Maltese And Belgian Young Drivers To Meet In 2026 Nations League Challenge

Four young Belgian drivers are set to compete in Malta this Friday, with Maltese counterparts set to race in Belgium later this summer.

The Malta Racing Club is proud to announce an exciting international youth trotting championship between Malta and Belgium, giving eight young drivers the opportunity to gain valuable racing experience on an international stage from an early age.

The initiative will see four young Belgian drivers travel to Malta to compete against four Maltese drivers during the Malta Racing Club's next racing meeting on Friday, 24 July.

The two special races will be held at the Malta Equidrome at 6:00pm and 7:40pm, bringing together eight young drivers in an international sporting exchange designed to promote friendship, experience and the development of the next generation of trot racing talent.

Gilles Verboomen, Julie Onghena, Milan Van Ghelewe, and Eline De Koninck will be representing Belgium, competing against Matthias Bezzina, Zaliyah Cutajar, Chloe Vassallo, and Daleyzia Zammit, four young Maltese drivers and students of the Malta Racing Club Academy.

The exchange will continue later this summer, when four Maltese young drivers will travel to Belgium to compete at Mons Racetrack, giving them the opportunity to experience racing in a different international environment and to test themselves against young drivers from abroad.

By introducing international exchanges at an early stage in their development, young drivers are able to broaden their experience, build confidence, learn from different racing environments and establish connections with fellow young participants from across Europe.

The programme is being fully supported and financially backed by EquestriMalta, Malta's national regulatory and promotional body for equine sport. Through its support, EquestriMalta is helping to ensure that young Maltese drivers have access to international opportunities and exposure that can contribute to their development both on and off the track.

The Malta Racing Club and EquestriMalta believe that initiatives such as this are essential in building a stronger future for the sport. Providing young drivers with international exposure from an early age not only helps develop their sporting abilities but also strengthens Malta's presence within the wider European trotting community.

The Club looks forward to welcoming the Belgian delegation to Malta and to an exciting evening of international youth racing this Friday.

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