Games of Small States of Europe announce Maltese athletes

May 12 2023

The Maltese Olympic Committee announced the names of team Malta, who will be representing XIX Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE) on home turf.

Starting on the 29th of May, Malta will be represented by a mix of highly experienced medal winners to younger athletes making their debut at the GSSE.

The cohort is made up of some of the very best Malta has to offer.

Announcing the Maltese squad, MOC Director of Sport Charlene Attard, outlined the technical preparation and selection process which has been ongoing for the past months to ensure that the athletes forming part of team Malta are in excellent form.

“Athletes who were vying for a place on Team Malta have worked very hard to achieve this much-awaited call. Their preparation has been meticulous and well planned and we look forward to seeing the results of their hard work in the coming weeks” remarked Attard.

The official announcement was also attended by Chef de Mission Paul Sultana and MOC President Pace Bonello. Both levied praised at the athletes and appealed for the public to show their support for these representatives.

Here are the athletes:

Athletics

Claire Azzopard, Luke Bezzina, Lisa Bezzina, Nikolai Bonello, Rosalie Borg, Mireya Bugeja, Steve Camilleri, Luke Camilleri, Mireya Cassar, Dillon Cassar, Antonella Chouhal, Joelle Cortis, Alessia Cristina, Peppijna Dalli, Jean Paul Debono, Gaetano Di Franco, Luke Farrugia, Matthew Galea Soler, Ian Paul Grech, Beppe Grillo, Sana Grillo, Jordan Gusman, Armani James, Dario Mangion, Claire McNamara, Gina McNamara, Lloyd Mhiripiri, Jared Micallef, Benjamin Micallef, Josepha Micallef , Luke Micallef Perconte, Bradley Mifsud, Rachela Pace, Thea Parnis Colerio, Graham Pellegrini, Janet Richard, Daniel Saliba, RebeccaSare’, Carla Scicluna, Martha Spiteri, SimonSpiteri, Kay Testa, Charlotte Wingfield, Jeremy Zammit

Judo

Kris Bartolo, Isaac Bezzina, Francesca Catania, Kirsty Cauchi, Katryna Esposito, Sadek Khalaf, Valerian Ogbaidze, James Zahra

Sailing

Lacey Aquilina, Shaun Aquilina, Samantha Axisa, Jacob Azzopardi, Isaac Azzopardi, Aly Badawy, Nicolai Bartolo, Julia Borg, Kurt Borg, Katrina Briffa, Laidon Buhagiar, Mia Busuttil, Matthew Cachia Debono, Ryder Croft, Ella Demicoli, Alexandr Denisiuc, Emily Fenech, Matthew Flores, Crispin Gauci Peresso, Marianne Heller, Jake Mallia, Gary Mercieca, Lara Merten, Katrina Micallef, Jonas Micallef, Michela Mifsud , Gregory Mifsud Orlando, Michela Mizzi, Aleksandra Nagrudnaia, Maria Nagrudnaya, Dimitrios Pipi – Vertsonis, Maya Podesta, Leonardo Procopio, Luke Rausi, Matthias Spiteri, Tomek Vaccaro, Timmy Vassallo, Benjamin Vassallo, Sophie Villette, Jean Zahra

Shooting

Marcello Attard, Gianluca Azzopardi Spiteri, Eleanor Bezzina, Mariah Busuttil, William Chetcuti, Clive Farrugia, James Galea, Mikela Galea, Matthew Grech, Nico Sciberras, William Vella.

Squash

Bradley Deguara Hindle, Annabelle Diamantino, Niall Engerer, Amke Fischer, Dean Gera, Kresten Hougaard, Johanna Rizzo, Mattea Saliba, Julian Scerri, Duncan Stahl, Colette Sultana, Lijana Sultana, Kijan Sultana, Daniel Zammit-Lewis.

Swimming

Mya Azzopardi, Victoria Balderacchi, Georgia Bohl, Dylan Cachia, Nathan Cachia, Sarah Demicoli, Francesca Falzon Young, Matthew Galea, Maya Galea, Sasha Gatt, Andrea Mallia, Simon Mallia, Nathan McCleve, Amy Micallef, Nirvana Micallef, Kyle Micallef, Michela Portelli, Rudi Spiteri, Michael Stafrace, Raoul Stafrace, Sean Wareing, Thomas Wareing, Thomas Woods.

Table Tennis

Daniel Bajada, Anthea Cutajar, Gabriel Grixti, Camella Iacob, Viktoria Lucenkova, Dmitrij Prokopcov, Renata Strbikova, Felix Wetzel,

Tennis

Matthew Asciak, Francesca Curmi, Alex DeGabriele, Liam Delicata, Elaine Genovese, Emma Montebello, Matija Pecotic, Helen Pellicano.

For the two team sports, Basketball and Rugby 7s, a provisional squad has been selected, with the final squads being announced closer to the Games.

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1,000 duplicate tax refund cheques mistakenly posted

May 12 2023

It was revealed by the Commissioner for Revenue that 1,000 duplicate cheques were printed and posted by mistake during the printing process of the tax refund cheques.

952 of these were addressed to people living in Marsaxlokk, with 48 others to people living in Żebbuġ.

Those who received the cheques by mistake will be receiving instructions by mail as to how to return the extra cheque. Banks have been reportedly notified to issue a stop payment on these same cheques.

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Grant Thornton donates laptops to disadvantaged young people

May 12 2023

In support of the Malta Trust Foundation’s ‘Your Device Your Right’ initiative, Grant Thornton Malta decided to donate 50 of its decommissioned laptops as one of its CSR initiatives.

Her Excellency and President Emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro Preca was presented with the laptops by Chris Farrugia, Partner responsible for IT at Grant Thornton Malta.

“We make sure that our employees always have the best technology to work with, so we rotate laptops within the firm regularly and the laptops we are donating can now be used further by those in need,” said Chris Farrugia, who heads the IT department responsible for maintaining the hardware resources of the firm.

“Sustainability is one of the Grant Thornton strategic pillars, as such we make sure that our IT hardware is not just disposed of in landfills, but if they are still in good working condition, they are given a second lease of life through projects like “Your Device Your Right. Furthermore, through this initiative, we will also be supporting disadvantaged students whose families do not afford to purchase a laptop, to further their education and succeed in life,” said Charmaine Farrugia, General Manager at Grant Thornton Malta.

H.E. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca has stated “I commend Grant Thornton Malta for their foresight. Through this donation, the company not only is contributing towards a more sustainable future and achieving its corporate social responsibility, but it is making a difference in the lives of so many vulnerable children.

My heartfelt thanks and appreciation go to Mr Joe Pullicino, Mr Chris Farrugia and Ms Charmaine Farrugia, for their generosity and thoughtfulness.”

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Activists dress as Grim Reapers in front of Malta Developer’s Association

May 12 2023

Activists from Moviment Graffitti took to the front of the Malta Developers’ Association offices to highlight how ‘politicians, authorities and developers are burying our country under unbridled construction. They called on the public to join them in the national protest Xebbajtuna!’

The activists represented the Maltese quality of life, nature and health by using coffins and the developers and institutions by dressing up as grim reapers – the personification of death.

The activists demanded that ‘our environment and quality of life be given priority over the profits of the few. Far from fixing this desperate situation, more is being done to make it worse. A few weeks ago a Legal Notice came into effect which allows for the regularization of illegal buildings on ODZ.’

The official press statement made reference to various instances of construction projects which are either underway or currently proposed.

‘There is no justice in losing our country to the rule of greed. We are facing an environmental situation that is rapidly getting worse and requires genuine action not empty words and cosmetic changes’ said the activists.

Read the full statement here.

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