TRAINING COURSE

British international coach Joann Hughes was recently in Malta in order to conduct a Badminton Training Course.
COACH
Organised by Badminton Malta (BM) in collaboration with the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and the Badminton Europe Confederation (BEC), this training course was primarily intended for the members of the Sports Promotion Unit within the Malta Sports Council (Kunsill Malti ghall-iSport - KMS).

A number of PE Teachers from local schools, as well as some BM coaches, also took part.
PARTECIPANTS
The event was inaugurated by Mr. Gino Schiavone, KMS Chief Executive Officer. It was spread over two full days and was entirely held at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

The training course integrated theoretical and practical aspects; in this way, the participants could assimilate the latest technical and tactical knowhow about the game.

It is to be noted that this Training Course forms an integral part of the strategy, jointly implemented by BWF and BEC, to raise the profile of this sport in schools.

It is also the first Training Course of its kind to be held in Europe; the fact that it was held in Malta reflects quite positively on the local National Association.

BM expressed its satisfaction at the high level of competent training which Hughes has provided to the participants in this Training Course.

BM also expressed its gratitude to BWF and BEC, as well as to KMS, for the valuable support provided in the successful organisation of this event.

John Attard
General Secretary
Badminton Malta 21st February 2012.

International Commitments

This coming week will see Badminton Malta active on the international front.

Two players from its Junior Academy will be travelling to Edinburgh (Scotland) in order to take part in a training camp and a tournament with Scottish players of their same age group.

The Maltese players are Kyle Sciberras and Nigel Degaetano. They will be led by John Attard, Badminton Malta’s General Secretary, under whose initiative this participation came about.

The overall event will consist of an initial two-and-a-half day training camp which will tackle the salient technical and tactical aspects of the game. This will be followed by a half-day tournament in which all the training camp participants will be taking part.

The Maltese players have been preparing themselves well for this event, successfully juggling their studies and exams with their training sessions.

For both of them, this will be the third international experience beyond our shores following their earlier successful participation in tournaments held in Cyprus and Sicily.

Meanwhile, George Camilleri will be representing Badminton Malta at this year’s edition of Badminton Europe’s “Summer School”, which will be taking place in Madrid.

This is actually a seven-day intensive training camp for U/17 players and their coaches, providing the participants with the opportunity to assimilate the latest playing and coaching developments of the game under the guidance of nine professional high-performance coaches selected individually by Badminton Europe for this event.

Camilleri has been on the local Badminton scene for a number of years, accruing playing and coaching experience – focussing mainly on junior players – with Shuttles Fort Blocks Badminton Club.

While wishing its representatives a successful outcome, Badminton Malta reaffirmed its definite commitment to invest in the further development of all its junior players and their coaches by continuing to provide them with opportunities of this nature in future.

John Attard
General Secretary
Badminton Malta

10th July 2011.

Maltese Junior Players in Sicily

Four players from the Junior Academy of Badminton Malta were recently in Sicily in order to take part in a Singles and Doubles tournament against Sicilian players coming from a number of regional clubs.

This event took place in Catania . It was the direct result of the enhanced relationship which developed between Badminton Malta and the Sicilian regional federation following their joint participation in the “Friendship Games” which were organised earlier by the Maltese Olympic Committee (MOC).

The Maltese players who travelled to Sicily were Matthew Abela, Nigel Degaetano, Kyle Sciberras and Owen Grech. They were accompanied by Edmond Abela, one of the coaches of the Junior Academy which was set up about two years ago by Badminton Malta with the assistance of the MOC.

The contingent was led by John Attard, Badminton Malta ’s General Secretary, under whose initiative this participation came about.

The Maltese players gave their all during the tournament. They obtained several positive results, notable among which are the following:

§ Matthew Abela vs Dario Cavallo 22/20 – 16/21 – 21/18;

§ Nigel Degaetano vs Andrea Di Salvo 21/19 – 25/23;

§ Kyle Sciberras vs Alfredo Rocca 26/24 – 20/22 – 21/14;

§ Owen Grech / Kyle Sciberras vs C. Cavallaro / A. Roccella 21/19 – 22/20.

Grech / Sciberras also placed second in the Doubles tournament, where they lost the final 11/21 15/21 against Alberto Ferretto and Alfio Cavallaro.

Badminton Malta expressed its satisfaction at the successful participation of its junior players in Sicily .

It reaffirmed its commitment to further invest in the development of all its Junior Academy members by continuing to provide them with opportunities of this nature in future.

John Attard

General Secretary

Badminton Malta

22^nd May 2011 .

Four players from the Junior Academy of Badminton Malta are this week in Sicily in order to take part in a training camp and a tournament against Sicilian players under seventeen years of age.

This event will take place mainly in Catania. It is the result of the enhanced relationship which developed between Badminton Malta and the Sicilian regional federation following their joint participation in the “Friendship Games” which were organised earlier by the Maltese Olympic Committee (MOC).

The Maltese players who are presently in Sicily are Matthew Abela, Nigel Degaetano, Kyle Sciberras and Owen Grech. There is also Edmond Abela, one of the coaches of the Junior Academy which was set up about two years ago by Badminton Malta with the assistance of the MOC.

The contingent is led by John Attard, Badminton Malta’s General Secretary, under whose initiative this participation came about.

The Maltese players have been preparing themselves well for this event. For three of them – namely for Nigel Degaetano and Kyle Sciberras as well as for Owen Grech – this will be the second international experience beyond our shores following their successful participation in an international tournament held in Nicosia, Cyprus, last January.

While wishing its players a successful outcome, Badminton Malta reaffirmed its commitment to invest in the development of its upcoming junior players by continuing to provide them with opportunities of this nature in order to improve their standard of technical and tactical play against foreign opponents of the same age bracket.

Badminton

Malta

recently organised the 40th edition of its National Championships; these were played at the Cottonera Sports Complex in Cospicua, with the main finals being staged at St. Martin ’s College in Swatar.

From the 27th edition (which was played in 1998) onwards, Badminton

Malta

has chosen to sub-title this event as the “Paddy Stubbs Memorial Championships”, in order to keep alive the memory of this great benefactor of Maltese Sport.

The overall event comprised the traditional five categories: Men’s Singles and Doubles, Women’s Singles and Doubles as well as the Mixed Doubles.

Due to the large number of participants, the Men’s Singles category started with a preliminary phase; this was won by Samuel Cali who defeated Ivan Salomone 21/11 21/15 in the final.

Stefan Salomone, the defending champion, made it once again to the main Singles final where he faced Kenneth Vella. On his way to the final, Salomone had overcome Edmond Abela and Aldo Polidano whilst Vella had defeated Stephen Ferrante and David Cole.

The final itself was a one-sided affair which Salomone held in control practically from start to finish.

In the first set, he initially opened up a 4/0 lead and was already 11/3 ahead at the half-way stage, before proceeding to wrap up the set 21/5.

The second set seemed to start in a more balanced fashion with both players tied at 3/3. But Salomone gradually surged ahead to lead 11/6 at the half-way stage, before taking the set 21/10 and, with it, the National Singles title.

Maria Borg and Fiorella Farrugia, last year’s finalists, made it once again to the final of the Women’s Singles category.

On her way to the final, Borg had defeated Maria Attard and Catriona Francica whilst Farrugia had overcome Dominique Francica and Marica Micallef.

The final itself was a finely balanced three-set affair in which both sides played their hearts out.

Throughout the first set, both players were head-to-head and tied at 15/15, before Borg scored six consecutive points to take the set 21/15.

The second set was similarly very balanced with the players tied at 18/18; but it was Farrugia who surged ahead to take the set 21/18 and put the match on an even keel.

The decisive third set initially seemed to follow the same blueprint, with the finalists tied at 10/10.

However, as Farrugia seemed to run out of steam, it was Borg who went ahead to take the set 21/10 and retain her National Singles title.

The national Men’s Doubles title was won by Stefan Salomone / Aldo Polidano at the end of a balanced three-setter in which they defeated Kenneth Vella / David Cole 21/18, 11/21 and 21/16.

Stefan Salomone and Fiorella Farrugia retained the national Mixed Doubles title; they won the respective final 21/19 21/9 over Kenneth Vella and Catherine Dimech.

Maria Borg and Fiorella Farrugia retained the Women’s Doubles title they had won in the 2010 edition.

By winning three national titles, Stefan Salomone retained also the platonic “Triple Crown” title which he had won in the 2010 edition of these Championships.

Badminton

Malta

expressed its satisfaction at the high standard of play shown throughout these Championships, particularly by the upcoming players who strived to leave their mark on the event; this augurs well for the future of the sport.

Danish international high-performance coach Dennis Christensen is presently in Malta conducting a seven-day Training Camp.

Organised by Badminton Malta with the support of the Confederation of Mediterranean Badminton (COMEBA) as well as of Badminton Europe, this training course is primarily intended for the Association’s better junior players and their respective coaches.

The training sessions are being held every day, mainly at the Cottonera Sports Complex (Cospicua) but also at St. Aloysius College (B’Kara). Each training session lasts two hours.

Every session integrates theoretical and practical aspects; in this way, the participants can assimilate the latest technical and tactical knowhow about the game.

During this intensive training course, Christensen is focussing particularly on footwork and on deceptive strokes.

During his stay, Christensen will also be visiting several local schools in order to promote Badminton among the students as well as to assist and train as necessary the respective PE teachers.

During his professional career so far, Christensen has worked both in his own country as well as in Sweden, Italy and Switzerland. He was also the national coach of both the Italian and Swiss national teams.

Badminton Malta (BM) expressed its satisfaction at the high level of training which Christensen is providing to the participants in this Training Camp. It stressed its constant commitment to provide its better players and coaches with future similar opportunities for the further development of their playing and coaching standard.

BM also expressed its gratitude to COMEBA as well as to Badminton Europe for the valuable support provided in the successful organisation of this Camp.

Badminton: National Junior Championships 2010
Promising Juniors Share The Limelight.

The Championships started with the U/13 and U/16 Singles and Doubles events, which were played at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

The defending champion Matthew Abela made it once again to the final of the U/13 Boys’ Singles event, where he faced the challenge of Nigel Degaetano.

On his way to the final, Matthew Abela had defeated Luke Sultana and Mark Abela in straight sets.

On his part, Nigel Degaetano had a more arduous path to the final as he had to initially overcome Zach Sultana in the preliminary round; he then proceeded to defeat Matthew Galea and the 2009 runner-up Luigi Grech.

In the final, Degaetano maintained his positive momentum and made the U/13 national Singles title his own when he overcame Matthew Abela 21/19 21/15 at the end of a balanced match which was well played by both contenders.

The equivalent Girls’ Singles title was won by Sacha Cini, the 2009 runner-up, who defeated Shannon McEvoy 21/4 21/5 in the final.

The U/16 Boys’ Singles final was contested by Kyle Sciberras and by the U/13 runner-up, Matthew Abela.

On his way to the final, Sciberras had first ousted defending champion Owen Grech at the end of a balanced three-set thriller which he won 18/21 27/25 21/19, before proceeding to defeat Cain Gatt in straight sets.

On his part, Abela overcame the challenge of Luigi Grech as well as of Reece Galea.

In the final, it was Kyle Sciberras who took the national U/16 title when he defeated Matthew Abela 21/9 22/20.

The final for the equivalent Girls’ Singles U/16 title saw Joanna Ciantar take on the 2009 runner-up Atlanta Cochrane.

The former had defeated Lisa Formosa and Sarah Debono on her way to the final while the latter had overcome Petra Grech and Clarissa Grech.

In the ensuing final, it was Joanna Ciantar who took the national U/16 title with a 21/8 21/10 victory over Cochrane.

The U/16 Boys’ Doubles title was won by Nigel Degaetano / Kyle Sciberras who combined well to overcome the challenge of Owen Grech / Matthew Abela, whom they defeated 21/17 21/19 at the end of a balanced final in which both pairs played their hearts out.

The equivalent Girls’ Doubles title was retained by the defending champions Atlanta Cochrane / Lisa Formosa who won the final 21/18 21/12 over Petra Grech / Clarissa Grech.

Badminton Malta expressed its satisfaction at the high standard of play shown by all the participants as well as at the sporting attitude manifested throughout the entire competition, noting that this augured well for the future whilst at the same time motivating the participants to higher achievement.

Following on the heels of the Singles League, the 2009/10 Season’s edition of this Doubles competition, sponsored by Camray Co. Ltd, has recently come to its end as well.

It was made up of three separate Doubles categories: Men’s and Women’s Doubles as well as Mixed Doubles. The several fixtures were regularly played on Wednesday evenings at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

As was the case with the Singles competition, each fixture was made up of only two sets, thus creating the possibility of a drawn result.

