Malta to play in Belgian Open next month

The Malta baseball national team, backed by the sound sponsorship of Air Malta, will be travelling to Antwerp in the coming days to take part in the Belgian Open between July 1 and 6.

It will be the national team's first-ever official venture away from our shores apart from a few other matches in Italy.

Apart from Malta, the Open includes sides from France, Belgium, United States and a regional selection from Australia.

Malta team manager Dennis Catania feels that competing in a tournament of a certain quality will be a useful experience as it can only help prepare the national squad for the European Cham-pionships in Poland next year.

Although the Malta team are definite underdogs against such stiff competition, Catania said, the players are confident and appear ready for the challenge.

The squad members, meanwhile, are currently tuning up for the Belgian Open, the 13th of its kind, with some rigorous, daily training sessions at the Marsa Sports Grounds.