Maltese Under 16s win gold, silver, in FIBA competition

Yesterday, the Under-16s FIBA leagues came to an end. The competition – which was held in Malta - was a successful one for the Maltese teams, with the boys’ team winning gold and the girls’ team winning the silver medal.

The boys’ team, under the leadership of Gabriele Alesse, won the five matches they participated in. They opened the competition with a win over Andorra 63-61 and then won 65-46 against Wales. Malta registered its third victory over San Marino but by the slimmest of margins with Alec Felice Pace scoring with only seconds remaining till the end the game. Malta also overcame Gibraltar 59-33.

The Maltese player Kurt Cassar was chosen one of the best players of the tournament. Cassar scored more than 20 points each game in the competition and it was hardly a surprise that he was chosen as the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the competition.

Andorra finished in second place, whilst Wales clinched third spot.

Meanwhile, the girls’ team, under the leadership of Sandro Farrugia, had to be content with a silver medal as it lost its last game against champions, Scotland 53-44. Malta had three big wins over Gibraltar 66-22, 60-38 against Andorra and Wales 68-30. The last game could have gone either way as both teams had registered no defeat.

The Pavilion of Ta 'Qali was at full to capacity for the Malta vs. Scotland game, with fatigue believed to have been a factor for the Maltese. Nicole Agius was designated part of the competition's best players. Scotland won the gold medal while the bronze medal was won by Andorra.

Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sports Chris Agius attended both the opening and final ceremony, and he also found time to attend two games played by the Maltese teams. Along with the MBA President Paul Sultana, he presented the medals and trophies to the winners. The final ceremony was attended by the vice president of the Malta Olympic Committee Mark Cutajar, and the director within the same committee, Jonathan Vella.

Agius congratulated the coach and players for the success they achieved, while commending the organisation of a competition. He wished that more associations took the example of the MBA, thereby helping to attract the same level of competition. Agius said that, in this way, not only was the country generating sports tourism but it also gave the athletes a platform to showcase their talent.