Malta hosts the European Union Cup and International Junior Open

The Malta Weightlifting Association successfully hosted the European Union Cup and the Malta International Junior Open Championship at the Marsa Sports Complex, bringing together athletes from 21 countries competing across three age categories – Under 15, Under 17, and Under 20 – for both boys and girls.

The opening ceremony was led by Charles Camenzuli, president of AIPS Europe, who spoke about the steady growth and development of Maltese weightlifting over the years.

Additional remarks were delivered by EWF General Secretary Dr Milan Mihajlovic, who highlighted the importance of these events, praised the professionalism of the organizers, and expressed hope that Malta may soon have the opportunity to host the European Championships.

Jesmond Caruana, president of both the Malta Weightlifting Association and the European Union Weightlifting Confederation, thanked all participating nations for their commitment.

He emphasized that the success of the competitions was made possible by a dedicated team of volunteers whose hard work ensured exceptional hospitality and smooth event operations. He also extended his gratitude to SportMalta and the MTA for their ongoing support.

Dr Astrit Hasani, President of the European Weightlifting Federation, commended the Malta Weightlifting Association, expressing admiration for how a small federation could deliver an event of such high organizational standard and attention to detail.

The competitions featured outstanding individual and team performances. France claimed the title of Best Team in the EU Cup, while Israel secured victory in the Malta International Junior Open.

Maltese athletes delivered strong performances across the board.

Nathan Mifsud lifted a total of 203kg (310 points), winning silver in the Under 15 EU Cup and gold in the Malta International Open.

He also earned bronze in the doubles event alongside Emily Livori.

Kim Camilleri Laganà lifted 164kg (242 points), claiming bronze in the Under 17 EU Cup and gold in the Malta International Open. She additionally secured bronze in the doubles with Gabrielle Frendo.

Other notable results for Team Malta were provided by Luke Stefan Micallef (202kg / 296 points); Nathaniel Fenech (220kg / 276 points), Aaliyah Gatt (163kg/208 points) and Kaya Curmi Inguanez (131kg/196 points)

Two of Malta’s top lifters and previous edition winners, Tenisha Thornton and Rylee Borg, were unable to compete as they continued their recovery from injury.