This season’s competitive calendar of Badminton Malta has been augmented with the recent start of the H2Only Individual League.

This event, which is once again being sponsored by Island Beverages Co. Ltd, is being regularly played on Wednesday evenings at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

The participants have been graded, according to their standard of play, into ten separate divisions: seven for Singles (two of which are exclusively for Ladies) and three for Doubles.

Each division will be played on a league format. Each fixture will consist of only two sets of twenty-one points each, thereby giving rise to the possibility of a drawn result. One point is awarded for each set won.

In the Men’s Singles section, Stefan Salomone (B’Kara) started well by winning his opening First Division fixture against team mate Aldo Polidano, whom he defeated 21/14 21/16.

Title contender Kenneth Vella (Pawla Wolves Schtag) drew his match against the Bulgarian player Boris Lalov (Msida Arrows). After Vella won the first set 21/14, the Bulgarian reacted strongly to take the second set 21/15.

There seems to be a marked degree of equilibrium in the Third Division where four players are on equal points at the top of the table. Martin Camilleri (Pawla Wolves Three-You-Design), Mark Briffa (Shuttles Fort Blocks), Ivan Salomone and Alfred Polidano (both of B’Kara) are all on the three-point mark, having each won one and drawn the other of their initial two matches.

David Chua (Pawla Wolves Three-You-Design) is unbeaten at the top of the Fourth Division with seven points, having won three and drawn one of the four fixtures played so far.

His team mate Franz Vella is within striking distance, with six points to his credit. Mario Pirotta (Msida Arrows) is third, with three points.

Stephen Serracino Inglott (Msida Arrows) leads the Fifth Division unbeaten after two matches, with the maximum four points.

He is followed by his team mate Stephen Hall who shares the second berth with J. Zammit (Shuttles Fort Blocks), each having garnered two points so far.

In the Ladies’ Singles section, the Dutch player Didi Rasamayii (Pawla Wolves Schtag) is unbeaten at the top of the First Division, with four points from her initial two fixtures.

Joanne Vella (Shuttles Fort Blocks), who defeated Fiorella Farrugia (B’Kara BC), as well as Rachel Attard (B’Kara BC), who won her match against team mate Maria Borg, share second place with two points apiece.

Grace Saliba and Juliet Gatt (both of Shuttles Fort Blocks) lead the Second Division table with four points, having each won their first two matches.

Russian player Olga Fedotkina and Dutch player Els Goes (both of Msida Arrows) follow them closely with two points each.