The Men’s Doubles category was made up of two divisions. Its first division title was won by Kenneth Vella / David Cole (Pawla Wolves BC) who finished their eight-match commitment unbeaten with fourteen points, with six wins and two draws on their record.

The Pawla pair were closely followed by Boris Lalov / Stephen Ferrante (Msida Arrows BC), who finished similarly unbeaten just one point adrift of the leaders, with five wins and three draws.

The second division title was won by Michael Bugeja / George Camilleri (Shuttles BC). Godwin Grech / Charles Cassar (Pawla Wolves BC) took the runner-up spot.

Veteran players Joanne Cassar / Catherine Dimech (Pawla Wolves BC) won the first division title after they managed to preserve their unbeaten status throughout the competition. They topped the final table with ten points, having won four and drawn two of their overall six matches.

Maria Borg / Fiorella Farrugia (B’Kara BC) were a distant second with six points. Their six-match record shows two wins, two draws and two losses.

Marisa Cilia / Grace Saliba (Shuttles BC) made the second division title their own. They topped the table with eleven points with five wins and a single draw in their six-match record, thus remaining unbeaten.

Dominique and Catriona Francica (Pawla Wolves BC) were second, with nine points. They were similarly unbeaten but had three wins and three draws in their match curriculum.

The Mixed Doubles category was made up no less than four divisions. The final placing in each division was as follows:

(1) Maria Borg / Robert Salomone (B’Kara BC);
(2) Fiorella Farrugia / Samuel Cali (B’Kara BC).

Badminton Malta congratulated all the participants for the high standard of play shown throughout this competition and augured that this would motivate them to a higher achievement next season.

It also paid tribute to Camray Co Ltd, whose valuable financial support made this event possible.

The 2009/10 Season’s edition of this competition, sponsored by Camray Co. Ltd, has recently drawn to its close.

It was made up of seven separate Singles divisions. The several fixtures were regularly played throughout the season, on Wednesday evenings at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

Males and females competed together in the same division. One point was awarded to the participants for each set won.

Each fixture was made up of only two sets, thus creating the possibility of a drawn result. This variation, from standard Badminton practice, made the competition even more exciting as some established players unexpectedly lost valuable points against apparently inferior opposition.

The first division title was successfully retained for yet another season by defending champion Boris Lalov (Msida Arrows BC), who finished his commitments unbeaten with ten points, having won four and drawn two of the six matches played.

Stefan Salomone (B’Kara BC) took the runner-up berth, two points adrift of the winner. His match curriculum shows four wins and two losses.

The second division title was won by Stephen Ferrante (Msida Arrows BC) at the end of a hard-fought decider played against Samuel Cali (B’Kara BC) after both players ended their commitments unbeaten on equal points at the top of the table, having drawn their direct encounter during the league.

Ivan Salomone (B’Kara BC) topped the standings in the third division; he was closely followed by Michael Bugeja (Shuttles BC), who was just a single point adrift of the winner.

Badminton Malta expressed its satisfaction at the high standard of play shown by all the participants throughout this competition. It also paid tribute to Camray Co Ltd, whose valuable financial support made this event possible.

Yesterday, the Foundation SOLIBAD - Badminton Without Border launched an
amazing but fun project under the Eiffel Tower - a Flashmob to promote
Badminton in general and the foundation in particular.

We have the crazy project to launch this idea next year, on a world wide
scale. We hope that all of you can participate !

Don't hesitate to publish this information on your website to start
"teasing" your fans at home. You can use photos and the video for free.

You can see the video HERE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcPwhOSGyQE

For the video, you can download it here for one week

http://rcpt.yousendit.com/883094935/370ad9e1e2a2dd28a4184a28198b37cc

Raphaël Sachetat

President founder
Président - fondateur

SOLIBAD
Badminton Without Borders
Badminton Sans Frontières

10 bis rue Favier
94360 Bry sur Marne
France
Tel : +33 (0)660682504
Fax : +33 (0)957720004
raphael@solibad.net

Badminton Malta is committed to the promotion of this sport, with special attention being given to its development in local state and private schools.

It was within this context that four Badminton coaches recently attended the Sports Day organised by the Sir Adrian Dingli Girls’ Junior Lyceum, which is situated in Pembroke and which forms part of the St. Claire College.

These coaches were Norman Spiteri, Edmond Abela, Charles Cassar and Kenneth Vella.

Three courts were set up in the school gym so that the students which attended could all familiarise themselves with this sport.

On arrival, the students were given a brief historical overview about local and international Badminton. Then they watched an exhibition match played by the coaches.

After explaining to the students how to use a racket, the four coaches then taught them some basic Badminton skills. At the end, the participants were also given the chance to try their hand at playing a short game.

In this way, it is estimated that about 150 students were introduced to this sport during the entire Sports Day. The feedback obtained was very positive as several students manifestly preferred Badminton to the many other sports available while the Sports Day was in progress.

Badminton Malta expressed its satisfaction at the positive outcome of this event. While thanking its coaches for their initiative as well as the school for the opportunity provided, the national association confirmed its intention to provide additional support to the school’s PE teachers in order to further develop the sport among their students.

Badminton Malta recently organised the 39th edition of its National Championships; these were played at the Cottonera Sports Complex in Cospicua and at St. Martin’s College in Swatar.

From the 27th edition (which as played in 1998) onwards, Badminton Malta has chosen to sub-title this event as the “Paddy Stubbs Memorial Championships”, in order to keep alive the memory of this great benefactor of Maltese Sport.

The overall event comprised the traditional five categories: Men’s Singles and Doubles, Women’s Singles and Doubles as well as the Mixed Doubles.

Due to the large number of participants, the Men’s Singles category started with a preliminary phase; this was won by Edmond Abela who, in a balanced three-set final, defeated Anthony Xuereb 18/21 - 21/17 - 21/17.

Kenneth Vella, the defending champion, made it once again to the final where he faced Stefan Salomone. On his way to the final, Vella had overcome Rodney Abela and Stephen Ferrante whilst Salomone had defeated Anthony Xuereb and David Cole.

The final started in a balanced manner with the two players sharing exchanges; however, Salomone soon started edging ahead and was 11/7 in front at the half-way stage.

After Vella’s reaction, which brought the partial score to 12/13 in his opponent’s favour, Salomone took control of the proceedings and scored point after point to take the first set 21/15.

Salomone maintained his positive momentum also in the second set where he was leading 11/6 at the half-way stage; he increased his lead to 16/7 and proceeded to win the set 21/11, thereby taking the national Singles title.

Maria Borg and Fiorella Farrugia, last year’s beaten finalist, made it to the final of the Women’s Singles category.

On her way to the final, Borg had defeated Tiziana Mifsud and Catherine Dimech while Farrugia had overcome Catriona Francica and Dominique Francica.

Borg started the final well and was already leading 11/4 at the half-way mark; she maintained her firm grasp over the game until she won the first set 21/15.

Farrugia reacted strongly in the second set and even managed to draw level with her opponent at 10/10. However, Borg quickly regained control and scored repeatedly to win also the second set 21/13, thereby taking the title.

The national Men’s Doubles title was retained by brothers Robert and Stefan Salomone who defeated Kenneth Vella and David Cole 21/11 – 21/12 in the final.

Maria Borg and Fiorella Farrugia won the national Women’s Doubles title after overcoming the challenge of defending champions Joanne Cassar and Catherine Dimech, whom they defeated 21/15 – 21/13 in the final.

Stefan Salomone and Fiorella Farrugia retained the national Mixed Doubles title; they won the respective final 21/14 – 21/12 over Kenneth Vella and Catherine Dimech.

By winning three titles in these National Championships, Stefan Salomone obtained also the platonic “Triple Crown” title.

Badminton Malta expressed its satisfaction at the high standard of play shown throughout these Championships, particularly by the upcoming players who strived to leave their mark on the event; this augurs well for the future of the sport.

During this month, Badminton Malta is organising the 39th edition of its National Championships.

This can be considered as the principal event in the Association’s competitive calendar for this season. It never fails to generate considerable interest among all its members and to attract the attention of the media.

The Championships are being played at the Cottonera Sports Complex as well as at St. Martin’s College, Swatar. They comprise the traditional five categories: Men’s Singles and Doubles, Women’s Singles and Doubles as well as the Mixed Doubles.

Due to the considerable number of participants, the Men’s Singles category will start with a Preliminary Round, at the end of which the top four players will progress to the Main Draw where they will face tougher opposition from more experienced players.

In this category, defending champion Kenneth Vella will once again have to face the challenge of David Cole, who had lost last year’s final, if he is to retain the national title for another year. Brothers Stefan and Robert Salomone are also expected to play a determining role in the final destination of this national title.

In the Women’s Singles, Joanne Cassar will not be defending the title she won in the preceding edition. This will therefore provide a good opportunity for Fiorella Farrugia whom Cassar had defeated in the final.

Farrugia will however have to overcome the challenge posed by Maria Borg as well as by veteran Catherine Dimech. A number of promising players are also expected to have a say in the proceedings in their quest to leave their mark on this competition.

A keen tussle is similarly expected in the remaining three Doubles categories, as the participants will be doing their utmost to spring a surprise on the defending champions in each category.

While wishing the best of luck to all the participants, Badminton Malta expressed its satisfaction at the high number of participants who will be vying for its national titles.

It also invited the Maltese sporting public to attend these Championships in order to see and appreciate Maltese Badminton at its best.

Badminton Malta (BM) invites all registered members of Maltese nationality to take part in the 39th edition of the Malta National Championships, which will be held from the 7th to the 25th April 2010.

The Championships will be played according to BWF and BM regulations. Plate events may be held in each category, if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Applicants must complete the Entry Form below and hand it to their Club Delegate; do not send any Forms by post. All applications are to reach Badminton Malta by not later than 6:30 pm on Tuesday, 30th March 2010.

Late applications will not be accepted. Incorrect information will automatically disqualify; disciplinary measures will be taken as necessary. All applications will be vetted by the Executive Council, whose decision will be final.

The draws will be held during the Executive Council meeting scheduled to be held on the same date. The participation fees, to be settled in full to each respective Club when submitting the Entry Form, are as follows:
(a) Players aged below 18 years: EUR 6.00 per event but EUR 8.00 for two or more events;
(b) Players aged 18 years and over: EUR 8.00 per event but EUR 13.00 for two or more events.

John Attard
General Secretary
Badminton Malta 17th March 2010.

______________________________________________________________________________

ENTRY FORM for the 39th National Championships.

NAME : ___________________________________ AGE : ______

CLUB : ___________________________________ DIVISION : ________

EVENT : SINGLES / MIXED / DOUBLES (delete where not applicable)

PARTNER : Doubles ______________________ Mixed _______________________

SIGNATURE : ___________________________ DATE : ______________________

I am writing to inform you that this year's edition of the Badminton Summer School, organised as usual by the Badminton Europe Confederation (BEC), will be taking place in Pressbaum (Austria) from the 17th to the 24th July 2010 inclusive.
As you will be aware, this Badminton Summer School is a one-week intensive training camp for junior players and their coaches. The BEC Coach Education material will be presented to the coaches during the Summer School.
Badminton Malta (BM) has been invited to nominate up to four players and up to four coaches to the Badminton Summer School 2010. All training sessions will be conducted in English; it is therefore important that all players and coaches can understand and communicate in this language.
BEC is recommending that participating players should preferably be in the U/17 age group; it will however be acceptable to nominate U/19 players as an alternative. All nominated players must be of national standard; they must not be less than 15 years old.
The relevant date used to determine a player's age is the 31st December 2010.
It is important that applicant players and coaches are ranked in order of preference in case only a smaller number is accepted by BEC per Association.
The participation fee for the Badminton Summer School is EUR 450.00 per person, inclusive of full board and lodging. This is payable in advance, net of all bank charges. Participants must cover their own travel expenses.
Participants will be accommodated in shared rooms with shared toilet and washing facilities.
The organisers will offer free return transport from Vienna (Schwechat) Airport to the Summer School venue.
The closing date for submitting nominations to BM is the 30th March 2010. All nominations must be made to BM in writing and should include:
Name;
Date of Birth;
Playing / Coaching Experience;
In case of players, any national title won;
In case of coaches, any coaching qualification already attained.
All nominations will be vetted by the BM Executive Council; its decision on the matter will be final.
Any cancellation, for whatever reason, made by an applicant after his/her participation has been confirmed by BEC will be subject to a penalty of EUR 150.00; applicants selected by the BM Executive Council will therefore be required to deposit this amount in advance with BM.
With the intention of promoting the development of coaching standards, BEC will provide the following assistance in respect of the participation of a coach at the forthcoming Summer School:
(1) EUR 450.00 in respect of the participation fee, inclusive of full board and lodging;
(2) EUR 200.00 in respect of travel expenses.
As agreed during the last Executive Council meeting, if more than one coach is selected by the Executive Council for participation in the Summer School, these benefits would be shared between the selected applicants.
Please note that players and coaches participate and travel entirely at their own risk; BM and BEC will not accept any legal (or other) responsibility for sickness / injury and/or loss / damage to property. Adequate insurance cover is therefore highly recommended.
Kindly inform all your club members accordingly.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Regards.
John Attard
General Secretary
Badminton Malta.

