Twelve Maltese bird breeders won 15 medals for Malta, including four world champion titles, in various classes of type canaries (a species of canaries selected for their form and shape) and European finch species categories at the 66th edition of the world show competition organised by the Confederation Ornithologique Mondiale (COM).
Every January, this international confederation of bird clubs holds a massive global competition in a different country. This year’s event was organised and hosted in Cesena, Italy, where thousands of exhibitors competed, with a record number of entries in various categories exceeding 32,000 birds.
Thirty-nine breeders from various bird clubs in Malta participated and competed with international exhibitors in the 2018 edition through BBA-COM Malta. The following are the Maltese medalists: Roderick Abela – 2 Gold Medals, 1 Bronze Medal; Marco Micallef – 1 Gold Medal; Matt Vassallo – 1 Gold Medal; Mark Scicluna – 1 Silver Medal; Emanuel Cassar – 1 Silver Medal; Sandro Cortis – 1 Silver Medal; Steve Aloisio – 2 Silver Medals; John Mallia – 1 Silver Medal; William Rutzen – 1 Bronze Medal; Franklyn Xuereb – 1 Bronze Medal; Keith Camilleri – 1 Bronze Medal; and Rodney Camilleri – 1 Bronze Medal.