#24: 5 Medals In Serbia: ITL Hits Asteriks Cup/E1
11 ITL athletes attended the 7th Asteriks Cup in Serbia and returned with no less than five medals.
The tournament was held in Niš on the 20th - 21st May 2023. It welcomed over 1,500 participants from Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Spain, Italy, Moldova, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Ukraine, Hungary, and of course… Malta.
With over 250 clubs registered, it became one of the biggest tournaments in Europe. So much so, it earned a European ranking (E1) status. Therefore, a second tournament was held in the same competition.
Read on to see how our athletes performed.
Brayden Micallef
Brayden competed in the male -41kg category, bagging his first international win against Ivan Ivanov (BUL) from Cho Elite Taekwondo. Brayden’s aggressive display saw him win comfortably with a 2:0 round-score.
He then encountered Dragan Zinaic (SRB) from ELIT club. Another aggressive display saw him edge past Zinaic in the first round. Zinaic, however, made an astounding comeback in the second to level at 1:1. It was all to play for in the final round.
A series of exchanges ended the third round at 4-4. At the end of normal time, the Scoring System (PSS) showed that both athletes registered the same amounts (and values) of hits. It was all down to the referee to call a winner, and she chose Zinaic.
Brayden walked away with a Bronze.
Mamadou Balde
Returning to the mat was Mamadou Balde, who was away in Guinea for the past few months.
Mamadou competed in the tournament thanks to the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) project, signed last November in Paris.
The agreement between MTA President Anna Vassallo and WT President Chung-won Choue paved the way for two refugee athletes (Mamadou and Saydou Diao) to be able to achieve their dreams by competing abroad.
Mamadou hit a hard draw after having encountered experienced Serbian athlete Dimitrije Ajdukovic in the semi-final.
Despite a hard-fought display featuring many of Mamadou’s signature techniques, Ajdukovic bagged a 2:0 win. Result aside, the competition marked a good starting point as the Guinean-born athlete eyes his next challenge.
His efforts earned him a bronze.
Fergeson Galea
One of ITL’s brightest young prospects had his time to shine, hitting the tournament after only five months of training.
Fergeson had no opponent in his -55kg Junior category so he fought up a class at -59kg, meeting Hungarian athlete Marceil Varga from Tajfun Se.
The fight was a spectacle if ever there was one. Fergason’s constant pressing saw him cruise to a 2:0 win after he forced his opponent off the mat with repetitive, clean punches and push kicks.
The ITL athlete, however, blocked a kick awkwardly in the dying moments of the final round. So even though he won, he had to be rushed to the medical wing for assessment and treatment.
On-site medics did not give Ferguson clearance to continue fighting in the final, which meant he had to finish the set in second place (silver medal).
Thankfully, further investigation confirmed that there was no serious injury, so our ITL warrior will be back in training in no time.
Michela Scerri (E1)
Michela drew a tough opponent in the shape of Poppy Kingsley (GBR), an experienced opponent with world championship experience and over seven international (ranked) medals to her name - including a gold at the Swedish Open.
Despite the difficulty, Michela fought with nothing held back, winning 2:0. All praise to the ITL athlete, who kept her focus throughout the duration of the match, protecting her lead over two rounds very carefully.
Michela then progressed to the semi-final where she met Galeb athlete Katarina Petkovic (SRB). The two shared a similar style and played defensively over the course of the match.
An early lead in the first round gave Petkovic the upper hand. Michela then scored and led for most of the second round, but Petkovic was able to connect with a headshot in the final stage to turn the tables. She defended her points zealously for the remainder of the match. Michela lost the semi-final with a round-score of 0:2, but walked away with bronze.
Michela also played in the Asteriks Cup (unranked) the day before, losing in controversial circumstances after severe malfunctions with the Point Scoring System interfered with the match outcome. So much so that the court had to be scrapped altogether.
Alycia Cassar (E1)
Alycia confronted Dutch athlete Nielle Vroegh, an athlete who medaled in no less than 15 ranked competitions with a win ratio of 68%. Vroegh achieved gold in all ranked competitions this year, including the Austrian, Belgian, Dutch Opens, and the WT President’s Cup in Turkey (where she had faced Alycia as well).
The toughness of the draw was evident from the get-go but Alycia held her ground, especially in the first round where the score remained relatively close. However, Vroegh got the better of the Maltese athlete.