This season’s edition of this team competition was once again made up of a five-match series between the top two local sides – defending champions Pawla Wolves Assikura and Birkirkara Firetech – with each individual fixture comprising five different games.

After winning the first two direct encounters 4-1 and 3-2, B’Kara Firetech faced the third match with a clear psychological advantage over their rivals as they needed to win just one of the remaining three matches to take the championship.

On the other hand, the pressure was all on Pawla Wolves Assikura who had no other feasible option but to win in order to reopen the championship race.

The match was played in front of a lively and noisy crowd in which the two sets of supporters did their utmost to encourage the respective teams.

It was Pawla Wolves Assikura who initially forged ahead by winning the opening Mixed Doubles through David Cole / Catherine Dimech who edged out Robert Salomone / Fiorella Farrugia at the end of two balanced sets which ended 22/20 – 21/18.

However, with the national title so close within their reach, B’Kara Firetech were in no mood for compromises. They reacted strongly and promptly brought the match under their control.

It was their captain, Stefan Salomone, who put the match on even terms when he won his Men’s Singles 21/7 - 21/15 over the Wolves’ captain, Kenneth Vella.

Maria Borg then put B’Kara Firetech ahead by defeating Dawn Tinkler 21/6 – 21/9 in the Women’s Singles.

B’Kara Firetech maintained their momentum even in the Men’s Doubles which they won through brothers Stefan and Robert Salomone who defeated Kenneth Vella / David Cole 21/18 – 21/16.

With the match now firmly in their grasp thanks to an unassailable 3-1 lead, B’Kara Firetech proceeded to carry of also the remaining Women’s Doubles in which Maria Borg / Fiorella Farrugia had the better of Catherine Dimech / Joanne Cassar over three sets.

After winning the first set 21/8, the B’Kara Firetech pair lost the second one 18/21, before turning the tables on their opponents by winning the third set 21/18.

This signified a 4-1 final result for B’Kara Firetech as well as the Championship title for this season.

This season’s edition of this team competition is once again made up of five direct encounters between the best two local sides – defending champions Pawla Wolves Assikura and Birkirkara Firetech.

Each individual fixture is made up of five different games, which are played in this order: Mixed Doubles, Men’s and Women’s Singles as well as Men’s and Women’s Doubles.

After starting their commitments on the right foot by winning the first of this five-match series 4-1, B’Kara Firetech maintained their momentum to make it two in a row by taking also the second one 3-2.

As was the case in the first match, it was Pawla Wolves Assikura who went initially ahead by winning the opening Mixed Doubles through David Cole / Catherine Dimech who edged out Robert Salomone / Fiorella Farrugia at the end of two balanced sets which ended with an identical score: 21/19 – 21/19.

However, B’Kara Firetech reacted immediately through Stefan Salomone who won his Men’s Singles 21/12 - 21/14 against Kenneth Vella.

B’Kara Firetech then edged ahead through Maria Borg who defeated Dawn Tinkler 21/11 – 21/12 in the Women’s Singles.

There was no stopping B’Kara Firetech now as they went on to take also the Men’s Doubles through brothers Stefan and Robert Salomone who defeated Kenneth Vella / David Cole 23/21 – 21/9, thereby securing an unassailable 3-1 lead for their team.

Pawla Wolves Assikura scored a consolation point to ensure a more respectable final score by winning the remaining Women’s Doubles through Catherine Dimech / Joanne Cassar who defeated Maria Borg / Fiorella Farrugia 21/17 – 22/20.

This second consecutive positive result brings B’Kara Firetech ever closer to the national title which has eluded them during the past seasons. They now enjoy a clear psychological advantage as they need to win just one of the remaining three matches to take the championship.

On their part, Pawla Wolves Assikura are facing a clear uphill struggle. They now have no option but to win all three remaining encounters if they are to salvage their season and retain the national title. One false move and they would be permanently out of the reckoning!

The third and decisive encounter between these two sides will take place at the Cottonera Sports Complex on Wednesday, 3rd March, starting at 7:00pm.

A win for B’Kara Firetech will signify nothing less than the championship crown for this season and a sudden death for their opponents.

A win for Pawla Wolves Assikura would put them again in the running and reopen the title race.

The local Badminton fans are therefore looking forward to a keenly contested and high level clash between these two top local sides.

This season’s edition of this team competition is once again dominated by the direct encounters between the best two local sides – defending champions Pawla Wolves Assikura and Birkirkara Firetech – who will face each other five times over a period of five months to determine the winner of the national championship title.

All the matches will be played at the Cottonera Sports Complex on Wednesday evenings, starting at 7:00pm.

Each individual fixture is made up of five different games, which are played in this order: Mixed Doubles, Men’s and Women’s Singles as well as Men’s and Women’s Doubles.

B’Kara Firetech started their commitments on the right foot by winning the first of this five-match series 4-1. The encounter was well played by both sides, with two games going as far as the third set.

Ironically, it was Pawla Wolves Assikura who went initially ahead by winning the opening Mixed Doubles through David Cole / Catherine Dimech who defeated Robert Salomone / Fiorella Farrugia in two sets: 21/15 – 21/11.

However, B’Kara Firetech reacted promptly to put the match back on an even keel.

They drew level through Stefan Salomone who won his Men’s Singles 21/5 21/17 against Kenneth Vella.

Maria Borg quickly followed in his footsteps by winning her Women’s Singles over Joanne Cassar to nudge B’Kara Firetech 2-1 ahead.

After Cassar had won the opening set 21/12, Borg turned the tables on her opponent by taking the next two sets 21/19 and 21/15.

Having forfeited their initial lead and with the match now slipping from their grasp, the Wolves had no other option except to take the Men’s Doubles in order to draw level.

The Wolves pair Kenneth Vella / David Cole started well by taking the first set 21/19. However, brothers Robert and Stefan Salomone reacted strongly to win the remaining two sets 21/14 and 21/13.

With a decisive 3-1 lead, B’Kara Firetech took also the remaining Women’s Doubles through a walkover since Joanne Cassar could not go on court for the Wolves due to the back pain she felt at the end of her earlier Women’s Singles.

This 4-1 win will serve as a morale booster for B’Kara Firetech in their quest to wrest the national title from their opponents’ grasp.

On their part, the Wolves Assikura can still recover from this initial setback and regain their winning form in the remaining four other matches at their disposal.

A keen tussle between these two top sides is therefore expected for the rest of this team competition.

Badminton Malta will shortly be organising a fund-raising activity in aid of Inspire (the Eden and Razzett Foundation). This is the Association's way of helping this noble philanthropic cause.

The event will be taking place at the "Razzett tal-Hbiberija" next Sunday, 24th January 2010, from 9:30am to 1:00pm.

The first court will host continuous Singles and/or Doubles matches for the duration of the event. Several players will be alternating on court, according to the time slots assigned to them in advance.

The second court will be reserved for the general public. Everyone will be given the opportunity to try his hand at playing Badminton .... even outright beginners or those who may have played the game in their school days. There is no age limitation.

Children will be particularly welcome to venture on court. Experienced coaches will be in attendance throughout the entire event.

All the participation fees collected by Badminton Malta from those taking part will be donated in full to Inspire.

Badminton Malta members who cannot attend the event have been encouraged to collect donations from friends and relatives; a specific Donation Form was made available to them for this purpose.

Badminton Malta invites the general and the sporting public to support this event in order to help Inspire while having fun playing the game.

International high-performance coach Dennis Christensen is presently in Malta conducting a seven-day Training Camp.

Organised by Badminton Malta with the support of the Confederation of Mediterranean Badminton (COMEBA), this training course is aimed at the better players and coaches of the association.

The training sessions are being held every day, alternating between St. Aloysius College (B’Kara) and the Cottonera Sports Complex.

Every session integrates theoretical and practical aspects; in this way, the participants can assimilate the latest technical and tactical knowhow about the game.

During this intensive training course, Christensen is focussing particularly on footwork and on deceptive strokes as well as on Singles and Doubles tactical play.

During his stay, Christensen will also be visiting several local schools and colleges in order to promote Badminton among the students as well as to assist and train as necessary the respective PE teachers

BM also expressed its gratitude to COMEBA for the valuable support provided in the successful organisation of this Camp.

This national competition is an established regular feature in the seasonal calendar of Badminton Malta. It focuses the spotlight on the emerging talents within the Association’s junior ranks, whilst at the same time motivating the participants to higher achievement.

The Championships started with the U/13 and U/16 Singles and Doubles events.

Matthew Abela and 2008 runner-up Luigi Grech made it to the final of the U/13 Boys’ Singles event.

In the preceding semi-finals, Abela had defeated Sam Cassar 21/6 21/7 whereas Grech had the better of Mark Abela at the end of a three-set thriller with the following score: 21/18 24/26 21/13.

In the final, it was Matthew Abela who took the U/13 Singles title when he overcame Grech’s challenge in two straight sets: 21/6 21/10.

The equivalent Girls’ Singles title was won by Clarissa Grech who defeated Sacha Cini 21/9 21/8 in the final.

Owen Grech, the 2008 U/13 Boys’ Singles titleholder, this year competed in the U/16 Singles category where he made it to the final in which he faced David Portelli.

In the semis, Grech had the better of Matthew Sammut over three sets with this score: 21/19 16/21 21/17.

On his part, Portelli similarly overcame Max Schroeder in another balanced three-set encounter which ended with this score: 21/17 18/21 21/13.

In the final, it was Owen Grech who made the national U/16 title his own when he defeated Portelli 21/18 21/12.

Defending champion Daniela Galea retained the Girls’ Singles U/16 title against Atlanta Cochrane.

In the semis, Galea defeated Lisa Formosa 21/6 21/7 while Cochrane overcame Cristina Muscat 21/13 21/16.

Galea then went on to secure the title in the ensuing final, in which she defeated Cochrane 21/6 21/4.

The U/16 Boys’ Doubles title was won by the U/16 Singles finalists David Portelli / Owen Grech who combined well to overcome Nathan Zahra / Gerd Xuereb in two straight sets: 21/14 21/8.

The equivalent Girls’ Doubles title was this year taken by the 2008 runners-up Atlanta Cochrane / Lisa Formosa who won the final 21/6 21/9 over Petra Grech / Cristina Muscat.

Badminton Malta expressed its satisfaction at the high standard of play shown by all the participants as well as at the sporting attitude shown throughout the entire competition, noting that this augured well for the future.

After its reconstitution in July 2006, the Confederation of Mediterranean Badminton (COMEBA) now groups together eighteen different Mediterranean states. These countries come from Southern Europe and North Africa as well as from Asia.

COMEBA’s main objective is the promotion and development of Badminton in the countries of the Mediterranean basin as well as the eventual integration of Badminton in the Mediterranean Games as from its next edition, which will take place in the Greek cities of Volos and Larisa in 2013.

COMEBA actively promotes healthy competition between its member countries in a spirit of friendship and fairness, free from performance-enhancing drugs.

In this regard COMEBA, jointly with the Lebanese Badminton Federation (LBF), recently organised the first edition of its Mediterranean Open Championship.

The Championship was played on an Individual basis and was spread over the traditional five categories, namely: Men’s and Women’s Singles, Men’s and Women’s Doubles as well as Mixed Doubles.

Five COMEBA member countries took part in this event: Italy, Cyprus, Syria, Morocco and Lebanon. The participating players all gave their best and the standard of play was high throughout the entire competition.

The Referee of the Championship was Mr. Ahmed Darabia, who was assisted by Mr. Mahmoud Hattamli; both are from Jordan. The hosting Lebanese Federation provided all the necessary court officials.

The Championship received extensive coverage in the regional printed media as well as on television and on the internet.

The talented Syrian players left an indelible mark on the event, dominating four of the five categories and carrying off an impressive haul of medals.

