According to reports in yesterday’s Gazzetta dello Sport, Samuel Deguara, Malta’s tallest basketball player, has joined the Treviso Benetton team in Italy.

Standing at 2.23 metres already, Deguara has been attracting interest of many European clubs, but has now signed a nine-year contract with the Italian club which makes him a Treviso player till 2016.

Deguara, who will be 16 on the 21st of this month, hails from Pieta and has been playing basketball for only the past two years. He represented Malta several times in the under-16 category.

Deguara was spotted by club official, Riccardo Sbirri, during a recent training camp, conducted by Malta’s national coach Bruno Di Pietrantonio, in Ragusa.

Treviso have another very tall player on their books at present – Gino Cuccarolo who is 2.20 metres tall.