More medal success for Team Malta at Invitational Games

Team Malta won more medals on the second day of the opening edition of the Invitational Games.

The Maltese Olympic Committee are organising these Games to boost those disciplines that do not form part of the sports programme in next year’s GSSE in Malta.

This four-day sports festival is replacing the now-defunct Friendship Games which were previously organised by the Maltese Olympic Committee and CONI Sicilia.

After ending the first day of competition with three gold medals, Team Malta continued to increase its tally on Friday.

Krista Kuusijarvi won gold for Malta in the Sprint Duathlon event when she finished ahead of team-mate Danica Bonello Spiteri to make it a memorable double for the hosts.

Ryan Muscat won the bronze medal in the men’s competition.

The sprint duathlon consisted of a  4km run, 16km bike and 4km run course held on the Hal Far Race Track.

Simultaneously at the Qawra Palace Hotel, Taekwondo senior events were taking place. 

Team Malta managed to win a silver and two bronze medals through Shania Magro, Jerome Vassallo, and Daydou Diao respectively. 

Saydou Diao is a refugee from Guinea. He is currently in Malta, following assistance provided by World Taekwondo.  

Diao was competing in his first-ever senior-ranked competition, a World Taekwondo G2. He won his first round but unfortunately lost the second round against a talented fighter from San Marino.

In his final encounter Diao narrowly missed out on a win in the final round by a few points. 

Saturday’s competitions brought about the end of the Taekwondo Association’s commitments to these Games.

On Saturday morning, an Aquathlon event (2.5km run / 1km swim / 2.5km run) took place in Pretty Bay.

Gold and Silver went for Malta as Maya Schembri Rodgers crossed the finish line first ahead of Danica Bonello Spiteri.

In third place was Antonia Sofokleous. 

In the males’ race, Ryan Muscat grabbed the silver medal when he finished ahead of team-mate Nick Sammut. Cyprus triathlete Alexandrios Dimitriou took the gold medal.