COUNTRY GOLD SILVER BRONZE
• Syria 4 2 1
• Italy 1 3 2
• Morocco -- -- 1
• Cyprus -- -- 1

Syria’s four gold medals relate to the three Doubles (MD, WD and MXD) as well as the Women’s Singles titles which were ably taken by its players Amar Awad, Mohamad Saleh, Hadel Kareem and Sanna Mahmoud.

Italy’s sole gold medal relates to Marco Mondavio’s Men’s Singles title victory.

The prize-giving ceremony, held at the end of the Championship, was attended by a number of leading sports personalities among whom were IOC member Mr. Toni Khoury and Mr. Selim Hajj Nicolas, Vice President of the Mediterranean Table Tennis Union.

In his speech during the closing ceremony, Mr. John Attard – COMEBA Secretary General – stated that this event would remain highlighted in COMEBA’s history since it was its very first international tournament.

While looking forward to the next edition of the Championship in 2010, Mr. Attard also expressed COMEBA’s gratitude to LBF President, Mr. Jassem Kanso, for the good organisation of the event.

Badminton Malta (BM) is organising the 2009/10 edition of the Singles / Doubles Individual League in all categories. Participants must be registered with BM; they will be grouped in separate divisions, according to the previous season’s final placing and the number of entries. Male and female players may compete together in the same division. New unranked entrants to this competition will be vetted and ranked accordingly. There will be promotion and relegation from each division. Prizes will be awarded to the winner and runner-up in each division.

The Leagues will be played on Wednesdays, from 7:00 pm onwards, at the Cottonera Sports Complex, starting on the 14th October 2009 with the Doubles fixtures. Each match will consist of only two sets; one point will be awarded for each set won. The following Rules apply to these Leagues:

Participants will play in their respective Club’s name; they must be ready for play when called by the Referee.

Under no circumstances will postponement of fixtures be allowed, except for cases over which BM has no control (for example, the unavailability of courts); a walkover will otherwise be awarded to the opponent present in court if a player is absent or arrives after the fixture is called by the Referee. Postponed fixtures must be played on the first available Wednesday at the same venue.

In case two or more players finish on equal points at the top of the table, the winner’s title will be awarded according to the overall result of their direct encounter(s). If this is insufficient, a decider (over the best of three sets) will be played. The same Rule applies in case of relegation.

Players are to provide their own shuttles, as approved by BM. Shuttles will not be on sale at the venue. If a participant plays less than 50% of his/her fixtures, he/she will be suspended from the League and all his/her fixtures will be scratched.

Participants are fully responsible for the upkeep of cleanliness at the venue, non-smoking in the sports hall, any damage caused, acts of vandalism etc… The pouring of water on the sports hall floor is not allowed; damp cloths can be used instead.

Payment in full of the relevant participation fee must accompany each application.

BWF and BM Rules apply throughout the Leagues; disciplinary action will be taken as necessary.

The Application Form below must reach BM, together with the respective payment, through your Club Delegate by not later than the 1st October 2009. Unpaid applications will not be accepted. Any fees paid will be forfeited if the application is subsequently withdrawn or if a participant’s fixtures are scratched.

I would like to take part in the Men’s Singles / Women’s Singles / Men’s Doubles / Women’s Doubles / Mixed Doubles Individual League and agree to abide by the above Rules.

Name: -------------------------------------------------------

Telephone No:---------------------------------------------

Address: -----------------------------------------------------

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E-Mail: ------------------------------------------------------

Partner (Mxd):---------------------------------------------

Club: ---------------------------------------------------------

Partner (Dbls): ---------------------------------------------

Remarks:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Despite the high ambient temperature in August, Badminton Malta recently organised a Singles competition for all its junior members and their friends, aged up to 16 years, at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

Participants were divided into four separate groups, based on their age as well as on their standard of play. This ensured a level playing field and enhanced the excitement of the competition. It also ensured that the competitors all played a minimum number of matches and were not eliminated after their first defeat.

Under the watchful eye of their parents as well as of their coaches, the participants enthusiastically played their hearts out in a healthy competitive environment.

Three players ended their commitments in Group 1 at the top of the table. They were Owen Grech, Nathan Zahra and Matthew Sammut.

Grech won the platonic title of this Group due to his healthier points difference (+57) over Zahra (+38), who was second, and Sammut (+33) who placed third.

Group 2 was won by Andrew Micallef, who finished unbeaten with maximum points. Dominique Francica took second place while her twin sister Catriona was third.

Luke Sultana was the winner of Group 3, in which he similarly preserved his unbeaten status to end his commitments with maximum points. He was followed by Sam Cassar while Mark Abela was third.

The Group 4 title was taken by Kateryna Suprunenko, a Ukrainian national who is permanently based in Malta. Mikela Borg took the runner-up berth while Nigel Degaetano was third.

At the end of the competition, the winners were presented with their trophies while all the other participants were given a token of this summer sporting event.

Badminton Malta expressed its satisfaction at the high standard of play shown by all the participants in this festival, while confirming its commitment to support their continued development in future.

Considered as its flagship development activity, Badminton Europe (BE) has organised the 2009 edition of its acclaimed “Summer School” in the Swedish coastal city of Karlskrona.

This “school” has now reached its 28th annual edition. Viewed as a highlight in BE’s events schedule, it is in fact a seven-day intensive training course for U/19 players and their coaches during which the participants can assimilate the latest technical and tactical developments delivered by high-performance coaches in a state-of-the-art training venue.

This year’s event attracted 65 players and 19 coaches from 26 different countries.

Badminton Malta (BM) was ably represented at this “Summer School” by three coaches: Norman Spiteri, Kenneth Vella and Edmond Abela.

Their week-long training course was based mainly on practical sessions, with theoretical instruction integrated with practical sessions on court with the players under the watchful eye of BE’s staff coaches.

During their training, the Maltese coaches had the unique opportunity of being instructed by Steen Pedersen, the former national head coach of Denmark.

Now back in Malta, the three coaches will be putting into immediate practice what they learned in Sweden as they take charge of the Badminton Junior Academy which BM has recently set up for its upcoming junior players.

BM expressed its satisfaction at the positive performance of its three coaches at the Summer School while stressing its commitment to providing every development opportunity for its aspiring coaches.

BM also expressed its gratitude to Badminton Europe for the valuable support provided in making this participation a reality.

This season’s edition of this competition, sponsored by Camray Co. Ltd, has now drawn to its close.

It was made up of separate Singles and Doubles categories, with five divisions in each category. The several fixtures were regularly played throughout the season, on Wednesday evenings at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

Each fixture was made up of only two sets, thus creating the possibility of a drawn result. This variation from standard Badminton practice made the competition even more exciting as some established players unexpectedly lost valuable points against apparently inferior opposition.

The first division title was retained by defending champion Boris Lalov (Msida Arrows BC), who finished his commitments unbeaten with the maximum 18 points from the nine fixtures played.

Kenneth Vella (Pawla Wolves BC) took the runner-up berth, seven points adrift of the winner. His match curriculum shows five wins, one draw and three losses.

The second division title was won by Patrick Cassar (Pawla Wolves) who similarly retained his unbeaten status with four wins and two draws from the six matches played.

The final placings in the third division table show a tie between Albert Bezzina (B’Kara) and Godwin Grech (Pawla Wolves), who both ended their nine-match spree with 15 points.

However, the competition regulations envisage that the result of the direct encounter between the two players will determine the title winner; hence, Bezzina was awarded the title while Grech took the runner-up spot.

Charles Cassar (Pawla Wolves) won the fourth division title, having garnered the maximum 14 points from the seven matches played, thus remaining unbeaten. Stephen Serracino Inglott (Msida Arrows) placed second, three points behind the title winner.

Dominique Francica (Pawla Wolves) remained similarly undefeated in the fifth division, topping the table with 17 points from eight wins and a draw at the end of the nine matches played.

Cheryl Dimech (B’Kara) was second, just a single point behind Francica; she was similarly unbeaten, having collated seven wins and two draws.

As for the preceding seasons, Badminton Malta’s competitive calendar for teams was made up of the Premier and First Divisions; all the fixtures were regularly played at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

The First Division was played over two rounds with each fixture consisting of two Singles and two Doubles games, thereby creating the possibility of a drawn result.

During the season, the competition turned out to be a two-horse race between defending champions Pawla Wolves Assikura and their direct contenders, B’Kara BC.

After the Paolites’ victory in the first round, the two teams got to their second round direct encounter with the Wolves two points ahead of their opponents.

With both teams then having only one more match to play after this direct clash, the pressure was on B’Kara which had no alternative but to win in order to draw level and hopefully trigger a decider.

On their part, the Wolves could easily aim for a draw in order to maintain their opponents at a safe distance. However, their play on court showed otherwise; the Paolites clearly wanted from the outset to make the match their own.

It was Tony Xuereb who set them on their way when he defeated Brian Zammit in the opening Singles 21/14 - 21/13.

B’Kara reacted well and drew level by taking the second Singles in which Samuel Cali had the better of Rodney Abela over three sets: 21/15 - 8/21 - 21/14.

The Wolves recovered from this temporary setback by winning the first Doubles through brothers Edmond and Rodney Abela who defeated Brian Zammit / Samuel Cali 21/18 - 21/10.

Tony Xuereb / Patrick Cassar then secured the second Doubles for the Wolves over Ivan Salomone / Albert Bezzina for a final 3-1 score.

This win gave the Paolites an unassailable four-point lead at the top of the table as well as the mathematical certainty of the First Division title, which follows on the heels of their first team’s earlier win of the Premier Division championship.

Badminton Malta recently organised the 38th edition of its Malta National Championships, once again sponsored by EuroSport.

Since the 27th edition held in 1998, the event has been sub-titled as the “Paddy Stubbs Memorial Championships”, in memory of this well-known philanthropist and generous benefactor of Maltese sport.

Played at the Cottonera Sports Complex and St. Martin’s College, these Championships comprised the traditional five categories: Men’s Singles and Doubles, Women’s Singles and Doubles as well as Mixed Doubles.

In view of the large number of participants, a preliminary competition started off the Men’s Singles category; this was won by Edmond Abela who defeated Samuel Cali 21/18 - 21/14.

David Cole and Kenneth Vella contested the Men’s Singles final. The former had ousted title-holder Stefan Salomone in the semi-final.

Cole started well against a somewhat hesitant Vella, initially surging 7/3 ahead, and was leading 11/6 at the interval. He maintained his momentum in the second part of the first set, going 17/10 ahead, before taking the set 21/12.

Vella reacted strongly in the second set to put himself back in contention. After a somewhat balanced start, he went 8/4 ahead and was leading 11/8 at the interval.

Cole tried his utmost to save the set and even managed to draw level at 16/16. However, it was Vella who had the last say, taking the set 21/17.

The third set was therefore to decide the issue. However, with Vella leading 8/7, Cole was forced to withdraw after sustaining a serious injury, as a result of which he had to be hospitalised.

To his credit, Vella declined to claim the national Singles title and opted to replay the match at a later date, once his opponent recovered from the injury.

Cole’s withdrawal signified also the cancellation of the Men’s Doubles final, which featured him and Kenneth Vella against Robert and Stefan Salomone. Here again the Salomone brothers opted to replay the match at a later date, after Cole’s complete recovery.

The Women’s Singles category had started off with a preliminary competition, which was won by Marisa Micallef who defeated Claire O’Berg 21/6 - 21/9.

Joanne Cassar and Fiorella Farrugia made it to the Women’s Singles final; the former had ousted defending champion Maria Borg in the semi-final.

A clearly determined Cassar started well and lead 11/7 at the interval. In the second part of the first set, she surged 16/9 ahead before taking the set 21/14.

Cassar did not relinquish her hold in the second set. After leading 11/5 at the interval, she kept relentlessly piling the pressure on Farrugia to take the set 21/6 and win the eleventh national Singles title in her career.

In the other categories, the Women’s Doubles title was retained for another by defending champions Catherine Dimech / Joanne Cassar who defeated Maria Borg / Fiorella Farrugia in two sets: 21/14 - 21/11.

The Mixed Doubles category also had its own preliminary event. This was won by Rodney Abela / Sharon Sultana who defeated Edmond Abela / Christina Mifsud 21/18 - 21/14.

Played earlier in the week, the Mixed Doubles title was similarly retained by Stefan Salomone / Fiorella Farrugia at the end of an exciting three-set thriller in which they defeated David Cole / Joanne Cassar 21/11 - 18/21 - 24/22.

Badminton Malta commended the acts of true sportsmanship made by the finalists and expressed its satisfaction at the high standard of play shown throughout the Championships.

The 38th edition of the Malta National Championships, sponsored once again by EuroSport, is currently in progress at the Cottonera Sports Complex. The full programme comprises the traditional five categories.

