Malta’s men’s doubles team composed of Simon Gerada and Daniel Bajada were so close to winning a goal medal in the event yesterday.

After beating the more fancied Luxembourg team in the semi-final, they went on to meet favourites Cyprus in the final.

Despite their lower ranking, the Maltese team offered tough resistance in the two sets played, but at the end, it was the Cyprus who prevailed 12-10, 14-12.

After the match, Gerada said he was disappointed at losing the final in such a manner – two very close sets.

He added: “Despite the disappointment, we are still happy to have reached this stage, winning the silver medal. My colleague Daniel is a promising talent and he has the potential to go a long way in his career. However, there is still more room for improvement.

Daniel Bajada was obviously happy with the silver medal. “This is a great moment and a very useful experience for me and the Malta team. Now we are looking forward to do well even in the singles events,” he said.