An inaugural competition for the First Division Men teams, was played in the Gozo Sports Complex. They were split into two groups. Games were of two periods of 15 minutes duration, except for the final, which was played, as per regular season, four sessions of 10 minutes each.

The teams were given permission to play foreigner players, who were to be signed up in the coming days, but four local players were to be ever present on court for the duration of the matches.

In the tournament there were players from the United States, Serbia, Hungary, Belgium, Libya, Italy, Spain and Latvia.

Gozo Cup Men A

A to Z Electronics Athleta 66

Tata Motors Loyola 30

(41-16, 25-14)

Athleta: 7 M. Naudi, 11 D. Bugeja, 7 A. Fekete, 5 D. Schembri, M. Giusti, 7 I. Buldakov, 6 O. Said, 2 C. Calleja, 5 A. Bonnici, 3 K. Baldacchino, 13 M. Kuwaid

Loyola: 7 S. Pace, B. Zammit, 7 D. Camilleri, C. Cassar, S. Borg, L. Azzopardi,4 S. Vella, 5 A. Axiaq, Vitale, 1 J. Anastasi, J. Ransley, 6 A. Altarhuni

Referees: E. Mangani, A. Carbonaro, C. Terribile

Siggiewi 32

A to Z Elec. Athleta 47

(12-31, 20-16)

Siggiewi: R. Agius, 4 L. Camilleri, 4 P. Shoults, 3 E. Xuereb, 3 N. Sultana, 4 A. Borg, 5 C. Maier, C. Kodomaris, 9 M. Matijevic

Athleta: M. Naudi, 4 D. Bugeja, 3 A. Fekete, 4 D. Schembri, M. Giusti, I. Buldakov, 13 O. Said, C. Calleja, 13 A. Bonnici,2 K. Baldacchino, 8 M. Kuwaid

Referees: G. Barbara, C. Terribile, L. Camilleri

Tata Motors Loyola 34

Siggiewi 55

(14-31, 20-24)

Loyola: 11 S. Pace, B. Zammit, 2 D. Camilleri, C. Cassar, S. Borg, L. Azzopardi, S. Vella, A. Axiaq, F. Vitale, 11 J. Anastasi, J. Ransley, 10 A. Altarhuni

Siggiewi: 2 R. Agius,3 L. Camilleri, 4 P. Shoults, E. Xuereb, 9 N. Sultana, 11 A. Borg, JP Azzopardi, C. Maier, 7 C. Kodomaris, 12 M. Matijevic

Referees: G. Barbara, E. Mangani, A. Carbonaro

A-Z Ectronics Athleta finished on top with four points, followed by Siggiewi on 3 and Tata Motors Loyola with two points.

Men B

Depiro Mtarfa 52

Floriana Frco Fenech 41

(30-21, 22-20)

Depiro: 12 R. Vella, 4 JP Schembri, S. Baldacchino, A. Psaila, 1 A. Aquilina, 11 A Portelli, D. Schembri, 2 E. Lupo, 6 M. Mallia, 5 I. Tanti, 11 G. Hamlin

Floriana: D. Garcia, M. Pisani, J. Curmi, N. Mercieca, 10 C. Sammut, 7 I. Mercieca. 8 S. Sammut, R. Polis, O. Shamala, 12 B. Williams, 4 A. Sultana, M. Ciantar

Referees: E. Mangani, A, Carbonaro, L. Camilleri

Bupa Luxol 44

Depiro Mtarfa 47

(19-20, 25-27)

Luxol: CJ Cordina, M. Mercieca, 33 J. Belin, A. Micallef Trigona, L. Ross, A. Costa, 3 N. Vasovic, 6 T. Paris, M. Attard Montaldo, J. Gambin, 2 JP Bonnici, S. Cappello

Depiro: 9 R. Vella, JP Schembri, S. Baldacchino, A. Psaila, 10 A. Aquilina, 8 A. Portelli, D. Schembri, E. Lupo, 4 M. Mallia, I. Tanti, 15 G. Hamlin

Referees: E. Mangani, A. Carbonaro, C. Terribile

Floriana Francesco Fenech 44

Bupa Luxol 49

(17-24, 27-25)

Floriana: D. Garcia, S. Galea, J. Curmi, 5 N. Mercieca,7 C. Sammut, 3 I. Mercieca.4 S. Sammut, R. Polis, O. Shamala, 16 B. Williams, 9 A. Sultana, M. Ciantar

Luxol: CJ Cordina, 2 M. Mercieca, 34 J. Belin, A. Micallef Trigona, L. Ross, A. Costa, 3 N. Vasovic, 4 T. Paris, M. Attard Montaldo, J. Gambin, 6 JP Bonnici, S. Cappello

Referees: G. Barbara, C. Terribile, L. Camilleri

Depiro Mtarfa finished the group matches on top with four points, followed by Bupa Luxol on three and Floriana Francesco Fenech with two points.

