Table-tennis brothers out to leave their mark in Gozo

Winning a GSSE silver medal is a significant achievement for any of our athletes... not for ambitious table-tennis player Simon Gerada though.

In San Marino, the Maltese-Australian had reached the final of the singles event in emphatic fashion and was only one game away from achieving his pre-Games target - striking gold for the country.

However, Gerada was denied by Luxembourg's Ciociu in a hard-fought final and the 22-year-old was inconsolable after the match.

Now, after that semi-setback in San Marino, Gerada is looking at the Malta Games as an ideal occasion to take exact revenge and leave his mark in all three competitions he will figure in - singles, doubles and team event.

To reach that objective, Simon can bank on family support. At the Gozo Sports Complex, where the GSSE table-tennis competitions will be played, he will be flanked by his elder brother Wayne who is also in the team along with Edward Baldacchino.

"I can't wait for the Games to get started," Simon told The Times a few days ago.

"Two years are a long wait but I have been preparing intensively. Now, I feel motivated more than ever to set the record straight. Losing the singles final in San Marino was hard to fathom. I was devastated and it was only two months later that I regained full confidence and started training as usual."

Simon added he already experienced the emotions that the Games bring with them and this should help him face his opponents with more tranquillity and focus on the targets he has set.

"This time around I am facing a different scenario than the one in 2001. For the San Marino Games, I only came to Malta two months before and had no idea whatsoever of what these Games were all about," he said.

"I knew I was going to play in a tournament and that's it. My team-mates in San Marino were all strange to me. Now, I am fully integrated in the group and know what to expect."

Simon's GSSE experience should also make his brother more relaxed in his new surroundings.

"Simon has been a great help during the past two years," Wayne, 24, said. "After the 2001 Games we spoke a lot about his venture in San Marino and he was the one who insisted most that I should try and join the team. I couldn't say no to him and to be honest I am glad to be here.

"Since then, to represent Malta at this level became my only dream. Like Simon, I was overlooked by the Australian association but in a way it's better like that because the Maltese have been great with me and now I look to repay them with a good showing in Gozo."

Promising Wayne

Wayne was a promising talent in his teenage days in Australia. He won several honours in different age groups but, strangely enough, he was never considered for selection in the senior Australian team.

The Gerada brothers have played several times together in the past 12 months reaching the quarter-finals of an international doubles event 'down-under'.

"Wayne's inclusion in the team boosts Malta's chances of winning medals in table-tennis," Simon reckoned. "However, we are going to be involved in a week-long competition and I'm sure our coach will make use of all the players available in a way that the team maintains its freshness until the very last day. We can only be successful if the whole team performs, not just the individuals.

"Wayne and I have played some doubles competitions back in Australia and got satisfying results. Last January we played a test match against two from the Australian national team... we lost 3-2. At the moment we feel OK and in fine form. Hopefully, the team's feel-good factor will steer us to medal glory."