The event will come to its end with the Finals of the Men’s and Women’s Singles as well as of the Men’s Doubles on the 1st May; these will be played at St. Martin’s College, Swatar, where the first match will start at 10:00am.

The finals of the Women’s Doubles as well as of the Mixed Doubles usually take place in the preceding days. The former has just been played while the latter is scheduled for Wednesday (29th April).

The Women’s Doubles final saw the title-holders Joanne Cassar / Catherine Dimech take on Maria Borg / Fiorella Farrugia in a repeat of last year’s encounter.

At the semi-final stage, Cassar/ Dimech had defeated Marisa Micallef / Jacqueline Abela in two straight sets: 21/12 - 21/8.

On their part, Borg / Farrugia had similarly eliminated Daniela Galea / Claire O’Berg in two sets: 21/9 - 21/9.

In the final, the defending champions made their intention clear from the outset. They were always in control of the proceedings, initially going ahead 5-1 and then leading 11/6 at the interval.

In the second part of the first set, they surged further ahead to lead 18/9 before taking the set 21/14.

Cassar / Dimech maintained their momentum in the second set, scoring point after point to lead 11/2 at the interval.

In the second part, they increased their lead to 18/7 before finally winning the set 21/11.

This clear two-set victory signified the retention, for yet another season, of the Women’s Doubles national title for Joanne Cassar / Catherine Dimech, the sixteenth such title in their joint sporting career.

The 38th edition of the Malta National Championships, sponsored once again by EuroSport, is currently in progress. This event is taking place at the Cottonera Sports Complex; it will come to its end with the Finals on the 1st May, to be played at St. Martin’s College, Swatar.

The “Nationals”, as they are more colloquially known among the enthusiasts, are the premier event in Badminton Malta’s seasonal calendar. By their very nature, they bring together all the top local talents in one high level competition that captures the attention of all local sports enthusiasts and the media.

Since the 27th edition held in 1998, Badminton Malta has sub-titled this national competition as the “Paddy Stubbs Memorial Tournament”, in memory of this well-known philanthropist and benefactor of Maltese sport.

The full programme comprises the traditional five categories, foremost among which are the Men’s and Women’s Singles.

In view of the large number of participants, the Men’s Singles category starts with a preliminary round.

Regular players like Mark Briffa, Michael Bugeja, Samuel Cali, Albert Bezzina and George Camilleri together with veterans Edmond Abela, Godwin Grech, Patrick Cassar, Rodney Abela and Charles Cassar are expected to strive their utmost to secure a share of the limelight in this initial qualifying round.

This preliminary round will also feature upcoming players like Emerson Farrugia, Chris Mifsud, Terence Gatt and Justin Farrugia who are equally expected to try their best in order to upset the plans of their more fancied opponents.

The top three players will then proceed to the main round to face the tougher opposition provided by the more experienced players.

Defending champion Stefan Salomone is determined to hang on to his crown for yet another season. However, he will first have to come to terms with the title aspirations of second seed Kenneth Vella, last season’s finalist.

Stiff competition is equally expected from the likes of Robert Salomone, David Cole and Aldo Polidano.

In the Women’s Singles event, which will similarly start with a preliminary round, title-holder Maria Borg is equally determined to give her opponents a good run for their money.

On their part players like second seed Catherine Dimech, Joanne Cassar, Jacqueline Abela and Fiorella Farrugia are expected to liven up the proceedings in their attempt to foil the title-holder’s plans.

The National Championships will naturally include the Doubles’ categories, featuring the Men’s and Women’s Doubles as well as the Mixed Doubles (which will similarly start with a preliminary round).

A keen tussle is equally expected in these categories as the respective title-holders strive to preserve their crown for yet another edition in the face of the existing and emerging opposition.

Badminton Malta expressed its appreciation and gratitude to EuroSport for the valuable cooperation and support provided in the staging of this event. While wishing a successful tournament to all the participants, Badminton Malta invites the general public to attend and enjoy Maltese Badminton at its best.

This season’s Premier Division title of the Mixed League, organised by Badminton Malta, was to be assigned at the end of a five-match series between the top two local clubs – Pawla Wolves Assikura and Birkirkara BC.

At the end of the initial two encounters that had been played so far, the Paolites were enjoying a healthy 2-0 lead over their eternal sporting rivals.

The third encounter could therefore decide the issue, one way or the other. A win for B’Kara BC would put them back in contention and reopen the title race while the Wolves’ victory would signify nothing less than the national championship title.

However the Wolves, despite the absence of their regular player Joanne Cassar through injury, determinedly made the third encounter their own to open an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series and put this season’s national title definitely beyond their opponents’ reach.

It was their captain, Kenneth Vella, who set them on their way by winning his opening Men’s Singles encounter 21/13 - 21/11 over Robert Salomone.

Didi Rasamayii quickly followed in his footsteps by defeating Maria Borg in the Ladies’ Singles in two clear sets: 21/9 - 21/8.

The Men’s Doubles was a more balanced affair. Sensing that the match was slipping from their grasp, the B’Kara doubles pair – Stefan Salomone and Aldo Polidano – played an aggressive and attacking game that saw them take the first set 21/15.

However, the Wolves’ duo – Kenneth Vella and David Cole – reacted well and came from behind to win the second one 21/18, before proceeding to take also the decisive third one 21/19.

Making the most of their momentum, the Paolites did not falter in the Ladies’ Doubles which Didi Rasamayii / Catherine Dimech won 21/13 - 21/18 over Fiorella Farrugia / Maria Borg.

B’Kara scored a consolation point by taking the final Mixed Doubles through Fiorella Farrugia / Stefan Salomone who had the better of Catherine Dimech / David Cole.

This overall 4-1 victory secured the third consecutive title for the Paolites.

In the Premier Division, the top two local teams – defending champions Pawla Wolves Assikura and Birkirkara BC – are playing each other five times over a three-month period in order to determine the winner of the national championship title.

The Wolves presently enjoy a healthy 2-0 lead over their eternal opponents in this five-match series, having been successful in their initial two outings.

They made their own the opening encounter with a clear 4-1 score line. They then continued by convincingly taking also the second one 3-2, after having initially trailed their adversaries 0-2.

Based on this track record, the Paolites will certainly have the psychological edge over their opponents. Captained by Kenneth Vella, they will be determined to maintain the positive momentum generated so far by putting the title beyond their opponents’ reach.

A third successive win for the Paolites would signify nothing less than the national championship title. It would put a definite end to any residual title aspirations still harboured by their opponents since the latter would be mathematically unable to beat the Paolites’ three wins in the remaining two matches.

On the other hand, considerable psychological pressure is presently piled on B’Kara; victory is the only option for them from now on.

Captained by Stefan Salomone, they will certainly want to recover from their false start with a convincing win in order to put themselves again in contention and reopen the title race.

However, Kenneth Vella did not mince his words when interviewed about the Paolites’ prospects. “The squad has been training seriously and is completely focussed on this third decisive match”, he stated; “we want to retain the championship title for another season”.

Stefan Salomone was equally upbeat on B’Kara BC’s chances. “We are fully aware of the fact that this match is an uphill struggle for us”, he contended; “nevertheless, I am confident that the team will rise to the occasion with a positive display”.

The match is scheduled on Wednesday (1st April) at the Cottonera Sports Complex, starting at 7:00pm.

organised by the Badminton Europe Confederation, will take
place in Karlskrona (Sweden) from the 11th to the 18th July 2009.

As you will be aware, this Badminton Summer School is a one-week training
camp for junior players and their coaches. There will be a "Coach Education
Course" for participant coaches. This will cover Level One of the Badminton
Europe Coach Education material.

This year, entry to the Badminton Summer School will be limited to 72
players and 35 coaches. BEC does not want the badminton courts to become
crowded; it also wants to ensure that the participating players benefit as
much as possible from the staff's coaching.

Badminton Malta has been invited to nominate up to four players and up to
two coaches to the Badminton Summer School 2009. All training sessions will
be conducted in English; it is therefore important that all players and
coaches can understand and communicate in English.

It is important that applicant players are ranked in order of preference in
case only a smaller number is accepted per country.

The participation fee for the Badminton Summer School is EUR 450.00 per
person, inclusive of full board and lodging.

The closing date for submitting nominations is the 12th April 2009. All
nominations must be made to BM in writing and should include:
* Name;
* Date of Birth;
* Playing / Coaching Experience;
* In case of players, any national title won;
* In case of coaches, any coaching qualification already attained.

All nominations will be vetted by the Executive Council of BM; its decision
on the matter will be final.

Badminton Europe will confirm accepted participants by not later than the
1st May 2009.

This competition has progressed steadily in all its ten separate divisions – five for Singles and five for Doubles – in which each fixture consists of only two sets of 21 points each with one point being awarded for each set won.

In the Mixed Doubles division, Joanne Cassar / David Cole (Pawla Wolves BC) presently head the table with six points from four matches. They have succeeded in preserving their unbeaten status so far, with two wins and two draws in their record.

They are however being closely shadowed by their team mates Catherine Dimech / Kenneth Vella as well as by Maria Borg / Robert Salomone (B’Kara BC); both pairs share second place, just one point adrift of the leaders.

The recent direct encounter between the two Pawla pairs ended in a draw, at the end of a very balanced encounter that was well played by the participants. Dimech / Vella just managed to take the first set 21/19. However, Cassar / Cole recovered well to win the second one 26/24.

In the other Doubles divisions, the still undefeated Joanne Cassar / Catherine Dimech (Pawla Wolves) head the First Division, followed by their team mates Anthony Xuereb / Martin Camilleri jointly with Albert Bezzina / Samuel Cali (B’Kara).

The Second Division table is currently led by Michael Bugeja / George Camilleri (Shuttles BC) with nine points from five matches; they are still unbeaten, with four wins and a draw in their record so far.

The pair enjoy a slender one-point lead over Pawla’s similarly unbeaten Godwin Grech / Charles Cassar, who have three wins and two draws in their curriculum.

In their last outing, Bugeja / Camilleri defeated Ivan Salomone / Thomas Vestergaard (B’Kara) while Grech / Cassar had the better of Soner Gurelli / Charles Tabone (Shuttles).

Marisa Cilia / Juliet Gatt top the Third Division table with five points from four matches, jointly with Norman Spiteri and Emmanuel Gatt; both pairs play for Shuttles BC.

Catriona and Dominique Francica (Pawla Wolves) lead the Fourth Division with six points from four matches. They enjoy a two-point lead over Cheryl Dimech / Sarah Shawky (B’Kara).

Each fixture consists of five different games: Men’s and Women’s Singles, Men’s and Women’s Doubles as well as Mixed Doubles. All fixtures are played at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

After winning the first of this five-match series 4-1, the Paolites maintained their momentum by taking the second one as well, this time with a 3-2 final score.

The match turned out to be a veritable uphill struggle for the Wolves, as they had to start from a 0-2 deficit following the last minute withdrawal of David Cole due to sickness.

Since he could not be replaced at such short notice, his reluctant absence from the match signified that both the Men’s Singles and the Men’s Doubles games were awarded to B’Kara.

This left the defending champions with very little choice; they had to win all the remaining three games if they wanted to secure the match.

And this they did, by playing their hearts out in a clearly determined fashion, thereby showing their mettle while moving another step closer to the national championship.

Didi Rasamayii set the Wolves on their way by winning her Ladies’ Singles against Maria Borg at the end of yet another three-set thriller between these two sporting rivals.

After narrowly losing the first set 18/21, the Dutch player ably recovered her composure to take the next two sets 21/12 and 21/13.

Rasamayii figured again in the Ladies’ Doubles, where she was partnered by Catherine Dimech, in which the Wolves’ duo defeated Jacqueline De Giovanni / Fiorella Farrugia in two straight sets: 21/15 - 21/16.

With the partial score thus tied at 2-2, the final Mixed Doubles was therefore to decide the outcome of this match.

Kenneth Vella / Joanne Cassar started well for the Wolves by taking the opening set 21/15 over Robert Salomone / Fiorella Farrugia.

However, the B’Kara pair made amends for this setback by taking the second one 21/16.

Nevertheless, it was the Vella / Cassar who had the final say by just edging their opponents 21/19 at the end of a balanced third set.

This second consecutive win in the five-match series puts the Wolves on velvet as they now need only one more win from the remaining three encounters in order to definitely put the championship title beyond their opponents’ reach.

On the other hand, the psychological pressure is all piled on B’Kara, which now cannot afford any more slip-ups if they are to stand a chance of wresting the national title from the Paolites’ grasp.

The third encounter in the five-match championship series between these two teams is scheduled for the 1st April.

