Special Olympics Malta has achieved 17 medals at the Special Olympic Games being held in Greece between 25 June and 5 July. Special Olympics Malta won four gold medals, 10 silver and three bronze medals.

Swimmers Jean Paul Mifsud and Alexia Wetz won two gold medals in the aquatics category, whilst Charmaine Mifsud, right, Nathaniel Grasso, Jean Bernard Cachia and Mark Zammit Cutajar won five silver medals in the same category.

Bowler Philip Gruppetta won a gold medal while Albert Borg won a silver medal in the singles category and Marica Rogers and Albert Borg won a bronze medal in the doubles category.

In the gymanstics section Anna Marie Bugeja, at the age of just eight, and being the youngest athlete among all World Games athletes, obtained a silver medal in the all round score, a gold medal for Floor Gymnastics and a silver medal in the Beam, Vaults and Bars category.

Matthew Bugeja won a bronze medal in the Ring and Horizontal Bars category.

Athletics produced two silver medals for Malta. These were won by Lukas Dalli and Claudio Dalli. Yowanna Vassallo won a bronze medal in the Bocce category. Meanwhile, Malta will play the final football match against Isle of Man, with the winning team taking away the gold medal.

“We are very happy with the result we have obtained so far. Our athletes are giving their 100% in all the competitions and are making us really proud. Special Olympics Malta is on everyone’s mind and this is making all the hard work of traning worthwhile. We thank Vodafone Malta Foundation for their ongoing support and their assistance for these games and for all other Special Olympics activities,” said Anna Calleja, coordinator of Special Olympics Malta.

Special Olympics Malta has a delegation of 38 athletes accompanied by coaches, heads of delegation and a group of parents. The event brought together 7,500 athletes from 185 nations, with the Maltese team participating in athletics, bowling, swimming, gymnastics, bocce and football.

The Vodafone Malta Foundation stated that it is delighted to be supporting the Special Olympics Malta team and to enable Maltese athletes to participate alonsgide other Special Olympics organisations from across the globe.