The 2009 Games of the Small States of Europe marked the end of the road for one of our stalwarts in men's basketball as Silvio Cassar announced he was retiring from the national team after 21 years of service.

The Cyprus adventure, however, offered little cause for celebration for Cassar and the national team as they finished fifth overall with only one win from five matches.

Cassar's decision to call it a day is a blow to the team who struggled hard in recent years to match the same levels of their female counterparts - gold medal winners in the Cyprus Games.

"It's time for me to say goodbye and make way for the young ones," Cassar, 37, told The Times.

"It has been a fantastic journey that has provided me with some great memories but time catches up and I need to move on. Now, I'm focusing all my energies on one last season with my club Compleet IS SW."

Cassar earned his first call-up to the national team way back in 1988 when coach John Tabone selected the then budding centre to form part of his squad for the inaugural Promotion Cup in Malta.

Since then, Cassar has participated in seven GSSEs, making his debut in Cyprus 1989. Incidentally, he decided to bring the curtains down on his international career in the same country.

"I would have liked to have ended my national team career with a better result in the GSSE," he said.

"However, I believe we couldn't have expected better given the way we approached the Games. In the six months prior to Cyprus, the team trained hard but we never had the opportunity to play some test matches against overseas teams and that finally told in our overall performance.

"The opening match against Iceland was our first for almost a year on the international scene and they duly exposed all our weaknesses. As the tournament progressed, the team gradually adjusted to those high standards.

"We did manage to win our final match against San Marino, but, I guess, that was too little, too late."

The towering Cassar started his career with the Lyceum Stars and had spells with Enemalta Paola Stars, Sliema Juvenis 76, Athleta Pembroke and Luxol.

Asked to name his fondest memory of his time with the national team, Cassar was quick to reply.

"The silver medal in the Iceland GSSE in 1997," he said.

"That year we had a really strong team. Tim Britt and Roger Fasting were selected and they gave the team a new dimension. We came really close to winning the gold medal but lost to Cyprus in the final."

Cassar believes that men's basketball can only improve if more foreign players are allowed in the National League.

"We cannot lift our game without foreign players in the league. Our youngsters need to play regularly with players of this type," Cassar said.

"In 1999-2000, when a Maltese selection competed in the Italian Serie C, our game reaped huge dividends. During that season, I played 66 matches of the highest level.

"The national team became a force to be reckoned with as all players were gaining valuable experience week in week out.

"I believe that clubs should be given the chance to sign more foreigners, either from EU countries or outside. An increase of overseas players will not damage our game, it will only give our players the opportunity to develop their skills and mature faster. Unless we take that route, we are never going to close the gap with the others, particularly those in the GSSE."

Turning his sights on the future, Cassar has his heart set on a coaching career. He is already engaged with the Hibernians nursery and his objective is to obtain a FIBA coaching licence.

"I'm not going to stop here. I want to pass all my experience to the young ones, those who dream of a career in basketball," Cassar said.

"At the moment I'm coaching the Hibs U-13 side but in future I want to coach at the top level. I will look at all possibilities and intend to start a three-year course to obtain a FIBA coaching licence.

"We have a crop of promising players coming up. For me, Sam Deguara is an outstanding talent who has already left his mark in Italy with Benetton Treviso.

"We need more players of that calibre. I feel I have to give my contribution and assist those who could represent the future of Maltese basketball."