The Malta national hockey team has landed in Kirklareli, Turkey, to compete in the EuroHockey Championship III, taking place this week.
Drawn into Pool A, Malta will face Ukraine, Hungary, and Bulgaria in the group stage. Each team will play three matches, with the top two progressing to the semi-finals. The remaining sides will compete in classification matches against counterparts from Pool B.
Malta opens its campaign tomorrow with an early clash against Ukraine at 8:00am, followed by a match against Bulgaria on Tuesday at 10:15am. Their final group game is scheduled for Wednesday against Hungary, after which their position in the tournament will be determined.
The squad, led by head coach Chris Attard, features a mix of youth and experience:
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Players: Marvin Grixti, Shamison Mifsud, Christ Agius, Luke Borg Costanzi, Charlo Sammut (Vice-Captain), Luke Brincat, Xandru Mifsud Bonnici, Luca Fsadni, Alex Kirton, Shawn Dimech, Thomas Degiovanni (Captain), Zachary Degiovanni, Nathan Pace Gasan, Karl Chircop, Luke Bajada, Keith Bajada, Alessandro Amore, and Lukas Brincat.
Supporting the squad are assistant coaches Matthew Buhagiar and Kevin Micallef, with David Mangion serving as the team physiotherapist.
The Maltese delegation also includes HAM Secretary General Dario Cacopardo, joined by Gordon Cachia, who is acting as team manager. Adding to the local representation, Keith Calleja will serve as one of the tournament umpires.
Malta will be aiming to build on recent development efforts and make a strong impact at this level of European competition.
Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist
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