Team Malta is off to a roaring start at the 2025 Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE) in Andorra, with athletes delivering exciting performances across multiple disciplines – and one of them making history along the way!

History was made on the very first day of competitions, as Jessica Vella clinched Malta’s first-ever Karate medal at the GSSE – and it was gold! Competing in the Senior Kata category, Jessica delivered a superb performance.

She started strong in the elimination rounds, beating Liechtenstein’s Aileen Sprenger and Monaco’s Cécile Orrigo, victories that through to the semifinals, where she faced off against host nation Andorra’s Maria Ubiergo. Her final showdown was against Montenegro’s Mila Mrakovic, and with a score of 39.1 to 37.8, she secured a golden finish that will go down in Maltese sporting history.

Malta’s Women’s Basketball team also made a statement, dominating Cyprus with a 21–11 victory, and followed with a 15-11 victory against Andorra - double win! They'll face Luxembourg today at 5 PM, so fingers crossed for a triple.

In the Women’s Singles Tennis event, Elaine Genovese secured a 2–0 win against Iceland’s Anna Soffia Gronholm, comfortably advancing to the quarterfinals which will take place on Thursday, 27th May.

These are only some of the incredible results attained so far. If you want to stay updated on Team Malta’s live progress, head over to the official Andorra 2025 website for all schedules and results as they happen.

Well done and good luck for the rest, Team Malta!