#44: Bronze For Scerri In Sofia, Bulgaria (G1)

Malta’s Junior National Team made its first appearance in the division in Sofia, Bulgaria (G1), and was able to hit the podium with a bronze medal.

The team included two ITL athletes - Michela Scerri and Alycia Cassar - and national coach Ditmir Vodinaj, who is also an ITL coach. Nathan Degiorgio (DAM) was also present in the squad and took part in the male -51kg category.

The medal came by way of Michela (ITL), who overcame two opponents in the R18 and QF, from Great Britain and Bulgaria, before losing to Greece in the semi-final.

Michela was in fine form during the competition, having even registered point gaps against her respective opponents in her -42kg category.

Fighting in the women’s -55kg category, Alycia claimed an easy win in the R32 against Greek athlete Filio Kessarea.

She advanced to the next round, where she faced Jana Lukic, the top seed of the set. Unfortunately, the result went against the Maltese.

Nathan faced a tough draw in the form of Almat Kanatbayev (KAZ). Despite a strong performance, he lost with a round-score of 2:0.

The Maltese national team was also joined by Dragon Academy athletes Samuel Vella and Luke Chircop, who lost in their respective opening rounds.

The Bulgaria Open became the first in which Maltese athletes were able to sport the new national kits, which are sponsored by Kwon.

Malta’s medal in the first competitive event of the year is a welcomed one given our busy competitive calendar this year.