Semifinals

Depiro 33

Siggiewi 53

(19-27, 14-26)

Depiro: 7 R. Vella, 3 JP Schembri, S. Baldacchino, A. Psaila, 8 A. Aquilina, 5 A. Portelli, D. Schembri, E. Lupo, 4 M. Mallia, 2 I. Tanti, 4 G. Hamlin

Siggiewi: R. Agius, 4 L. Camilleri, 5 P. Shoults, E. Xuereb, 2 N. Sultana, 13 A. Borg, JP Azzopardi, C. Maier, 7 C. Kodomaris, 13 M. Matijevic

Referees: G. Barbara, E. Mangani, L. Camilleri

A to Z Elec. Athleta 56

Bupa Luxol 32

(31-16, 25-16)

Athleta: 13 M. Naudi, 4 D. Bugeja, 6 A. Fekete, 6 D. Schembri, M. Giusti, 1 I. Buldakov, 11 O. Said, C. Calleja, 3 A. Bonnici, 6 K. Baldacchino, 6 M. Kuwaid

Luxol: 3 CJ Cordina, 4 M. Mercieca, 11 J. Belin, 4 A. Micallef Trigona, L. Ross, 6 A. Costa, N. Vasovic, 2 T. Paris, M. Attard Montaldo, J. Gambin, 2 JP Bonnici, S. Cappello

Referees: G. Barbara, A. Carbonaro, C. Terribile

5/6 place match

Tata Motors Loyola 57

Floriana Francesco Fenech 35

(19-27, 14-26)

Loyola: 6 S. Pace, 7 B. Zammit, 20 D. Camilleri, C. Cassar, 2 S. Borg, L. Azzopardi, S. Vella, 9 A. Axiaq, F. Vitale, 2 J. Anastasi, 2 J. Ransley, 9 A. Altarhuni

Floriana: D. Garcia, S. Galea, 5 J. Curmi, N. Mercieca, 10 I. Mercieca. 5 S. Sammut, R. Polis, 2 O. Shamala, 8 B. Williams, 5 A. Sultana, M. Ciantar

Referees: E. Mangani, A, Carbonaro, L. Camilleri

3/4 place match

Depiro Mtarfa 64

Bupa Luxol 39

(27-24, 37-15)

Depiro: 19 R. Vella, 2 JP Schembri, S. Baldacchino, A. Psaila, 12 A. Aquilina, 8 A. Portelli, D. Schembri, 4 E. Lupo, M. Mallia, 2 I. Tanti, 17 G. Hamlin

Luxol: 1 CJ Cordina, 2 M. Mercieca, 20 J. Belin, 2 A. Micallef Trigona, L. Ross, A. Costa, N. Vasovic, 2 T. Paris, M. Attard Montaldo, J. Gambin, 12 JP Bonnici, S. Cappello

Referees: E. Mangani, A. Carbonaro, C. Terribile

Final

Siggiewi 57

A to Z Electronics Athleta 63

(14-22, 13-10, 14-19, 16-12)

This was the best match of the whole tournament with a pulsating finale. Although Athleta at times opened up good advantages Siggiewi always found the means to get back within contention and were on level terms a few minutes from time. Athleta recovered and very late triples gave them the spoils.

Siggiewi fielded the same team as from the start of the season and added on JP Azzopardi. The champions had an extra player who made a difference in this final - Mohammed Kuwaid from Bahrain. They had Ivan Buldakov work-tied and missed the final.

The early skirmishes were shared as the lead changed hands three times. Michael Naudi sank a triple for Athleta and his side went further ahead with an Omar said trey.

Siggiewi crawled back with a Nigel Sultana triple and then drew level. The rest of the quarter went Athleta’s way when combined play had Kuwaid finishing off in style.

In the second session Siggiewi began their way back and they built up a good 10-2 run with a Peter Shoults triple going to within a hoop of their adversaries.

Naudi picked his team up and the champions opened up another advantage. Siggiewi’s free shots reduced the arrears with Athleta going in at the interval on a 32-27 lead.

After the break Athleta’s attempts to pull away had Said sinking another triple but Marco Matijevic also netted a trey and Siggiewi were back to a hoop behind.

A steady Athleta spell had them on a 9-0 run and a third Said triple before Siggiewi gnawed away some of the deficit only for Kuwaid to nail a triple for a 51-41 Athleta lead. I

n the final quarter Athleta kept their opponents at bay for some time but Siggiewi’s intense pressure gave them a 10-0 run which brought them level at 55-55. It was triples which gave Athleta the push they needed from Said and Kuwaid and Siggiewi’s last desperate efforts were unable to save them.

At the end of the encounter, Parliamentary Secretary Dr Chris Said presented mementoes to all the referees and trophies to both sides with the Athleta captain Michael Naudi receiving the winning award as they won their second honour of the season after the Super Cup.

Siggiewi: R. Agius, 6 L. Camilleri, 5 P. Shoults, E. Xuereb, 7 N. Sultana, 2 A. Borg, JP Azzopardi, 21 C. Maier, 3 C. Kodomaris, 13 M. Matijevic

Athleta: 12 M. Naudi, D. Bugeja, A. Fekete, 8 D. Schembri, M. Giusti, 14 O. Said, C. Calleja, 8 A. Bonnici, 2 K. Baldacchino, 19 M. Kuwaid

Referees: G. Barbara, C. Terribile, L. Camilleri