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Brian Galea handed Malta’s second medal at the Commonwealth Games after he took the bronze medal in the trap competition in Gold Coast.

It was an impressive performance from Galea who had already gave a sign of his competitivity in the opening day of qualification when he topped the field with 48 clays from 50 alongside English shooter Aaron Heading.

Galea found the going tougher in the final three rounds of qualification when posting identical scores of 23 to finish with a combined score of 117 that left him in sixth place tied with India’s Kynan Chenai.

That set up a tense shoot-off between Galea and Chenai to decide the sixth and final shooter to compete in the final round.

Galea showed great mental strength as he edged out the Indian 4-3.

In the final, Galea stepped up his performance when he managed to hit 36 clays that left him in third place and secure his first ever bronze medal in a Commowealth Games.

Welsh shooter Michael Wixey took the gold medal with a Games record score of 46 ahead of Heading who grabbed silver on 43.

For Team Malta this was a second podium finish in the games after the women’s fours in lawn bowling had also placed third in their competition.

Brian Galea (left) with his coach Frans Bugeja. Photo: Maria Vella Galea