Day: July 5, 2024

Matt Attard parts ways with Starlites

Maltese-Australian guard Matt Attard will be seeking a new adventure next season after announcing his departure from Malta champions Starlites on Wednesday.

Attard, who spent the past two seasons with the Naxxar side is said to be leaving Malta, hinting at a move to Spain but sources tell Malta Basketball, this will just be a temporary stop before he heads to Australia to continue his basketball career.

“Today after two seasons with Starlites, I am leaving Malta! Thank you to everyone in my 2 years in this great country! Thank you for making me feel welcome!” Attard said in a statement on his socials.

Malta Basketball has learnt that the Maltese-Australian guard is currently in negotiations with an Australian club ahead of next season.

Throughout his time at Starlites, Attard had proven himself a sharpshooter from three-point range, averaging 22.2 points per game across all competitions last season. Shooting 33.5% from deep and 86.7% from the freethrow line, Attard was a key player in Starlites despite starting 14 games out of the 23 he played a part in.

This leaves Starlites coach Paul Ferrante with the task of finding a valid replacement for the guard, with captain Alec Felice Pace also said to be nearing a move overseas.

Malta U-16 Girls’ Team Set for FIBA Eurobasket in Gibraltar

The Malta U-16 girls’ team is in the final stages of their preparations for the FIBA Women’s Under-16 Eurobasket Division C tournament.

This year, the team heads to Gibraltar to face hosts Gibraltar, Albania, and Moldova in the opening stages with hopes of passage to the final stages on a high.

Coach Roderick Vella has named a squad of 12 players, and the team will fly out to Gibraltar on Sunday. Vella, who led Luxol’s youth women’s squad this past season, was appointed Women’s Under-16 national team coach earlier this year. Now, they hope to emulate the success of the senior women’s team, who performed admirably at the FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries in Kosovo last month.

Malta will begin their Group B schedule with a match against Albania on Tuesday, followed by a game against hosts Gibraltar on Wednesday. Their last group game is against Moldova on Thursday. The first classification matches and semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday, with the final games taking place on Sunday.

Coach Vella, assisted by Matthew Borg and Nadia Vella, has expressed confidence in the team’s readiness and potential to compete strongly in the tournament.

Malta u-16 women's national team photo.
The Malta women’s U-16 national team. Photo: Malta Basketball Association.

Malta Squad

  • Ylenia Ferrando (Starlites)
  • Claire Portelli (Depiro)
  • Kristie Sammut (Depiro)
  • Eve Axisa (Luxol)
  • Rebecca Fenech Pace (Luxol)
  • Kelly Magro (Luxol)
  • Lara Micallef (Hibernians)
  • Gwen Carabott (Luxol)
  • Shanice Farrugia (Luxol)
  • Samira Deguara (Depiro)
  • Ylenia Mangion (Depiro)
  • Hannah Casaletto (Depiro)

Malta U-16 Team Prepares for FIBA Eurobasket in Albania

After the senior team‘s participation at the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries in Andorra, attention now turns to the U-16 boys’ team as they head to Albania to represent Malta in a FIBA Eurobasket tournament.

Coach Omar Said, who was appointed U-16 coach earlier in the year, has selected a squad of 12 players for the FIBA Under-16 Eurobasket Division C, which will take place in Albania from 9 to 14 July 2024.

Malta were pitted in Group A, facing Moldova, Albania, and Azerbaijan in the opening stages of the competition as they aim for a chance for gold.

Said’s clan will start their Group A commitments against Moldova on Tuesday, followed by matches against hosts Albania on Wednesday and Azerbaijan on Thursday. The first classification matches and semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday, with the final games set for Sunday.

The Malta coach, assisted by Miguel Falzon and Timothy Cutugno who will serve as the head of delegation, expressed confidence in the team’s preparations and their ability to compete at a high level.

Malta U-16 national team photo
The Malta Under-16 boy’s team. Photo: Malta Basketball Association.

Malta Squad

  • Nicholas Zammit (Depiro)
  • Eric Fenech Pace (Luxol)
  • Kai Fabri (Starlites Naxxar)
  • Steven Ransley (Starlites Naxxar)
  • Alexander Zammit (Starlites Naxxar)
  • Kyle Galea (Luxol)
  • Zac Said Hollier (Starlites Naxxar)
  • Krusmir Fabri (Gzira Athleta)
  • Matthew Sammut (Depiro)
  • Michelangelo Spiteri (Gzira Athleta)
  • Giacomo Camilleri (Starlites Naxxar)
  • Gregory Mizzi (Luxol)

Valletta Fighters sign Stelmach from Athleta

After a solid first season in the BOV Division One with Athleta, Piotr Stelmach is a Valletta Fighters player, Malta Basketball can confirm.

The Polish power forward was one of the highlight transfers of last summer as he was brought onto the scene with the Gzira-based club and has surely left a good impression on the rest of the local basketball community, with Valletta immediately showing interest over the summer.

Now coach Harry Savaya has gotten his man as the Citizens begin their rebuild for the coming season.

Last season, Stelmach was one of three late summer signings for Athleta, announced together with Dajuan Moorer and Ivan Medved. While Medved halted his season very early due to injury, Moorer and Stelmach became important pillars of the team then coached by Christos Kousidis. While the Greek coach left the club to become Hibernians’ coach, Moorer’s contract expiration saw him return home, and Stelmach remains after what sources called a lucrative offer from Valletta.

At Athleta, the former Polish Cup winner had a slow start, missing out on all of the team’s John Tabone Shield games. However, he made up for this in the league campaign, averaging 18.3 points per game. The 6’9 forward, who also played in the centre position at times, scored 48.3% of his shots from the field while putting in the work on defence for eight rebounds and almost a block each game.

Now, Stelmach boosts a squad that will play its second season in the league with hope of a better run after failing to secure any wins in what appeared to be an experimental league campaign. The Citizens had already extended the contract of former Depiro guard Andy Attard during last season but have now made another significant addition in Stelmach, with further signings said to be added.