The recent selection of athletes for Team Malta in table tennis has sparked debate within the local sporting community, with concerns being raised about fairness and transparency in the process.
A comment made by the father of national champion Anthea Cutajar, who was left out of the team despite dominating the sport locally for eight consecutive years, sheds light on the growing frustration among families and athletes. In a social media statement, he expressed disappointment at how the situation has been politicized and criticized the manner in which some individuals are using platforms to draw public and political attention to the issue.
Anthea Cutajar also excluded from female team
“Posting this only as the father of Anthea,” he stated, clarifying his intentions were not political. “Just to let you know that Gabriel Grixti is not the only champion left out. There is also a female athlete – Anthea Cutajar – who won all available titles again this year but has still been excluded.”
While acknowledging that selections are not always easy to accept, he emphasized that decisions are usually made for specific reasons and that true sportsmanship involves accepting those decisions, even when they are hard to digest. “I know why my daughter was left out, and I’m sure Gabriel knows as well. But resorting to a ‘if I don’t play, I’ll create chaos’ approach through repeated posts within the same circle is not acceptable.”
In a strongly worded reply, Gabriel Grixti expressed his frustration over the exclusion of Anthea Cutajar, despite her winning eight consecutive national titles, and questions why someone would support foreign athletes when even their own daughter was left out. He challenged the fairness of the selection process, stating that the Malta Olympic Committee (MOC) cited his lack of national team training as the reason for his exclusion. However, he argues that some foreign athletes have not trained or even been present in Malta for the past two years. Grixti calls for transparency, urging the MOC to publicly release how the selection criteria were applied to all athletes, noting that he has been requesting this information for nearly two weeks. He encourages those with connections inside the MOC to push for accountability.
All three female table tennis athletes for GSSE 2025 are foreign born
His comments come amid wider criticism that the current women’s national team is largely composed of naturalized players. According to the line up, the team now consists of three foreign-born athletes — one of whom has lived in Malta for ten years and played for the country previously, and two others who were recently granted citizenship in 2023.
These developments have raised broader questions about the balance between nurturing local talent and incorporating foreign players into national squads. With local champions like Anthea Cutajar and Gabriel Grixti left out, many within the sport are calling for more clarity and fairness in how selection criteria are applied.
As discussions continue, stakeholders are urging respectful dialogue and a focus on the long-term growth and integrity of Maltese sport.
Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist
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