Team Malta which is taking part in this weekend’s Mediterranean Friendship tournament in nearby Sicily was announced yesterday.

It will be consisting of a group of 59 persons, including athletes, federation officials and Maltese Olympic Committee officials.

This tournament is specifically reserved for athletes of federations who normally do not represent Malta in Olympic sports events. The tournament is being held mostly in Palermo with just one pool and snooker, taking place in Modica.

The reason why pool and snooker are being held in Modica and not in Palermo, is because only one snooker table was available in the whole of Sicily and it was too expensive to transport it to Palermo.

The other disciplines are badminton, dance sport, fencing, golf, karate, pool, table-football, triathlon and weightlifting.

The games are being held between Friday evening (dance sport competition after the official dinner) and on Saturday (whole day) and Sunday morning.

Maltese Olympic Committee president Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco said yesterday the aim of the tournament was to revive an event which also used to be held, although on different lines, in the past. This time, it has been decided to include sports disciplines most of which are not normally contested at the Olympics.

He said originally they intended to include Libya and Tunisia as well. “Both were invited to take part, but had to drop out because of other commitments, even if they would have had a limited participation as several disciplines of those being contested in Sicily are unpopular or inexistent in both countries,” said Farrugia Sacco.

He added that such a tournament will serve as a useful experience for these athletes who will be forming part of a Team Malta contingent for the first time ever.

He also said that next year’s event in Malta is planned to coincide with the celebrations being made by the Maltese Olympic Committee to mark its 80th anniversary.

Earlier, Joe Cassar, MOC secretary general, said that the contingent will be leaving Malta on Friday for Catania and will then proceed on a long three-hour coach trip to Palermo. “This tournament is being given the same importance as we normally give other events such as the Small Nations Games. There will be technical meetings with the Sicilian counterparts on Friday evening, that is, before the start of competitions,” he said.

The whole Maltese contingent is made up of the following:

MOC officials: Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco, Joe Cassar, Anthony Chircop, Laurie Pace, Marie Therese Zammit and Vince Scicluna.

Badminton: Martin Camilleri, Francis Vella, Joanne Cassar, Catherine Dimech, Kenneth Vella and David Cole.

Dancesport: Anna Cassar, Christopher Zammit, Kurt Spiteri, Brenda Jane Camilleri, Joseph Bartolo, Marianne Bartolo.

Fencing: Juan Formosa, Joseph Scicluna, Marie Jo Scicluna, Susan Ronald, Norman Martinez and Pierre Bianchi.

Golf: Maureen Borg, Henning Shulze Doering, Pierre Satariano, Nicholas Borg.

Karate: Anthony Zammit, Jason Edwards, Christopher Rotin, Jesmond Abdilla, Joseph Galea, Steven Bugeja

Pool: Vincent Degiorgio, Carmel Cilia, Clint Azzopardi, Clayton Attard.

Snooker: Frans Bugeja, Paul Galea, Duncan Bezzina, Simon Camilleri.

Table-Football: Joe Zammit Pavia, Hansel Mallia, Samuel Bartolo, Derek Conti

Triathlon: Isabelle Zarb, Donatelle Callus, Danica Spiteri, Brian Magri, Keith Galea.

Weightlifting: David Saliba, Jesmond Joseph Caruana, Cristian Saliba, Emanuel Schembri, Gordon Cachia, Noel Coleiro.