This season’s edition of this team competition is made up of the Premier and First Divisions; it will see five separate teams vying for their respective division title.

In the Premier Division, the top two local teams – defending champions Pawla Wolves Assikura and Birkirkara BC – will be playing each other five times over a three-month period in order to determine the winner of the national championship title.

Each fixture consists of five different games: Men’s and Women’s Singles, Men’s and Women’s Doubles as well as Mixed Doubles. All fixtures are played at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

The first of this five-match series went the Wolves’ way. However, despite the 4-1 final score, it was a balanced affair with four out of its five games going to three sets.

Ironically, it was B’Kara that scored the first point through Stefan Salomone who had the better of Kenneth Vella. After losing the initial set 10/21 to Vella, Salomone recovered well to take the next two sets 21/16 and 21/13.

However, the Wolves quickly put the match on an even keel and drew level by taking the Women’s Singles through Didi Rasamayii.

Maria Borg won the first set 21/15 for B’Kara. However, despite nursing a shoulder injury, Rasamayii reacted well and just managed to edge her opponent in the second one, winning it 26/24.

Then there was no stopping Rasamayii in the decisive third set, which she won 21/14.

The Wolves went ahead for the first time in the match by taking the Men’s Doubles through Kenneth Vella / David Cole. After losing the opening set 12/21 to brothers Robert and Stefan Salomone, the Wolves duo recovered well to take next two sets 21/15 and 21/19.

The Wolves put the match definitely beyond their opponents’ reach by winning the Women’s Doubles through Didi Rasamayii / Catherine Dimech who ably came from behind to defeat Maria Borg / Fiorella Farrugia 17/21 - 21/16 - 21/17.

With the partial score now at 3-1, the remaining Mixed Doubles game was awarded as a walkover to the Wolves since Robert Salomone was unable to play for B’Kara due to an injury picked up during the earlier Men’s Doubles.

This hard-fought 4-1 win should boost the Wolves’ confidence in their bid to retain the national title for another season. On their part, with another four matches to go, B’Kara are still in time to overcome this initial setback. Keen contests are therefore expected for the rest of this competition.

Badminton Malta’s competitive calendar was recently enhanced through the start of this season’s edition of this team competition. The event is made up of the Premier and First Divisions; it is being played at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

The First Division will be played over two rounds with each fixture consisting of two Singles and two Doubles games, thereby creating the possibility of a drawn result.

Defending champions Pawla Wolves Assikura started their commitments with a difficult encounter against their direct contenders, B’Kara BC.

The Wolves could not have hoped for a better start to their campaign when they made this difficult match their own with an emphatic 4-0 final score.

This positive initial result will certainly be a morale booster for the Paolites in their quest to retain the division title for yet another season.

On the other hand, B’Kara BC cannot afford any slip-ups in their remaining commitments, in the hope of turning the tables on their adversaries in the second round clash.

Tony Xuereb put the Wolves ahead in the opening Singles match by defeating Samuel Cali 21/17 - 21/14.

He was followed by Rodney Abela who similarly won his Singles match in two straight sets, overcoming Albert Bezzina 21/18 - 21/17.

The Wolves put the match beyond their opponent’s reach at the end of the first Doubles game, which brothers Rodney and Edmond Abela won against Martin Farrugia / Thomas Vestergaard 21/8 - 21/5.

B’Kara came close to scoring a consolation point in the second Doubles game. After narrowly losing the opening set 23/25 against the Wolves’ duo Tony Xuereb / Patrick Cassar, the B’Kara pair Samuel Cali / Albert Bezzina took the second one 21/15.

However, Xuereb / Cassar soon made amends for this temporary setback by making theirs the decisive third set, which they won 21/12.

The Mixed League will now continue on the 11th February, with the start of the Premier Division.

In addition to its ongoing Individual League, Badminton Malta is now enhancing its competitive calendar through the organisation of this season’s edition of this team competition, known as the Mixed League.

The event is made up of the Premier and First Divisions, and will see five separate teams vying for their respective division title.

As was the case during the preceding season, the top two local teams – defending champions Pawla Wolves Assikura and Birkirkara BC – will be contesting the Premier Division title. They will be playing each other five times over a three-month period in order to determine the winner of the national championship title.

Each fixture consists of five different games: Men’s and Women’s Singles, Men’s and Women’s Doubles as well as Mixed Doubles.

The sportive rivalry between the Paolites and B’Kara is equally evident in the First Division where the clubs’ second teams are joined by Shuttles Fort Blocks.

The First Division will be played over two rounds with each fixture consisting of two Singles and two Doubles games, thereby creating the possibility of a drawn result.

The Mixed League will start on Wednesday (28 January) with a First Division fixture in which defending champions Pawla Wolves Assikura will immediately face their direct contenders, B’Kara BC.

A tough tussle is expected, as both teams will want to put their stamp on this division as from the very outset.

However, Shuttles Fort Blocks are not to be written off lightly. The dedication and enthusiasm of their players make this team the dark horse of this competition and might well cause it to spring an unwelcome surprise on its better rated opponents

The opening First Division match will be played at the Cottonera Sports Complex and will be refereed by Mr. Norman Spiteri. Play starts at 7:00pm.

This competition is now proceeding steadily with fixtures being regularly played on Wednesday evenings at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

It comprises ten separate divisions – five for Singles and five for Doubles – with each fixture consisting of only two sets of twenty-one points each and one point being awarded for each set won. Male and female players may compete in the same division.

Ten players are contesting the third division Singles title. With each participant having now played six matches, the provisional table is headed by Albert Bezzina (B’Kara BC) with ten points, having won five and lost one of his fixtures so far.

Club mate Maria Borg and Godwin Grech (Pawla Wolves BC) are jointly within striking distance, just a single point adrift of the leader. They are followed by George Camilleri (Shuttles BC) who has so far garnered seven points.

Charles Cassar (Pawla Wolves) currently heads the fourth Singles division, which is made up of eight players who have now all played four matches each. Having preserved his unbeaten status so far, Cassar leads the pack with the maximum eight points.

He is followed by a trio of players who are jointly on the five-point mark, having won two and drawn one of their four fixtures. They are club mate Franz Vella as well as Stephen Serracino Inglott and Czech player Martin Basl (both of Msida Arrows BC).

The fifth Singles division is made up of ten players who have each played four matches so far.

The provisional table of this division is headed by the still unbeaten Claire O’Berg (B’Kara) with eight points. Club mate Cheryl Dimech follows with seven points, jointly with Dominique Francica (Pawla Wolves).

Both Dimech and Francica are similarly unbeaten, having won three and drawn one of their four fixtures so far.

The Individual League continues on Wednesday, with a number of Mixed Doubles matches.

The principal competition in Badminton Malta’s seasonal calendar is currently the Individual Singles and Doubles League. This event is being played regularly on Wednesday evenings at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

The participants have been graded, according to their standard of play, into ten separate divisions – five for Singles and five for Doubles.

This ensures that each player competes against opponents who are, more or less, of the same standard. Such a level playing field enhances the competition’s overall interest and excitement.

Each fixture consists of only two sets of twenty-one points each, thereby giving rise to the possibility of a drawn result. One point is awarded for each set won.

Four players are contesting the first division Singles title, which will be played over three rounds. At the end of the first round, with each participant having played three matches, the defending champion Boris Lalov (Msida Arrows BC) tops the provisional table with the maximum six points, having remained unbeaten so far.

He is followed by Kenneth Vella and David Cole (both of Pawla Wolves BC), who are three points adrift of the leader; they each have one win in addition to having drawn their direct encounter.

Lalov will start his second round commitments by facing Cole and Anthony Xuereb; the latter still has to garner his first points in this division.

Five players are contesting the second division Singles title, which will be played over two rounds. Samuel Cali (B’Kara BC) presently heads the provisional table with six points, having preserved his unbeaten status in the three fixtures played so far.

He is followed by Patrick Cassar and Rodney Abela (both of Pawla Wolves), who are jointly on the two-point mark.

Abela will soon have the chance to bridge the gap with the leader when he will be facing Cali in his next fixture.

The Individual Singles League will continue on Wednesday (14 January); play starts at 7:00pm.

The French international high-performance coach Christophe Jeanjean is presently in Malta conducting a seven-day Training Camp.

Sponsored primarily by the Maltese Olympic Committee (MOC) and supported also by the Confederation of Mediterranean Badminton (COMEBA), this Camp is specifically intended for the better senior and junior players as well as for the coaches of Badminton Malta.

Mr. Mark Cutajar, from the MOC’s Board of Directors, inaugurated the Camp. This is being held at the St. Aloysius College sports hall as well as at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

Throughout the Camp, practical training on court is integrated with theoretical instruction and discussion. This provides Maltese players and coaches with valuable insights into the latest playing and coaching techniques.

The overall training camp tackles such topics as Physical and Psychological Preparation for Competition; Footwork routines; Strokes, with particular emphasis on deception; Nutrition; Tactics in Singles and Doubles play; Prevention and Recovery from Sports Injuries.

In addition to the Training Camp, Jeanjean will be visiting several local schools and colleges in order to promote Badminton among the students as well as to instruct the respective PE teachers.

In his curriculum, Jeanjean can boast of eleven national French championship titles. He was also a member of the French National Badminton Team from 1983 to 1994.

Within the French Badminton Federation, Jeanjean has coached the U/17 and U/19 national squads as well as the men’s Olympic team.

Badminton Malta (BM) confirmed its constant commitment to the continued development of its players and coaches through the regular organisation of such Training Camps.

BM expressed its gratitude to the MOC as well as to COMEBA for their valuable cooperation and support.

As part of its pre-season activities, Badminton Malta recently focussed its attention on its umpire complement through the organisation of an Umpires’ Training Course, which was held at the Cottonera Sport Complex.

The training course was intended both for the established umpires as well as for those with limited practical umpiring experience gained in the several competitions organised by Badminton Malta throughout the preceding season.

The course participants came from three separate clubs: Pawla Wolves BC and Msida Arrows BC as well as Shuttles BC.

The course integrated theoretical sessions in a classroom with practical sessions on court. It covered the finer technical points of the game, from an umpire’s viewpoint; service judging was also tackled.

An effective umpire is in charge of the court and its precincts, from the moment the match is “called” by the Tournament Referee until the players have actually left the court. Through his assertive actions in “managing” a match and its participants, the umpire contributes effectively to the attractive presentation of the game in the spectators’ eyes.

The training course was organised by Badminton Malta with the assistance of Badminton Europe (BE) as well as with the support of the Malta Sports Council / Kunsill Malti ghall-iSport (KMS); it forms an integral part of BE’s development strategy for southern Europe and the Mediterranean region.

Mr. Mojmir Hnilica ably conducted the training course. Hailing from Prague (Czech Republic), Mr. Hnilica has considerable international umpiring and refereeing experience, having taken part in several international tournaments organised by both BE as well as by the Badminton World Federation.

His latest umpiring experience was at the recent Olympic Games in Beijing. Mr Hnilica is also the Director responsible for Court Officials on the BE Council.

Badminton Malta expressed its considerable gratitude to both BE and KMS for their valuable collaboration in the successful staging of this Training Course. It augured that the practical knowhow gained through the active participation of its umpires will now serve as the basis for the resumption of their involvement in future BE international events.

(Reuters) - The Chinese are famous fans of Bill Gates, and on Monday the Microsoft Corp. co-founder became a fan of one of the most popular sports in China, badminton.

Gates and wife Melinda watched from VIP seats as the third seed men’s singles player Bao Chunlai of the home team defeat Guatemala’s Kevin Cordon 21-17 21-16 with the Chinese crowd cheering wildly.

“It was great. I was very impressed,” Gates, who stepped down from daily operations at the software maker in June, told reporters.

Badminton Malta recently organised the 37th edition of its Malta National Championships, once again sponsored by EuroSport.

More familiarly known as the “Nationals”, these are the major event in Badminton Malta’s seasonal calendar as they bring together all the top local talents in a unique competition of high-level play.

Since the 27th edition held in 1998, the event has been sub-titled as the “Paddy Stubbs Memorial Championships”, in memory of this well-known philanthropist and sports benefactor.

Played at St. Martin’s College and at the Cottonera Sports Complex, these Championships comprised the traditional five categories: Men’s Singles and Doubles, Ladies’ Singles and Doubles as well as Mixed Doubles.

A preliminary competition started off the Men’s Singles category; this was won by Brian Zammit while defending champion Stefan Salomone and Kenneth Vella contested the Men’s Singles final.

Vella started well by winning the first set 21/13. However, he seemed to gradually run out of steam in front of Salomone’s reaction, with the latter offsetting his initial setback by taking the more balanced second set 21/17.

