The principal competition in Badminton Malta’s seasonal calendar is currently the Individual Singles and Doubles League. This event is being played regularly on Wednesday evenings at the Cottonera Sports Complex.

The participants have been graded, according to their standard of play, into ten separate divisions – five for Singles and five for Doubles.

This ensures that each player competes against opponents who are, more or less, of the same standard. Such a level playing field enhances the competition’s overall interest and excitement.

Each fixture consists 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.

Four players are contesting the first division Singles title, which will be played over three rounds. At the end of the first round, with each participant having played three matches, the defending champion Boris Lalov (Msida Arrows BC) tops the provisional table with the maximum six points, having remained unbeaten so far.

He is followed by Kenneth Vella and David Cole (both of Pawla Wolves BC), who are three points adrift of the leader; they each have one win in addition to having drawn their direct encounter.

Lalov will start his second round commitments by facing Cole and Anthony Xuereb; the latter still has to garner his first points in this division.

Five players are contesting the second division Singles title, which will be played over two rounds. Samuel Cali (B’Kara BC) presently heads the provisional table with six points, having preserved his unbeaten status in the three fixtures played so far.

He is followed by Patrick Cassar and Rodney Abela (both of Pawla Wolves), who are jointly on the two-point mark.

Abela will soon have the chance to bridge the gap with the leader when he will be facing Cali in his next fixture.