The second round saw Aly play harder, and even place a few shots that gave her the lead. Vroegh, however, caught up. She leveled with an attack of her own and took the lead. With little time to spare in the second round, Aly had to chase after her but to no avail, the Dutch athlete ended the game with a round score of 0:2.
Alycia also played in the Asteriks Cup (unranked) the day before, losing in controversial circumstances after severe malfunctions with the Point Scoring System interfered with the match outcome. So much so that the court had to be scrapped altogether.
Aldo Xhepa
Albanian national Aldo Xhepa competed internationally for the first time and fought against a Masters player, out of category. Spasiyan Sahiev (BUL) from SC Phoenix locked horns with Aldo in the last match of the first day.
Aldo won with a score of 2:0, ending it before time.
He then advanced to the final, against Ivaylo Draganov (BUL - Hereya). Unfortunately, Draganov pulled out of the fight and left Aldo as the uncontested victor.
In his first-ever international, Aldo walked away with Gold.
Robin Zammit (E1)
National Sports School youngster Robin Zammit entered the cadet category for the first time ever, at just 11 years old, together with Jean Schembri. It was also their first time participating in a ranked competition.
He met Pavle Cvetkovic (SRB) in the round of sixteen. Despite an impressive showing, Cvetkovic got the better of Robin over the span of two rounds, ending it with a score of 0:2.
Although we sustained a loss, there is no doubt the experience would come with its fair share of lessons as a new generation of cadets is coming through the ITL ranks.
Robin also played in the Asteriks Cup (unranked) the day before, losing in controversial circumstances after severe malfunctions with the Point Scoring System interfered with the match outcome. So much so that the court had to be scrapped altogether.
Jean Schembri (E1)
Joining Robin in his E1 debut was Jean, who met Luka Rajkovic (SRB) in the round of sixteen.
The NSS athlete fought hard over the span of two rounds against Rajkovic, whose experience showed even as the two locked horns in their spectacular encounter.
Difficult circumstances came after Jean’s opponent got an early lead in both rounds. And although Jean was forced to chase the game, he did so aggressively, scoring with a flurry of attacks in several moments of the game.
In the end, the score remained 0:2 against the Maltese, but it marked the beginning of a new chapter in Jean’s budding career.
Jean also played in the Asteriks Cup (unranked) the day before, losing in controversial circumstances after severe malfunctions with the Point Scoring System interfered with the match outcome. So much so that the court had to be scrapped altogether.
Emma Lautier, Dwayne Micallef and Ella Schembri
Emma Lautier (top) and Ella Schembri (bottom)
ITL fielded three children in the competitor series of 8-10 year olds.
Ella Schembri (blue tag), Emma Lautier (green tag) and Dwayne Micallef’s (blue tag) commitment in training, in addition to the positive results achieved in the national open and test matches, saw them take part in the Asteriks Cup. This time, under A-class conditions.
A-class rules meant that children were allowed headshots. It was a first for all three since they got a taste of the fight in its entirety.
Dwayne Micallef prior to his match
Severe malfunctions with the Point Scoring System interfered with the match outcomes. All children’s courts saw the scoring threshold rise to a point where headshots were not scoring efficiently with one specific colour (which left one competitor disadvantaged).
Regardless, Emma, Ella and Dwayne were afforded the experience of a lifetime, fighting against competitors who craved the top spot.
The trio sustained losses in the opening matches (each at 0:2). However, all fought well, ensuring close point margins and an obvious fighting spirit.
Total Outcome
Five medals: one gold, one silver, and three bronze.
For some, this was a continuation of an already-busy competitive calendar. For others, it was a first.
Coaches: Gianluca Barbara & Ditmir Vodinaj
Gianluca Barbara (left) and Ditmir Vodinaj (right)
The 11-man team was led by Gianluca Barbara and Ditmir Vodinaj, the latter in his capacity as a national coach as well as ITL coach.
Vodinaj stood in the corners of Alycia Cassar and Michela Scerri, who were able to attend the competition with the help of the Malta Taekwondo Association due to their status as national athletes.
A special thanks to the parents who attended the event: Charlene Schembri, Charlene Cassar, George and Melanie Micallef, Dorianne Lautier, and Greta Zammit. Not only did we have your unwavering support and help in every instance it was needed, but we also had the pleasure of your company… with a few laughs along the way.
An additional thanks to Master Vladan Nikodijevic, head coach of Asteriks Taekwondo and the Serbian National Team for his invitation, support, and hospitality. We look forward to welcoming you back to our shores.