Salomone maintained his momentum in the decisive third set, which he won 21/7, to claim his fourth national Men’s Singles title.

Maria Borg and Catherine Dimech made it to the Ladies’ Singles final; this also turned out to be another exciting three-set affair.

Borg started well by winning the first set 21/11. However, a determined Dimech reacted promptly and put the match back on an even keel by taking the second one 21/13.

Borg claimed her first national Singles title when she won the decisive third set 21/12.

In the other categories, the Men’s Doubles title was retained by defending champions Robert and Stefan Salomone who defeated Kenneth Vella / David Cole in two sets: 21/18 - 21/17.

The Ladies’ Doubles final saw defending champions Catherine Dimech / Joanne Cassar retain the title for another year after similarly defeating Maria Borg / Fiorella Farrugia in two straight sets: 21/13 - 21/18.

The Mixed Doubles title was won by Stefan Salomone / Fiorella Farrugia at the end of yet another exciting three-set thriller which saw them initially lose the first set 19/21 but then recover to defeat Robert Salomone / Maria Borg 21/17 - 21/16.

The Mixed Doubles title was Stefan Salomone’s third national title in this edition of the National Championships, thereby assigning him the platonic Triple Crown.

Badminton Malta expressed its satisfaction at the high standard of play shown by the numerous participants throughout the Championships. It also thanked EuroSport, St. Martin’s College and the Cottonera Sports Complex for their valid contribution in staging this event.

The Maltese Olympic Committee President Lino Farrugia Sacco announced that the 2nd edition of the Mediterranean Friendship Games, Malta will take place from the 1st to the 3rd May. These Games are being organised by the MOC as part of its celebration activities for its 80th Anniversary and in collaboration with 12 affiliated sports federations.

The MOC will be hosting the Sicilian Team with at least 70 athletes and officials coming to Malta to once again participate in this festival, Chef de Mission Marie Therese Zammit explained. Disciplines involved will include the same as the last time edition: Badminton, Dancesport, Fencing, Golf, Karate, Pool, Snooker, Table Football, Triathlon and Weightlifting; in addition to Beach Volleyball and Mountain Biking. A minimum of 2 female and 2 male athletes from both the Maltese and Sicilian sides will compete.

The 37th edition of the Malta National Championships, sponsored once again by EuroSport, is currently in progress. This event is taking place at the Cottonera Sports Complex as well as at St. Martin’s College, Swatar; it will come to its end with the Finals on the 1st May.

The “Nationals”, as they are more colloquially known, are the premier event in Badminton Malta’s seasonal calendar. By their very nature, they bring together all the top local talents in a single competition characterised by high-level play that captures the attention of all local enthusiasts and the media.

The full programme comprises five different categories, foremost among which are the Men’s and Ladies’ Singles.

In view of the number of participants, the Men’s Singles competition started with a preliminary round. Regular players like Michael Bugeja, Albert Bezzina, Samuel Cali, Brian Zammit, Ivan Salomone and George Camilleri together with veterans Patrick Cassar, Rodney Abela, Anthony Xuereb and Martin Farrugia are expected to strive their utmost to secure a share of the limelight in this initial qualifying round.

The top three players will then proceed to the main round to face tougher opposition provided by the more experienced players.

Defending champion Stefan Salomone is determined to hang on to his crown for yet another season. However, he will first have to come to terms with the title aspirations of his own brother, second seed Robert Salomone, last season’s finalist.

Stiff competition is similarly expected from the likes of Kenneth Vella, David Cole and Aldo Polidano.

Joanne Cassar is the title-holder in the Ladies’ Singles category. She is equally determined not to relinquish her title lightly but to give her opponents a good run for their money.

On their part players like Catherine Dimech, Daniela Galea, Maria Borg and Fiorella Farrugia are expected to liven up the proceedings in their attempt to foil the title-holder’s plans.

The National Championships will also include the Doubles’ categories, featuring the Men’s and Ladies’ Doubles as well as the Mixed Doubles. A keen tussle is similarly expected in these categories as the respective title-holders strive to preserve their crown for yet another edition in the face of the existing and emerging opposition.

This season’s Premier Division title of the H2Only Mixed League was to be assigned at the end of a five-match series between the top two local clubs – Pawla Wolves Assikura and Birkirkara BC.

At the end of the initial three fixtures that had been played so far, the Paolites partially surrendered their initial 2-0 lead by stumbling at the third hurdle. B’Kara promptly profited from their adversaries’ indecision to take the third match, thereby reopening the title race.

With the overall series at 2-1, the fourth encounter was open to any outcome. A second consecutive win for B’Kara would have fittingly set the stage for the final showdown between the two clubs.

But it was not to be. The Wolves, despite the absence of their regular player Catherine Dimech through injury, determinedly made the fourth encounter their own to open an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series and put this season’s national title definitely beyond their opponents’ reach.

Ironically, it was B’Kara who forged ahead in the opening Men’s Singles in which Stefan Salomone defeated David Cole 21/11 21/9.

However, the Wolves quickly drew level by taking the Ladies’ Singles through Didi Rasamayii who overcame Maria Borg 21/6 21/11.

B’Kara nosed in front once again by winning the Men’s Doubles which Robert and Stefan Salomone won against Kenneth Vella / David Cole in two sets: 21/17 21/14.

Nevertheless, the Wolves were not prepared to throw in the towel. They put the encounter once again on an even keel by taking the Ladies’ Doubles in which Joanne Cassar / Didi Rasamayii defeated Fiorella Farrugia / Maria Borg 21/10 21/9.

With the partial score tied at two-all, the remaining Mixed Doubles was therefore to definitely decide the issue. This went the Paolites way at the end of a three-set thriller in which Joanne Cassar / Kenneth Vella ably came from behind to win against Fiorella Farrugia / Robert Salomone.

After losing the initial set 16/21, the Wolves pair reacted strongly to take the next two sets 21/12 and 21/13 for an overall 3-2 victory that secured the second consecutive title for the Paolites.

This team competition is being played regularly at the Cottonera Sports Complex; it comprises both the Premier and the First divisions.

In the First Division, each fixture is made up of two Singles and two Doubles games. This gives rise to the possibility of a league match ending in a draw. This division is being played over two rounds.

Having now reached the end of its first round, this division has become a two-horse race between defending champions Pawla Wolves Assikura and B’Kara BC.

The Wolves presently top the First Division standings with maximum points after defeating B’Kara BC 4-0 in the top of the table clash, thus leaving them two points adrift in the table in second place.

This positive result also preserved the Wolves’ unbeaten status in all their matches so far.

Rodney Abela scored the first point for the Wolves when he overcame Martin Farrugia at the end of a three-set thriller. After losing the first set 13/21, Abela ably recovered from this initial setback by taking both the other sets with an identical 21/17 score.

Tony Xuereb followed in Abela’s footsteps by similarly winning his Singles game against Samuel Cali, whom he defeated 21/15 - 21/7.

The Wolves then went 3-0 ahead and put the match beyond their opponents’ reach by winning the first Doubles game through Edmond Abela / Martin Camilleri who overcame Albert Bezzina / Samuel Cali in two straight sets: 21/16 - 21/17.

The Wolves definitely sealed the issue in the remaining Doubles game in which Tony Xuereb / Patrick Cassar had the better of Martin Farrugia / Alfred Polidano at the end of an exciting three-set encounter.

After taking the opening set 21/12, the Wolves duo sustained their opponents’ reaction and lost the second one 17/21.

However, they quickly made amends for this snag by winning the third set 21/12.

The First Division continues next Monday (24th March) with another fixture in which Pawla Wolves Assikura will play against Shuttles Fort Blocks.

This team competition, which is made up of the Premier and First Divisions, is now well on its way. All its matches are being regularly played at the Cottonera Sports Complex on Wednesday evenings, starting at 7:00pm.

The top two local teams – defending champions Pawla Wolves Assikura and Birkirkara BC – are contesting the Premier Division title. They are playing each other five times over a five-month period in order to determine the winner of the national championship title.

Each fixture consists of five different games: Men’s and Ladies’ Singles, Men’s and Ladies’ Doubles as well as Mixed Doubles.

The Wolves could not have hoped for a better start to this five-match series as they managed to win the initial two encounters. The defending champions edged their direct title contenders with an identical 3-2 score line in each of the first two fixtures.

The third encounter between the two sides could therefore have decided the issue. A win for the Paolites would have signified an unassailable three-win lead that would have put the Premier Division championship title beyond their opponents’ reach.

However, B’Kara managed to turn the tables on the Wolves. Winning 3-2 at the end of a balanced encounter, B’Kara dented the Wolves’ momentum and re-opened the title race.

B’Kara drew first blood in the opening Men’s Singles. This saw the clash between the two team captains, in which Stefan Salomone prevailed over Kenneth Vella, at the end of a three-set thriller, with the following score: 21/18, 16/21, 21/19.

However, the Wolves reacted promptly and drew level in the Ladies’ Singles in which Didi Rasamayii defeated Maria Borg 21/13 21/9.

B’Kara went ahead again in the Men’s Doubles when brothers Robert and Stefan Salomone defeated the Wolves’ duo David Cole / Kenneth Vella in two sets: 21/15 21/14.

Once again, the Wolves put the match on an even keel by taking the Ladies’ Doubles through Joanne Cassar / Didi Rasamayii who won 21/7 21/2 against Maria Borg / Fiorella Farrugia.

With the match finely balanced at 2-2, B’Kara sealed the issue in the remaining Mixed Doubles, in which Fiorella Farrugia / Robert Salomone defeated Joanne Cassar / David Cole. After losing the initial set 13/21, the B’Kara pair ably came from behind to win the other two sets 21/13 21/11.

In addition to the Singles section, which is made up of five divisions, this competition includes also a Doubles sector, comprising three separate divisions.

Male and female pairs can compete against each other in the same division. Each fixture consists solely of two sets and a point is awarded for each set won

Three pairs are contesting the first division. This is being played over three rounds so that each pair will have to play six matches.

This division has now reached the end of its first round, with each pair having played two fixtures. Brothers Robert and Stefan Salomone (B‘Kara BC) lead the table with four points, having won both their matches so far.

They are followed by Martin Farrugia / Aldo Polidano (also of B’Kara BC) who are on the two-point mark, with one win and one defeat on their record.

Kenneth Vella / Yogesh Mistry (Pawla Wolves Assikura) still have to garner their first point in this division.

Eight pairs are contesting the second division. This is being played over a single round so that each pair will have to play seven matches.

Tony Xuereb / Patrick Cassar (Pawla Wolves Assikura) have won the second division title. With one match still to go, they have built an unassailable lead at the top of the second division standings and put the title beyond the mathematical reach of their opponents.

The Wolves duo have in fact put together the maximum twelve points from their six matches so far, thereby preserving their unbeaten status.

Two pairs are tied in second place, with five points apiece from their five matches so far. They are Martin Camilleri / Franz Vella (also of Pawla Wolves) and Mark Briffa / George Camilleri (Shuttles BC).

Three B’Kara BC pairs are tied in fourth place, with four points apiece from the four fixtures played. They are Samuel Cali / Albert Bezzina, Ivan Salomone / Alfred Polidano and Maria Borg / Fiorella Farrugia.

The remaining table positions are taken up by Joanne Cassar / Catherine Dimech (Pawla Wolves Assikura) as well as by Michael and Joseph Bugeja (Shuttles BC), both of which have two points. The former have however played four fixtures to the latter’s six.

This event is being played regularly on Wednesday evenings at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

The careful grading of the participants, according to their standard of play, into eight separate divisions – five for Singles and three for Doubles – has ensured a level playing field that enhances the competition’s overall interest and excitement.

Each fixture consists of only two sets of twenty-one points each, thereby giving rise to the possibility of a drawn result. One point is awarded for each set won.

In the second division, Tony Xuereb (Pawla Wolves Assikura) is presently leading the table with four points from his initial three matches, having obtained one win and two draws so far.

Samuel Cali and Martin Farrugia (both of B’Kara BC) share second place, with three points each.

Nine players are contesting the third division. To be played over a single round, this means that each participant will have to play eight fixtures.

Maria Borg (B’Kara BC) leads the table with eight points from the six matches played so far. She is still unbeaten, with two wins and four draws on her record.

Martin Camilleri (Pawla Wolves Assikura) follows her closely with seven points. He is similarly unbeaten, with three wins and a draw from the four matches played so far.

Albert Bezzina (B’Kara BC) lies in third place. He has six points to his credit, having won one and drawn four of his five fixtures; he still has to sustain his first defeat.

