Maltese derby in store as Sultana faces Engerer in men’s squash singles

The Maltese Olympic Committee contingent left Malta on Tuesday on their way to Birmingham to finalise their preparations ahead of the start of the Commonwealth Games on Friday.

Team Malta will be competing in nine different disciplines and will be formed by 28 athletes at the quadriennial Games that will be held between Friday and August 9.

Malta will be taking part in athletics, badminton, cycling, judo, lawn bowls, squash, triathlon, weightlifting, and wrestling.

Among the first Maltese athletes that will be in action in Birmingham are the squash players Kijan Sultana, Colette Sultana, Niall Engerer, and Lijana Sultana.

The singles draws for the first round of the singles competition were held this week.

While the majority of the game’s biggest names are receiving a bye through to round two, there is still plenty of action to look forward to on day one as 56 players take part in the opening round on Friday.

In the men’s draw, there is an all-Maltese derby between a pair of Commonwealth Games debutants, as 18-year-old Kijan Sultana goes up against 29-year-old Niall Engerer.

For the winner, a tough second-round prospect looms in the shape of New Zealand’s top seed and world no.2 Paul Coll.

In the women’s draw, Colette Sultana has been awarded a bye in the first round and will proceed to the second round.

Her young sister, Lijana Sultana was handed a tricky start to her first appearance in the Games when she was drawn to face Trinidad and Tobago player Charlotte Knaggs.