Bormla Subbuteo Club hosts first International Open of 2025 with strong international participation

Bormla Subbuteo Club successfully hosted the first International Open of 2025, welcoming 28 players across three categories—Open, Veterans, and Under-20. The event featured notable international participation, including eight Italian competitors representing clubs from Messina, Basilicata, and Sombrero. A team competition was also held, contested by two Bormla SC teams and Sombrero, after no other Maltese clubs registered.

Open Category – Mark Gauci Claims the Title

In the Individual Open Category, Mark Gauci (Valletta SC) captured the championship after defeating Jean Carl Tabone (Bormla SC) 3–1 in the final.
Semi-finalists included George Ebejer (Bormla SC) and Torboli (Sombrero).
Gauci and Tabone advanced to the final with victories of 2–1 and 3–2 respectively.

Veterans Category – Charlie Aquilina Triumphs

The Veterans competition saw Charlie Aquilina (Bormla SC) crowned champion following a 2–1 win over Mario Camilleri (Crimson Horses – Greece) in the final.
Semi-final places went to Cassanova and Collela of Sombrero.
Aquilina and Camilleri reached the final after winning their semi-final matches 3–0 and 1–0 respectively.

Under-20 Category – Narrow Win for Sombrero

In the Under-20 category, Sani (Sombrero) claimed first place, edging out Robert Farrugia Randon (Ħ’Attard SC) by a single goal in what was described as a highly competitive division.

Teams Event – Bormla SC Dominate

Bormla SC secured the Team Category title, defeating their own second team 4–0 in the final.
The competition format featured a round-robin between three teams, with the top two advancing to the final:

• Bormla SC A beat Bormla SC B 3–0 and Sombrero 4–0

• Bormla SC B lost 3–0 to their club’s A team but earned a crucial 2–1 win against Sombrero to secure second place

Bormla SC A was represented by Charlie Aquilina, Jason Pisani, Jean Carl Tabone, and George Ebejer.
Bormla SC B featured Mauro Camilleri, Melvin Barun, Josef Camilleri, and Gabriel Ebejer.

Trophies were presented by the Mayor of Bormla, Mr. Marco Agius.

Upcoming International Commitments

Bormla SC now turn their attention to major international events, including:

• Mayor of Bologna Tournament (Italy) – early December

• Yorkshire International Open (UK) – opening event of 2026

• Second Bormla International Open – scheduled for 10–11 January, where the club aims to continue its impressive run at the top of the FISTF Teams World Ranking, a position they have held for 17 consecutive months

Gerald Fenech

Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist