The Maltese clan at Andorra yesterday rejoiced at the news that Angela Galea and Marcon Bezzina had won a gold medal each in swimming and judo respectively.
And Malta Olympic Committee president Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco was over the moon at the contingent's success yesterday, that is, two gold, one silver and six bronze medals.
These were undoubtedly positive results for Malta on the first day of competition and it was a big satisfaction to the whole Maltese group in Andorra.
Said the MOC president: "These were massive results for us, but especially for Angela and swimming in general. She deserved it as she worked hard, has showed commitment since she was very young and is one of our most dedicated sportswomen on the island.
"I congratulate Angela for this success which should prove to be a boost for swimming. She has enabled her sport to break new ground," he said.
The MOC president also praised Marcon Bezzina for her achievement. "She has enabled the judo contingent to win back the gold medal they used to achieve before they lost it in the Malta Games," he said.
Asked to make a general comment on the day's performances by the Maltese, Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco said it was a positive day overall. "There have been some disappointing results, but I must say there were others which were surprising to us, such as Angela Galea's and Marcon Bezzina's gold medal wins. We expected something better in basketball and table-tennis. The girls lost heavily against Luxembourg in their opening match while the table-tennis duo of Gerada and Makowski were not expected to lose a qualifying round match as they did.
Chef de Mission Pippo Psaila was also a satisfied person yesterday. He said: "This was a very good start for Malta in these Games. And I promise you there is still a lot more to come in the next few days. I am convinced our athletes will be doing their best and I am hopeful after this great opening day of competition that we will be close to what we were expecting. We are already on the right track," he added.