Josef Desira (above) has accepted to represent Malta Squash in the 5th European Championship this year being held in Prague.

Ranked 170 in the world, Josef turned professional in 2004 and is now aspiring to reach the top 100 by the end of this year.

He is the first full professional to represent Malta in an international tournament of this calibre.

The son of Maltese parents, 20 year old Josef has been brought up in Australia and is currently ranked 25 in his native country, but now resides in Zejtun.

In 2003 he joined the Malta national team and, together with his sister Diane, won two medals for Malta in the GSSE 2003.

He has just returned to Malta, won the Malta Open and has decided to make Malta his home. This will enable him to compete in all Professional tournaments around Europe. He will be joining the Malta team in Cyprus for the European Squash Small Nations Games and aims to participate for Malta in the forthcoming Commonwealth Games to be held next year in Melbourne, Australia.