The FISEC Games in the Algarve, Portugal, got off to a start yesterday.

The Maltese were in action in table-tennis yesterday even before the opening ceremony which had to be staged late yesterday.

The Maltese players are James Dawson, Marcus Portelli, Andrea Portelli and Christopher Attard. Their coach is Paul Dawson.

Malta A team consisting of James Dawson and Marcus Portelli suffered defeats at the hands of France A, Portugal B and Portugal C with identical scores of 3-0. The B team, consisting of Andrea Portelli and Christopher Attard, also lost against Portugal A, France B and Holland, all with the 3-0 scoreline, except for the match against France, where the Maltese went close as they lost 3-2.

The players will now be in action today in the doubles competitions.

The Maltese athletes, under coaches Mario Micallef and Angie Mangion, will also be in action today. Yesterday they trained at the Carlos Cabral Municipal Track where the athletics competitions are being held.

The swimmers, under the charge of Gail Rizzo, will also be in action today. Yesterday they had a training session at the Municipal swimming pool in Lagos.