The Malta Lawn Bowls Association will be participating in the Men’s events of the Lawn Bowls Competition at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.
The team is managed by John Zammit, who is presently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Main Ridge Bowls Club Inc. and Coached by Rex Johnston, an Australian citizen, who captained the Australian national team to a number of Gold Medals and to international fame.
The Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games aim to attract a record number of Lawn Bowls participants.
The Lawn Bowls sports programme covers nine days of competition, with a planned start on the day following the Opening Ceremony. The draws are conducted in a round-robin format. At the conclusion of the preliminary rounds the top performers then compete in the quarter-finals. From the quarter-finals onward the games are run on a knockout basis. The winners of the semi- finals then play off for the six gold medals. The Lawn Bowls competition includes singles, pairs and triples.
The Malta team was recently announced following recent trials. Most of the players were born in Malta and reside in the States of Victoria, N.S.W and Queensland. Joe Attard, Victor Brincat, Len Callus and Alf Vella, are from Victoria while Shaun Parnis and Frank Vella hail from N.S.W and Queensland, respectively. All are high quality top class Pennant competitions bowlers.
Frank Vella is perhaps the best known for having already represented Australia in Scotland in an Indoor Bowls International Competition.
Shaun Parnis, at 25 years of age, is the current Runner-Up N.S.W Champion and a State player with a string of Championship trophies. He will be representing Malta in the ‘Singles’ Event. Len Callus with an enviable record of Club Championships is a totally dedicated player who with Frank Vella combine a formidable ‘Pairs Team’.
The players from Victoria form the ‘Triples” team. Victor Brincat, the Skipper, is an experienced and highly regarded for his skills as skipper from Essendon Bowls Club. Joe Attard occupies the Middle Position. He plays Pennant Competition for Hastings Bowls Club. In his quest for excellence he travels extensively and regularly throughout Australia competing against international class bowlers.
Alf Vella will occupy the ‘Leads’ position. He was the last member of the team to gain selection. He earned his position by sheer skill and determination, defeating in the process more experienced players.
It is a highly compact and compatible team with medal prospects.