Team Malta delivered one of its best ever performances at the 22nd Comité d’Organisation des Jeux des Iles (COJI) in Catania, Sicily, winning 53 medals: 10 gold, 11 silver and 32 bronze. Thirty-six athletes aged 14 to 16 competed against more than 1,000 young athletes from twelve islands, and won medals in every one of their six disciplines.
Athletics brought seven of the golds. Twins Jacob and Omar El Aida Chaffey were the stars of the track: Jacob won the 100m and 200m and Omar the 400m, both ran on the gold medal relay team, and the 100m produced an all-Malta podium with Kurt Zahra in bronze. Sarah Chouhal won gold in the hammer and the girls’ relay, Mariah Zahra won the discus, and Kurt Zahra became the first Maltese U16 athlete to run the 200m under 23 seconds.
The swimmers brought home 20 medals, led by Emily Grech Carr with one silver and six bronze. Ella Borg won three gymnastics medals, Joelle Farrugia won gold in karate kumite, and sailor Richard Schultheis took gold with Saul Vassallo in bronze. The table tennis team won six bronze medals, the sport’s first ever at these Games.
“This was one of the best years in terms of results, however it is not just due to the medals won, which was remarkable but also due to the fact that a number of national records were beaten and personal bests achieved,” said Chef de Mission Maria Vella-Galea, the MOC’s Director of Media. “Another particularly satisfactory aspect to these Games is the sense of friendship and camaraderie between Maltese athletes.”
Malta received the 7th Place trophy at the Closing Ceremony, collected by the Chef de Mission with Jacob El Aida Chaffey and Sarah Chouhal, the contingent’s two biggest medal winners. Sicily won the overall trophy.
