Malta is nurturing some great athletes across all types of sport – and they’re only getting started.
1. Tenishia Thornton
13-year old Tenishia Thornton is a young star already. Just weeks ago, she made history for Malta when she won the country’s first ever bronze medal in the weightlifting EU Championship at Waterford, Ireland, in the 45kg category, lifting a total of 122kg!
2. Finley Gratil
Up-and-coming golf star Finley Gratil was the overall winner at the recent 7th edition of the Homes of Quality Golf Tournament. The 16-year old clinched the top spot from among a total of 100 players.
Homes of Quality/Frank Salt
3. Sasha Gatt
There’s no stopping this young swimmer from smashing national records! In the Games of Small States of Europe (GSSE) 2019, Sasha broke the 800m freestyle national record from 9:28.75 to 9:21.44, and also formed part of the national swimming team in the 4x200m relay, which placed third. Better still, Sasha was the only swimmer chosen by the Maltese Olympic Committee to participate in the European Youth Olympic Festival in Azerbaijan in July!
4. Rylee Borg
Another young Maltese weightlifter making headlines is 13-year old Rylee Borg, who also participated in the EU Weightlifting championship last month. And despite suffering an injury in the weeks leading to the competition, he managed to finish with a snatch of 56kg and a clean and jerk of 70kg.
5. Kai Leyshon
Young karate champ in the making Kai Leyshon returned from the COJI 2019 championships last May with a gold medal. Kai competed in kumite (sparring), and landed the top spot in category Cadets +70Kg.
Maltese Olympic Committee
6. Maria Pia Saliba
Maria Pia Saliba made Malta and her native Gozo proud when she won the first gold medal in swimming at the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi last March. Maria Pia finished in first place during the 25-metre butterfly swim.
Special Olympics Malta
7. Nico Sciberras
At just 15 years old, Nico Sciberras is making waves in the sport of trap shooting in Malta. Last March, the youngest athlete of the Malta Shooting Sport Federation won the E.A.R Trap Trophy, beating the likes of shooting veteran William Chetcuti for the top place on the podium.
www.independent.com.mt
8. Ella Borg
Ella Borg is no stranger to these lists – she continues to impress in her field of gymnastics, while also putting Malta on the map in international competitions. Last month, she competed in the first Junior World Championships in Gyor, Hungary, and at the end of July, she’ll be representing Malta at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Azerbaijan.
Ella Borg/Facebook
9. Sonique Gatt
Another karate athlete to achieve success at the COJI 2019 championships last May was Sonique Gatt, who landed silver in the category Cadets +50Kg. The delegation of karate athletes also included youngster Ema Farrugia, who placed 4th in category Cadets -50Kg. Way to go girls!
Maltese Olympic Committee
10. Mya Azzopardi
Powerhouse swimmer Mya Azzopardi beat the Maltese national record with a staggering three seconds in the 200m individual Medley during the 2019 Games of Small States of Europe (GSSE) in June, earning herself third place in the race, and a lot of love and support for her success back home.