9.30am @ Scouts Area

Each participant’s time will be recorded and medals awarded to every finisher

Price: €15 per person, register online

Xterra Kids Obstacle Course 

Registration: 9.30am @ Radisson Golden Sands Ballroom

Start: 10.30am @ Scouts Area

Age groups: 8-10 & 11-13

Medals awarded to every finisher

Price: Donation

Xterra Triathlon

Registration 10am – 4pm @ Radisson Golden Sands Ballroom

Race Briefing – 4pm @ Radisson Golden Sands Ballroom

Sunday 15th April 

Start of Triathlon @ 09.30 with Swim (Golden Bay)

Finish on Golden Sands Terrace for Pasta & Beer Party & Prize Giving Ceremony

For more information about the Xterra Malta Off-Road Triathlon please visit –

http://www.maltaxterra.com/ or send an email to deirdre@maltaxterra.com

POOLS WILL BE CLOSED ON THE FOLLOWING DATES

DUE TO ASA WATER POLO BOTH POOLS WILL BE CLOSED

SATURDAY 3RD MARCH FROM 14.00 ONWARDS

Thank you
The Management

The 58th edition of the SportMalta Awards – Għażliet Sportivi Nazzjonali organised by the Malta Sports Journalists Association and SportMalta will take place tomorrow at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.

Through a jury composed of representatives of local sports media, the event will award athletes in seven different categories for their achievements during 2017.

The five finalists in the ‘Young Sports Man of the Year’ category are Francesca Curmi (Tennis), Francesca Falzon Young (Swimming), Shelby Mangion Vassallo (Weightlifting), Helene Pellicano (Tennis) and Sara Xuereb (Ten Pin Bowling).

The finalists in the ‘Young Sports Woman of the Year’ category are Jurgen Balzan (Table Football), Jacob Sciberras (Swimming), Kijan Sultana (Squash), Thomas G Woods Jr. (Triathlon) and Edward Xuereb (Ten Pin Bowling).

The last five in the ‘Team of the Year’ category are National Team Women ‘A’ 4 x 100m (Atlethics), National Team Women ‘A’ (Basketball), Giordmaina Racing Team (Motor Bikes – Drag Racing), National Team Mixed ‘A’ (Ten Pin Bowling) and San Ġiljan ASC (Waterpolo).

The five coaches contesting the ‘Coach of the Year’ award are Angela Adamoli (Basketball), Jimmy Bugeja (Shooting) Jesmond Giordmaina (Lotta), Noel Merceica (Kickboxing) and Damien Neil (Rugby)

The finalists in the ‘Official of the Year’ category are Joe Bajada (Cycling), Jesmond Caruana (Weightlifting), Saviour Portelli (Shooting), Paul Sultana (Basketball) and Bernard Vassallo (Basketball)

The ‘Sports Woman of the Year’ will be contested by Sue Abela (Ten Pin Bowling), Rachel Cuschieri (Football), Christina Grima (Basketball), Charlotte Wingfield (Athletics) and
Yazmin Zammit Stevens (Weightlifting)

Last but not least, the final five in the ‘Sports Man of the Year’ category are Noel Baldacchino (Horseracing), Gianluca Chetcuti (Shooting), Aaron Ciantar (Powerboats), Anton Cushieri (Pool), Duncan Micallef (Drag Racing) and Andre’ Schembri (Football).

Apart from these awards, two special awards for athletes with different needs, and one special award for the international event of the year will be awarded during the awards final ceremony.

The public can also vote for the People’s Choice awatd through SportMalta’s website www.sportmalta.org.mt. The finalists for the People’s Choice Award are Matthew Abela (Badminton Malta), Joe Bajada (Malta Cycling Federation), Ella Borg (Malta Gymnastics Federation), Steven Fenech (Malta Wheelchair Dancesport Association) and Matthew Zammit (Aquatic Sports Association of Malta).

The ecvent will be hosted by Clinton Buhagiar and Catherine Micallef, and will be broadcast live on TVM2. The live transmission will start at 8pm and includes red carpet interviews.

The Malta Sports Journalists Association, joint organizer with SportMalta of the SportMalta Awards – Għażliet Sportivi Nazzjonali, informs the general public that voting for the People’s Choice category is open and votes can be cast through the SportMalta website www.sportmalta.org.mt

The voting for this award closes at 10pm of Saturday 17th February during the event itself, which will be held at the MCC in Valletta, and will be broadcast live on TVM2 from 8pm.

The finalists for the People’s choice awards are Matthew Abela (Badminton Malta), Joe Bajada (Malta Cycling Federation), Ella Borg (Malta Gymnastics Federation), Steven Fenech (Malta Wheelchair Dancesport Association) and Matthew Zammit (Aquatic Sports Association of Malta).

The 58th edition of the SportMalta Awards will be hosted by Clinton Buhagiar and Catherine Micallef.

The first national weightlifting meet kicked off an eventful year for the Malta Weightlifting Association. The 1st Malta Ranking competition served as a great platform for the next generation of lifters to prove themselves. There were multiple outstanding performances over the weekend including a number of youngsters from 10 to 16 years of age who competed for the first time.

There were two kids groups with all the beginners giving an excellent performance and all good lifts across the board. The best performance out of the cadets came from Rylee Borg who lifted all personal best lifts with a 40kg snatch and 49kg clean and jerk breaking records in his respective category. Twelve year old Tenishia Thornton gave an outstanding performance in her first competition as a youth athlete. She finished with 31kg snatch and 43kg clean and jerk breaking 7 national records in the -44kg category.

The best youth performance came from Malta’s leading U17 athlete, Shelby Mangion Vassallo. The Youth Olympian to be, also finished with personal best lifts across the board breaking 8 new national records. Shelby lifted a 60kg snatch and 71kg clean and jerk.

Elisia Scicluna (-90kg) gave Malta’s leading female senior athlete, Yazmin Zammit Stevens(-69kg), a run for the lead with an outstanding performance. Scicluna finished with an 8kg total improvement over her last best result from last November, clearly giving Zammit Stevens a tough challenge to keep up. Zammit Stevens just recovered from minor injuries managed to finish with a respectable 75kg snatch and 95kg clean and jerk, only edging out Scicluna by a 1kg total. Elisia Scicluna’s promising performance ended with a 76kg snatch and 93kg clean and jerk, 7 national records in her respective category, and also showed she is on the right track to give qualifying for the Mediterranean Games a shot. Both Zammit Stevens and Scicluna will be travelling to Slovenia for 3 weeks for a training camp leading up to their next international meet in Italy.

In what could only be described as the most entertaining group of the day, Vlad Baldachhino, Rodmar Pulis and Matthew Camilleri all went head to head to try finish on top of a very high level Men’s group. Vlad Baldacchino (-94kg) started off the strongest with a 122kg snatch, followed by Matthew Camilleri (-85kg) with a 108kg snatch and Rodmar Pulis (-85kg) with 105kg. The Clean and jerks proved to be a closer race with Rodmar Pulis finishing on top with a 141kg lift, followed by Baldacchino with 140kg and Camilleri with 133kg. Overall, by Sinclair points, Baldacchino topped the group giving all new personal best lifts. Rodmar Pulis finished in second, which is a promising performance by the weightlifting veteran who is slowly reaching his best performances pre-injury. Matthew Camilleri finished in third showing again and again that he is one of the most consistent lifters. Both athletes now are to prepare for the European small nations competition that is to take place in Iceland. All three showed that they are on the right track to qualify for the Mediterranean Games.

Malta weightlifting would like to congratulate all the lifters and coaches for their top efforts over the weekend. A massive thank you goes out to all our event volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this competition a success.