Newcomers looking to extend winning streak

Judo has been our most successful discipline at the Games of the Small States of Europe. So far, Maltese athletes have amassed a total of 37 medals, including eight golds, in the previous editions of the Games.

Judo is one of the few sport that has been given the thumbs-up at each and every edition since 1985. Stephen Farrugia was the first judoka to win a medal at these Games when he won bronze in Monaco in 1987.

Since then, our judokas have come a long way and were always in the reckoning for a good share of the medals. Two years ago in San Marino, the Maltese managed a total of eight medals, including two gold.

After the 2001 Games the judo federation has gone through a complete metamorphosis. Professor Alfredo Monti was appointed national coach. The Italian is a 7th Dan and held the post of national coach of Italy's women's team. Under his helm, the Italians registered a string of excellent results in the Olympic Games and World Championships.

Many of the athletes who competed in San Marino are no longer active. Gold medallist Laurie Pace has retired and the inclusion of Nathalie Galea to compete for Malta again after her successful stint in San Marino, is still in the balance.

In June, a number of newcomers will be vying to do Malta proud in the most successful discipline at the Games to date. Promising youngsters like Luana Ciantar, Marcon Bezzina and Rachel Grech have made solid progress over the past year-and-a-half and are clear favourites to be nominated in the Maltese team when the selection is finalised in a few days' time.

Michelle Grech, who won a silver medal in San Marino, is also expected to make the team once again and should start as one of the firm favourites in the Under 52kg category.

Meanwhile, Eileen Portelli is expected to be competing in the Under 78kg category.

The national squad has been following a rigorous training programme including competing in a number of international tournaments. The national championships were held in January followed by the Malta Open in February. This was held at the St Aloysius Gym which is the venue that will host the judo events during the Games.

These competitions were complemented with a number of training camps in Italy and two international tournaments in Rome and Reggio Calabria.

The men's team is expected to include Reuben Micallef, David Zammit, Michael Zahra and Mourman Korcilava. Both Micallef and Zahra won medals in San Marino and will be banking on two more years of experience as they seek to repeat their feat in front of a home crowd.

Veteran Zammit will be making a welcome return to the fold after a lengthy injury that forced him out of his favourite sport for months on end. Korcilava qualifies to compete for Malta as he has been residing on the island for more than ten years.

The son of a Georgian couple, Korcilava was introduced to judo in Malta as a youngster and was quick to grasp the techniques that made him break into the elite squad.

A team of sparring partners will be flying to Malta from Italy and France in a bid to help Maltese judokas sharpen their skills and peak their performance for the forthcoming June event.

Gerolomo Govanozzi, silver medallist at the last two Olympic Games, will also be here and practise with the locals. He will form part of a team of five Italian judokas who will engage in a hectic week-long training camp.

The sparring-partners concept was introduced before the San Marino Games and has yielded promising results since our athletes can gauge their skills against stiffer opposition over a number of days.

Two top French female judokas will also be in Malta for a training camp whereas the likes of Zammit and Zahra will be trading their ploys with heavyweight athletes from Siena.

The Malta Judo Federation is also exploring the possibility of bringing more foreign judokas in the last two weeks of this month to help athletes in their final preparations before the start of the Games.

New event

The team event will be held for the first time ever at the GSSE.

Besides the customary day-long tournament for singles, which will be held on Wednesday, June 4, a team event will be held two days later. Each country will be eligible to enter two teams, men and women.

Both outfits will comprise three athletes. They have to include the lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight categories. The competition is based on a KO format with each round consisting of three bouts.

The rules stipulate that teams can substitute athletes in subsequent rounds. Athletes competing in the team event will have to undergo another weigh-in session apart from the one held before the start of the individual event.

With a further two gold medals up for grabs, this competition is bound to grip the enthusiasm of all the participating countries. To date all the nations, with the exception of Liechtenstein, are expected to compete in the team event.

Meanwhile, a temporary stand is to be erected at St Aloysius to increase the seating capacity.

Italian Franco Capelletti will be the international delegate monitoring the competitions which will be held on two 14x14 metres tatami.