This team competition, which is made up of the Premier and First Divisions, is now well on its way. All its matches are being regularly played at the Cottonera Sports Complex on Wednesday evenings, starting at 7pm.
The top two local teams – defending champions Pawla Wolves Assikura and Birkirkara BC – are contesting the Premier Division title. They are playing each other five times over a five-month period in order to determine the winner of the national championship title.
The Wolves could not have hoped for a better start to this five-match series as they managed to win the initial two encounters. The defending champions edged their direct title contenders with an identical 3-2 score line in each of the first two fixtures.
The third encounter between the two sides could therefore have decided the issue. A win for the Paolites would have signified an unassailable three-win lead that would have put the Premier Division championship title beyond their opponents’ reach.
However, B’Kara managed to turn the tables on the Wolves. Winning 3-2 at the end of a balanced encounter, B’Kara dented the Wolves’ momentum and re-opened the title race.
B’Kara drew first blood in the opening Men’s Singles. This saw the clash between the two team captains, in which Stefan Salomone prevailed over Kenneth Vella, at the end of a three-set thriller, with the following score: 21/18, 16/21, 21/19.
However, the Wolves reacted promptly and drew level in the Ladies’ Singles in which Didi Rasamayii defeated Maria Borg 21/13 21/9.
B’Kara went ahead again in the Men’s Doubles when brothers Robert and Stefan Salomone defeated the Wolves’ duo David Cole / Kenneth Vella in two sets: 21/15 21/14.
Once again, the Wolves put the match on an even keel by taking the Ladies’ Doubles through Joanne Cassar/Didi Rasamayii who won 21/7 21/2 against Maria Bor /Fiorella Farrugia.
With the match finely balanced at
2-2, B’Kara sealed the issue in the remaining Mixed Doubles, in which Fiorella Farrugia/Robert Salomone defeated Joanne Cassa /David Cole. After losing the initial set 13/21, the B’Kara pair ably came from behind to win the other two sets 21/13 21/11.