The rest of the table reads as follows: Alfred Polidano and Ivan Salomone (both of B’Kara BC) as well as Turkish player Soner Gunelli (Shuttles BC) have four points each.

Michael Bugeja and George Camilleri (both of Shuttles BC) as well as Fiorella Farrugia (B’Kara BC) have three points each.

The H2Only Individual League continues on the 27th February with more fixtures from the first four Singles divisions.

In addition to the team event, Badminton Malta’s seasonal competitive calendar includes also an individual competition. Designated as the H2Only Individual League, this event is being played regularly on Wednesday evenings at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

The participants have been graded, according to their standard of play, into eight separate divisions – five for Singles and three for Doubles.

This ensures that each player competes against opponents who are, more or less, of the same standard. Such a level playing field enhances the competition’s overall interest and excitement.

Each fixture consists of only two sets of twenty-one points each, thereby giving rise to the possibility of a drawn result. One point is awarded for each set won.

Six players are contesting the first division title. With the greater part of the fixtures now having been completed, the event turned out to be a three-horse race between three separate players coming from three different clubs.

Defending champion Boris Lalov (Msida Arrows BC), Stefan Salomone (B’Kara BC) and Kenneth Vella (Pawla Wolves Assikura) are tied with 14 points each.

Both Lalov and Salomone still enjoy an unbeaten status after having accrued five wins and four draws from their nine matches so far.

On his part, Vella has now ended his commitments with five wins, four draws and a single defeat on his record.

The remaining fixture for Lalov and Salomone pits them both against the Indian player Yogesh Mistry, who is on the books of Pawla Wolves.

In the overall standings, Mistry is on an equal footing with Aldo Polidano (B’Kara BC) with 4 points apiece. The former has won two and lost four of the six matches played so far. On his part, Polidano has won two and lost six of his eight fixtures.

B’Kara’s Cuban player, Magdiel Mark Mesa, lies at the wrong end of the table; he still has to garner his first points after the seven matches played so far.

Badminton Malta is once more organising this season’s edition of this team competition. Made up of the Premier and First Divisions, this event has been kindly sponsored once again by Island Beverages Co. Ltd.

As was the case during the preceding season, the top two local teams – defending champions Pawla Wolves Assikura and Birkirkara BC – will be contesting the Premier Division title. They will be playing each other five times over a five-month period in order to determine the winner of the national championship title.

Each fixture consists of five different games: Men’s and Ladies’ Singles, Men’s and Ladies’ Doubles as well as Mixed Doubles. All the matches are being played at the Cottonera Sports Complex on Wednesday evenings, starting at 7:00pm.

These narrow victories serve to heighten the interest and excitement of the overall competition; the two competing teams seem to be finely balanced, with the Paolites managing each time to put that something extra on court to secure victory.

The defending champions now hold a manifest psychological advantage over their opponents. They are in the enviable position of needing only one win from the remaining three matches to put the Premier Division championship title beyond their opponents’ reach.

Captained by Kenneth Vella, the Wolves are clearly determined to maintain the momentum generated so far.

On the other hand, victory is the only option for B’Kara BC from now onwards. Captained by Stefan Salomone, they will certainly want to recover from such a negative start with a convincing win. They must revise their strategy if they are to turn the tables on their opponents.

Kenneth Vella did not mince his words when interviewed about the Paolites’ prospects. “The squad is training seriously and is completely focussed on the third match”, he stated; “we are determined to make it two championship titles in a row”.

Stefan Salomone was equally upbeat on B’Kara BC’s chances. “The two initial defeats have turned this competition into an uphill struggle for us but we have not lost the title yet”, he contended; “we are fully aware of our delicate situation but I am confident that my players will rise to the occasion”.

B’Kara BC and Pawla Wolves Assikura will play their decisive third match on Wednesday, 20th February.

MaltaSportsOnline.com, the first sports equipment portal in the Maltese Islands, has just concluded an exclusive sponsorship deal with the local national badminton association, Badminton Malta.

Launched recently on the local and international internet retail scene, this portal aims at providing sports equipment and accessories at highly competitive prices. The portal is initially focusing on the following sports disciplines: Badminton, Squash, Tennis, Table-Tennis and Diving. It also includes separate sections dealing with wristop computers, injury supports as well as with sports nutrition.

MaltaSportsOnline.com will be supporting and funding Badminton Malta’s official website – www.badmintonmalta.org – for the coming twelve months.

This agreement further extends to include a six-month sponsorship of Badminton Malta’s new e-zine, which it will be launching shortly. The latter has been specifically designed to raise the game’s profile mainly among youths and in schools.

Alex Rizzo, PRO of MaltaSportsOnline.com, is convinced of the considerable potential behind sports online retailing and stated that the company is committed to providing top quality sports equipment at very reasonable prices. Alex continued to add that plans in the near future include adding sports equipment relating to football, handball and basketball.

John Attard, Badminton Malta’s General Secretary, thanked MaltaSportsOnline for its support, pointing out that this would be a very valuable asset for the Association to realise its declared goal of promoting and developing Badminton in Malta.

The Dutch high-performance coach John Fikenscher was recently in Malta conducting a nine-day Training Camp.

Sponsored primarily by the Maltese Olympic Committee (MOC) and supported also by the Badminton Europe Confederation (BEC), this Camp was intended for the better senior and junior players as well as the coaches of Badminton Malta.

Julian Pace Bonello, MOC’s Deputy President, inaugurated the Camp, which was held at the sports hall of St. Aloysius College, B’Kara, as well as at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

Throughout the Camp, practical training on court was integrated with theoretical instruction and discussion as well as with video analysis. This provided Maltese players and coaches with valuable insights into the latest playing and coaching techniques.

The overall training camp tackled such topics as Physical and Psychological Preparation for Competition; Footwork routines; Strokes, with particular emphasis on deception; Nutrition; Tactics in Singles and Doubles play.

This was Fikenscher’s third visit to Malta; he had conducted his first local Training Camp in May 2006, after having been specifically identified by the BEC for this project.

In addition to the Training Camp, Fikenscher also visited several local schools and colleges in order to promote Badminton among the students as well as to instruct the respective PE teachers.

A spokesman for Badminton Malta stated that the regular organisation of such Training Camps clearly evidences Badminton Malta’s constant commitment to the continued development of its players and coaches.

He also expressed Badminton Malta’s gratitude to the MOC and the BEC for their valuable cooperation and support.

These championships have been a regular feature on Badminton Malta’s seasonal calendar for several years and are eagerly awaited by the emerging junior talents within its ranks. This event enables them to gauge their individual progress on a national scale whilst motivating them to higher achievement in their standard of play.

Badminton Malta recently organised the U/13 and U/16 categories of this national event at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

In contrast to previous years, this season’s edition was played on a round robin basis. Additionally, each fixture consisted of only two sets, thereby creating the possibility of a drawn result. A point was awarded for each set won.

This is because it was generally felt that it would certainly dampen the young participants’ enthusiasm for the game were they to be eliminated in the initial rounds of a knock out competition.

This new format therefore provided the participants with the chance to play several matches, making up for an unexpected setback by trying harder in the next match.

Max Schroeder won the U/13 Boys’ Singles title, having remained undefeated throughout the entire competition. Nathan Zahra, whose only defeat was against the title winner, took the runner-up spot.

Lisa Formosa took the U/13 Girls’ Singles title; Clarissa Grech followed in second place.

The U/16 Boys’ Singles title was taken by Andre Grech who preserved his unbeaten status throughout the competition. Terence Gatt took the runner-up berth.

In the U/16 Girls’ Singles, Daniela Galea prevailed over the other contestants without sustaining any defeat; Katia Pullicino was second, having lost her only match against the title winner.

The Doubles event was focussed entirely on the U/16 Girls’ Doubles where the title was won by Julianne Cassar and Cheryl Dimech.

Badminton Malta expressed its general satisfaction at the skilful standard of play exhibited by all the participants throughout this national event. The association expressed its gratitude to EuroSport for its valid support in staging these championships, which will now continue with the U/19 event in the near future.

PO Box 599, Valletta VLT 1000, MALTA – Telephone: 21697407 / 21312697.

Badminton Malta (BM) is organising the 2007/08 edition of the Singles / Doubles Individual League. Participants must be registered with BM; they will be grouped in separate divisions, according to their standard of play and the number of entries. Male and female players may compete together in the same division. A separate division will be set up specifically for beginners and for junior players. There will be promotion and relegation from each division. Prizes will be awarded to the winner and runner-up in each division.

The Leagues will be played on Wednesday, from 7:00 pm onwards, at the Cottonera Sports Complex, starting on the 24th October 2007. Each match will consist of only two sets; one point will be awarded for each set won. The following Rules apply to these Leagues:
* Participants will play in their individual Club’s name; they must be ready for play when called by the Referee.
* Under no circumstances will postponement of fixtures be allowed; a walkover will be awarded to the opponent if a player is absent or arrives late at the venue.
* If a participant is unable to play, he/she must inform BM by e-mail by not later than the fixture date as well as his/her opponent by SMS before the start of the fixture. Failing that, the Club will be fined Lm 3.00 (€ 6.99). Until this is settled, the player(s) concerned would be suspended from all BM activities and/or competitions.
* In the First Division Men’s Singles section only, players can request an umpire for their fixture; such request must be made in writing by not later than three weeks before the fixture date. All other participants are to umpire their own matches. BM will appoint umpires at its sole discretion.
* In case two or more players finish on equal points at the top of the table, the winner’s title will be awarded according to the overall result of their direct encounter(s). If this is insufficient, a decider (over the best of three sets) will be played. The same Rule applies in case of relegation.
* Players are to provide their own shuttles, as approved by BM. Shuttles will not be on sale at the venue. If a player does not honour three fixtures, he/she will be suspended from the League and all his/her matches will be scratched.
* Participants are fully responsible for the upkeep of cleanliness at the venue, non-smoking in the sports hall, any damage caused, acts of vandalism etc… The pouring of water on the sports hall floor is not allowed.
* Participation fees
* First Division only: Men’s Singles – Lm 6.00 (€ 13.98); Men’s Doubles – Lm 5.00 (€ 11.65); Singles and Doubles – Lm 9.00 (€ 20.97).
* All other divisions and categories: one event – Lm 5.00 (€ 11.65); two events – Lm 8.00 (€ 18.64). For beginners aged under 16 years, a combined registration/participation fee of Lm 5.00 (€ 11.65) is payable.
* All correspondence relating to this competition is to be addressed to the organising sub-committee, whose details will be notified to your Club Delegate at a later stage. BWF and BM Rules apply throughout the Leagues; disciplinary action will be taken as necessary.

The site contains all the relevant information about the club and its activities. It also includes practical and useful data about Badminton in general as well as about several related issues.

The site was designed and created by Stephen Hall, an active club member. He devoted considerable effort to making the project become a reality

During a recent dinner organised to launch the site, John Attard, the club’s founder and manager, expressed the club’s considerable appreciation to Stephen Hall for setting up a site that the club members can really be proud of.

He explained that the website was intended to enhance the club’s individual identity while, at the same time, attracting new members to join it. The site would also serve to augment the club’s international contacts.

The new site – www.msida-arrows.org – makes Msida Arrows the only Maltese badminton club on the Internet.

Msida Arrows BC was founded in 2001. It has around thirty Maltese and foreign members on its books, coming from all walks of life. The club caters for juniors, beginners, intermediate as well as advanced level players. Members train twice a week at St. Martin’s College, Swatar.

Those who are interested in joining can contact the club on 99427172 at any time.

Badminton Malta is intensifying its drive to promote this sport in all local schools. It is in fact implementing an Assistance Scheme whereby local schools can obtain badminton equipment at no cost for use by their students. Such equipment includes rackets, shuttlecocks and nets.

This scheme is run with the cooperation of Badminton Europe, which has been supporting the promotion and development of local Badminton for a number of years.

The Antonio Bosio Boys’ Secondary School was the first educational establishment to benefit from this scheme. It was recently followed by the Guze D’Amato Boys’ Secondary School. Both schools have a healthy number of students who regularly practice badminton during their break.

Schools, which are interested in availing themselves of this scheme, can contact Badminton Malta at any time on 99427172.

A new interpretation of' service delayed' is added so that the backward movement of the racket head becomes significant. This is mainly intended to prevent the 'stop' that is sometimes used on the backhand serve. It is therefore now a fault if after the backward movement the racket does not immediately move forwards towards the shuttle.
The definition of the waist (line level with bottom rib) is now included in the laws.
The racket head is no longer restricted to be below the hand holding the racket. The law simply requires the shaft of the racket to be pointing downwards at the moment of delivery. The signal for racket head fault is still used for the service fault.